Ruth L. Muenzer

Ruth Leah Krasno Muenzer, of Columbia, died April 26, 2008, in Pittsburgh. She was 93.

Born Nov. 5, 1914, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to David and Rebecca Krasno, she graduated from Forest City High School in Forest City, N.J., in 1931.

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1934 with a bachelor's degree in teaching Latin, German and French. Later, she earned a master's degree in human growth and development from the University of Maryland.

She married Dr. Maximilian Muenzer in 1941. He died in 1989.

Mrs. Muenzer worked as a teacher for 45 years, at Woodbine High School and Woodbine Elementary School and Millville High School, all in New Jersey. During that time, she taught fifth-graders and instructed high schoolers in Latin, German and French.

She was predeceased by her husband of 48 years, Dr. Maximilian Muenzer; a sister and her husband, Dr. Hannah and George Lublin.

Mrs. Muenzer is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Jane R. and Dr. Georg M. Mehl, of Silver Spring; a son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Clark S. and Dr. Shaheen D. Muenzer, of Pittsburgh; a sister and brother-in-law, Bette and Jack Tepper, of New York, N.Y.; a companion, Paul D. Mendelsohn, of Columbia; four grandchildren, Elissa and her husband, Larry Cote, Heather and her husband, Dr. Gildo Corradi, David Muenzer and Maya Muenzer; and five great-grandchildren, Olivia, Alexandra, Julia, Max and Jacob.

Funeral services were held April 29, 2008, at The Meeting House, Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, in Columbia.

Interment followed at Har Sinai Cemetery in Owings Mills.

Memorial donations may be made to the Jewish Federation of Howard County, Century Plaza 1000, Suite 400, 10630 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044-3294.

George Beaver

George Beaver, of Clarksville, died April 25, 2008, of bronchial pneumonia and Parkinson's disease, at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy. He was 81.

He was born March 10, 1927, in Ellicott City, to Paul Edgar and Catherine Slorp Beaver.

He married Betty Lola Wallen in 1948.

Mr. Beaver worked for The Rouse Co., first as a farm manager of several thousand acres of farmland, taking care of crops and hay, prior to the formation of Columbia. Later, he became an employee of Rouse Co.'s Columbia management division and helped open 10 village centers, including River Hill. Mr. Beaver retired in 1994 after at least 40 years of service.

Mr. Beaver enjoyed building bird feeders and gardening, as well as spending time with his family.

Mr. Beaver was predeceased by three brothers, Paul Beaver, Howard Beaver and Charles Beaver; and three sisters, Anna Brosenne, Marie Underwood and Gladys Beaver.

In addition to his wife of 59 years, he is survived by two daughters and two sons-in-law, Susan A. and Edward Gregg, of Columbia, and Penny J. and Dominique Cromwell, of Clarksville; four sons and four daughters-in-law, Steven G. and Sharon Beaver, of Ellicott City, Thomas E. and Deborah Beaver, of Scaggsville, George R. and Diana Beaver, of Woodlawn, and Jeffrey M. and Stephanie Beaver, of Halethorpe; a sister, Ella May Hare, of Ellicott City; and nine grandchildren, Shane, Adam, Amanda, Ashley, George, Samantha, Emily, Sadie and Christina; and a great-grandchild, Kayla Beaver, of Jackson, Tenn.

Funeral services were held April 29, 2008, at Slack Funeral Home, in Ellicott City. The Rev. Alberta Eaton officiated.

Interment followed at Providence Cemetery, in Glenelg.

Claude R. Berry

Claude Randolph Berry, of Westminster, died April 24, 2008, due to heart and lung failure, at Carroll County General Hospital. He was 67.

Born April 11, 1941, in Baltimore, to Claude Joseph and Ruby Virginia Dean Berry, he was raised in Howard County and attended Catonsville Senior High School until 1958.

He married Mildred McDaniel in 1963.

Mr. Berry worked as an inventory manager for Singer Link Division, in White Oak, Md., for 20 years.

He was predeceased by his parents.

In addition to his wife of 45 years, he is survived by three daughters and two sons-in-law, Karen R. and Brook Donovan, of Mount Airy, Tina and David Hare, of Westminster, and Kimberly Slusher, of Mount Airy; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Keith R. and Laura Berry, of Easton, and Steven W. Berry, of Ellicott City; a half-sister, Pat Moals, of Sykesville; and eight grandchildren.

