Obituaries-Jan. 6, 2005

Roger Miles

   SOLEBURY — Roger H. Miles, 76, of Solebury died Monday, Dec. 27, at Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township.
   Mr. Miles has been a resident of Solebury since 1960.
   He was born in Watertown, Mass. He was the son of the late Mildred I. Miles Walsh, a Mayflower descendant, and George C. Miles.
   He was raised in Belmont, Mass. He moved to New York in 1953 where he was a research chemist at New York University Belleview Medical Center.
   The couple later moved to White Plains, N.Y., where Mr. Miles was a chemist and safety officer of the Nuclear Development Corporation of America.
   In 1959, he moved to Washington, N.J., when he and his partner, G. Edgar Gress, founded Gress-Miles Organ Company, which in 1966 moved to Princeton.
   Mr. Miles was president of the company, which designed, built and installed pipe organs throughout the United States, for example, Vassar College Chapel, The University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Proctor Hall at Princeton University and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., the church of the presidents.
   He also was a consultant to the late Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill on such projects as the mass driver and the Space Colonization Project at the Physics Department of Princeton University.
   He was a member of the NRA and the AOPA.
   Surviving is his wife of 50 years, Ruth W. Crocks Miles.
   Funeral services and interment were private and under the direction of the Leaver-Cable Funeral Home in Buckingham.
   Memorial donations may be made to the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 237, Lambertville, 08530.
Virginia Drummond

   STOCKTON — Virginia "Ginny" Errico Drummond, 83, died Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Doylestown Hospital.
   Born in Lumberville, Pa., Mrs. Drummond had lived in Stockton for the past 60 years.
   She was a former member of the Stockton Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, the Stockton School PTA and chairwoman for the Multiple Sclerosis Barge Ride fund-raisers for many years.
   Mrs. Drummond participated in political fund-raisers and events, including Democratic national conventions in Los Angeles in 1960, when President Kennedy was elected, in Atlantic City in 1964 and in Chicago in 1968.
   She and her late husband, Chester, owned and operated Errico’s Quality Market in Stockton from the mid-1940s until his death in 1973. She continued to operate the store with her family until 1992.
   She was the daughter of the late Alice Esser Schermerhorn and Warren Schermerhorn and widow of Chester L. Errico and Robert Drummond.
   Surviving are two sons, Chester L. Errico and Peter J. Errico and his companion, Henry Eick Jr.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Marie and Neal Esposito and Kimberly and Joseph Franklin, and a stepdaughter Nicole Drummond, all of Stockton; her sister, Doris Heath of Solebury Township; nine grandchildren, Reath and Bruce Mast, Cori and Scott Mitala, Leigh and Phil Ford, Chettie Errico, Joey and Dylan Franklin; seven great-grandchildren, Dallas Errico Towle, Taylor and Cassidy and Samantha Mast, Brandon Ford, Avery and Emilie Mitala; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
   Funeral services were held Sunday at the Garefino Funeral Home, Lambertville.
   Memorial donations may be made to the Stockton Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 100, Stockton, 08559.
Robert Stout

   HUDSON, Fla. — Robert "Bob" Stout, 85, died Tuesday, Dec. 21, at home.
   Born in Lambertville, he was a longtime resident. He moved to Florida in 1986.
   He owned and operated the Pinnacle Tree Service in Lambertville for 40 years.
   Mr. Stout served in the Army during World War II as a medic.
   He was a member of the VFW Post 7921 in Lambertville. He was a member of Gideon’s International and its Hunterdon County Camp. He was a former member of the Wesleyan Church, a member of the Zephyr Hills Wesleyan Church in Florida and attended Old Rocks Church in West