Funeral services were held April 28, 2008, at Full Gospel Pentecostal Church, in Ellicott City. The Rev. Alan Skiles officiated.

Interment followed at Good Shepherd Cemetery, in Ellicott City.

Leonard Rogers

Leonard Rogers, of Columbia, formerly of New York, died April 29, 2008, of complications from surgery, at Ellicott City Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was 84.

Born April 1, 1924, in New York City, to Arthur and Rose Brockman Rosenfeld, he was raised in New York City by his grandmother, Mary Brockman, after his mother died in childbirth.

He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City in 1942.

In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a navigator and fought in combat in England for a year during World War II. Mr. Rogers was part of a crew of 10 men on a B-24 bomber called White Lightning. He was a member of the 446 Bomb Group, which dubbed themselves the "Bumgay Buckaroos" as they were based in Bumgay, England. He was discharged in 1945, after two years of service.

Mr. Rogers graduated from Brooklyn College in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and from New York University in 1952 with a master's degree in chemical engineering.

He married Beverly Simon in 1945. She died in 1984.

Mr. Rogers and his wife relocated from New York City to Little Silver, N.J., in 1952.

During the 1970s, he worked for the U.S. government, first at Fort Monmouth, N.J., for five years in wind power development. Then in 1975, he was transferred to the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., where he was instrumental in developing wind power programs. During that time, he traveled all over the country, including to Hawaii.

The following year, Mr. Rogers took a job with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, holding several positions in energy-related work, including one assignment for five years working for eastern European countries after the Soviet Union was dismantled in which he helped develop wind power. He retired in 2000.

He volunteered for the last six years as a trainer at the Columbia Athletic Club and as a guide at The National Aquarium, in Baltimore.

Mr. Rogers retained friendships with his Air Force buddies and periodically got together with the other nine men.

Mr. Rogers was a resident of Columbia for 33 years, most of which he spent living at Cove Condominium. He served as its first president of the board in 1980.

He was predeceased by his wife of 39 years, Beverly Rogers.

Mr. Rogers is survived by a daughter and a son-in-law, Laurie and Patrick Wardell, of Grand Blanc, Mich.; a son, Richard Rogers, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.; five granddaughters, Devin Wardell, of Philadelphia, Rachel Wardell, of Maine, Robyn Wardell, of Maine, Caroline Rogers, of Philadelphia, and Meredith Rogers, of Philadelphia; and his companion, Janice Beck, of Columbia.

Funeral services were held May 2, 2008, at Sol Levinson and Bros. Funeral Home, in Baltimore.

Interment followed at Chizuk Amuno Congregation Cemetery, in Baltimore.

Memorial donations may be made to The National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202.

Marie E. Coker

Marie Eleanor Binckley Coker, of Columbia, died April 23, 2008, of natural causes, at Harmony Hall Assisted Living Community. She was 104.

She was born Nov. 25, 1903, in Falls Church, Va., to William Lickey and Mary Eleanor Slack.

In the 1920s, she attended Steward's Business College in Washington, D.C., where she studied typing.

She married James Binckley in 1924. He died in 1933.

She married Joseph Coker in 1937.

Mrs. Coker worked for the U.S. government in several positions, including as a purchasing agent. Her employment began in 1934 with the Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington. She later retired from the Naval Ordinance Lab, in Silver Spring, in 1969.

Family members said that she was a Columbia pioneer, moving to the town in 1967; hers was one of the first 50 families. She is remembered as one who "enjoyed life to the fullest," even as a flapper in the 1920s.

She was predeceased by her first husband James Binckley; her second husband of 24 years, Joseph Coker, who died in 1961; and a daughter, Nancy Colabucci.

Mrs. Coker is survived by a son and a daughter-in-law, James William and Dorothy Binckley, of Columbia; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held May 3, 2008, at St. Camillus Catholic Church, in Silver Spring.

Interment is slated for May 20, 2008, at Arlington National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Howard County, 5537 Twin Knolls Road, Suite 433, Columbia, MD 21045.

Wesley L. Johnson

Wesley Lee Johnson, of West Brookfield, Mass., formerly of Ellicott City and Columbia, died April 25, 2008, of a stroke, at Quaboag on the Common, a nursing home in West Brookfield. He was 82.

Born Feb. 14, 1926, in Baltimore, to Albert W. and Margaret E. Lewis Johnson, he graduated from Ellicott City High School in 1943.

That same year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private and served in the 242nd Infantry Regiment, Rainbow Division in the European Theater during World War II. Family members said that his unit was one of three that liberated Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany. He was discharged in 1945 after two years of service and was awarded a Purple Heart.

He married Irma Stirn in 1943. The marriage ended in divorce in the 1960s. She died in 2005.

He married Joan Hubbell in the 1960s. That marriage also ended in divorce in 1975. She died in 1995.

Mr. Johnson worked for The Rouse Co. as its superintendent of roads in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He also was a carpenter who owned and operated his own business out of his home, called Wesley L. Johnson, from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s, when he retired. The company has since closed.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7472 in Ellicott City and the Rainbow Division Veterans Memorial Foundation Inc., which is run by survivors and their family members, who organize reunions, publish the "Rainbow Reveille" newsletter, establish and maintain memorials and monuments in both the United States and Europe, among other activities.

Mr. Johnson became a resident of Ware in 1999, after relocating from Virginia Beach, Va. He also had been a resident of Ellicott City until 1990, prior to living in Virginia.

Family members recall that Mr. Johnson was an avid hunter in his youth, and enjoyed military history, especially of the Rainbow Division, traveling to different military history museums on the East Coast. In addition, he also completed a course on genealogy at Howard Community College in the 1970s where he learned how to conduct genealogy research.

He was predeceased by his former wife, Irma Johnson; his former wife, Joan Johnson; and a son-in-law, Edward S. Jablonski III.

Mr. Johnson is survived by a daughter, Melinda R. Jablonski, of Ware; a son and daughter-in-law, Wayne L. and Shirley Johnson, of Hampton, Va.; several stepchildren; a sister, Marjorie Kimbro, of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will not be held.

Interment will occur at a later date.

Albert B. Haines

Albert Beverly Haines, of Columbia, died April 9, 2008, of heart disease, at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. He was 79.

Born Dec. 2, 1928, in Presque Isle, Maine, to Albert W. and Annie Corey Haines, he graduated from Presque High School in 1946.

In 1952, he graduated from the University of Maine in Orono, with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering physics.

He enlisted in the Army Signal Corps in 1946 and served as a radar engineer. During that time, he was based in Italy on the coast of Laverno, at the Provost Marshal's Office, where he issued permits for the servicemen to get married. He was discharged from active duty to attend college. In his junior year, he joined the ROTC and served for two years. He was discharged in 1954 as a first lieutenant.

He married Theresa Spinelli Hurtley in 1959.

Mr. Haines began working as an engineer in 1954 for Westinghouse Electric Corp., in Linthicum. He retired in 1991 after 37 years of service.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting, golfing, photography, making model airplanes, ships and boats, and working on self-taught home projects, including carpentry, flooring and tiling. He built his own darkroom as well as a storage room and installed a central air conditioning unit. In addition, he enjoyed bird watching, reading and music appreciation.

Family members recall that he was interested in everything around him and was "born curious." He was nicknamed "the kiddies' pal" by his nieces and nephews, who enjoyed his quiet sense of humor. He is described as being steadfast, loyal and a good friend.

In addition to his wife of 49 years, he is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Jane Ingold, of Columbia, and Sandra and Patrick Cavanaugh, of Ellicott City; a brother, Keith Haines, of Trout Run, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass was held April 14, 2008, at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Ellicott City. The Rev. Collin Poston presided, assisted by the Revs. Michael Jendrek and Thomas Donaghy.

Interment followed at Columbia Memorial Park in Clarksville.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 3755 St. Paul St., Ellicott City, MD 21043, or to a charity of choice.

Charles O. Specht Jr.

Charles Odell Specht Jr., of Savage, died April 28, 2008, of natural causes, at Howard County General Hospital. He was 88.

He was born Sept. 20, 1919, in Columbia Furnace, Va., to Charles and Mercedes Aletta Sine Specht.

In the early 1940s, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was based in Fort Meade during his year of service during World War II.

He married Dorothy "Billie" Avilda Keeney in 1939.

Mr. Specht worked as a forest ranger for the State of Maryland in Howard and Anne Arundel counties, for 15 years. He retired in the 1970s.

He was a charter member of the First Baptist Church, of Savage.

Family members recall that Mr. Specht took up flying as a hobby in his youth, loved the outdoors and "lived his dream" as a resident Maryland State Forest Ranger for Howard County as well as for part of Anne Arundel County.

He loved playing country music, especially for his group Smilin' Charlie and the Pine-Ridge Melodiers, for which he sang and played guitar. The group, which performed locally in the 1940s and 1950s, also put on live broadcasts on WFMD, in Frederick, on Sunday afternoons. In addition, he developed a love for rollerskating and participated in the activity into his 70s.

He is also remembered for his Christian faith through which, family members said, he was "granted the gifts of wisdom, confidence and a gentle manner" and was a source of Christian knowledge and inspiration.

In addition to his wife of 68 years, he is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Glenda Faye and Harold Shaffer, of Gamber.; a son and a daughter-in-law, Lanny Bruce and Linda Specht, of Clarksville; a brother, Lionel Specht, of Virginia; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held May 1, 2008, at First Baptist Church of Savage.

Interment followed at Savage Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Answers in Genesis, P.O. Box 510, Hebron, KY 41048.

Touro D. Costley Sr.

Touro D. Costley Sr., of Columbia, died May 1, 2008, at his residence. He was 54.

Born Aug. 22, 1953, in Cooksville, to Jennings M. and Carrie A. Savoy Costley, he attended Glenelg High School until 1969. He later earned a General Education Development certificate in 1981, from the Maryland State Department of Education.

He attended Howard Community College in the 1980s for two years studying computer science.

He married Theresa Geier in the 1970s.

Mr. Costley worked in maintenance for more then seven years, at the Mall in Columbia, prior to leaving in 1996.

He attended Full Gospel Baptist Church in Cooksville for 17 years, during his youth.

Mr. Costley was predeceased by his father, Jennings M. Costley; and a son, Terrence Costley.

He is survived by his wife, Theresa Costley, of Elkridge; a son, Touro Costley Jr., of Ellicott City; two daughters, Monique R. Costley-Norris, of Sykesville, and Tamara Costley, of Elkridge; his mother, Carrie A. Costley, of Cooksville; four sisters, Ruth Olorunfemi, of Cooksville, Brenda Costley Jordan, of Foxridge, Md., Cynthia Williams, of Elkridge and Deborah Costley, of Ellicott City; four grandchildren; two aunts; two uncles; as well as many cousins and other relatives.

Funeral services were held May 7, 2008, at Full Gospel Baptist Church in Cooksville. The Rev. James Stovall officiated.

Interment followed at Bushy Park Cemetery in Cooksville.

Bobby R. Thompson

Bobby Ray Thompson, of Manfield, La., formerly of Dayton, died May 1, 2008, of lung cancer, at Shreveport (La.) Hospital. He was 71.

Born Jan. 6, 1937, in Collingston, La., to Leo and Gladys Thompson, he grew up in Calhoun, La., and graduated from Calhoun High School in 1957.

In 1962, he graduated from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, La., now the University of Louisiana-Monroe, with a bachelor's degree in physics. Then in 1965, he earned a master's degree in physics, also from Northeast Louisiana.

He married Dora Garland in 2005.

Mr. Thompson worked as a nuclear physicist for Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Scaggsville for 36 years. He retired in 2000.

In addition to his wife of three years, Mr. Thompson is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Theresa Thompson, of Littlestown, Pa.; a stepson, Jim M. Bice, of Manfield; a stepdaughter, Nikki Gambrell, of Dallas; a sister, Patsy Joiner, of West Monroe, La.; a brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Flo Thompson, of Calhoun; two grandchildren, Rebecca Thompson and Josh Thompson, both of Littlestown, Pa.; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Memorial services are slated for Saturday, May 10, at Indian Village Methodist Church, in Louisiana.

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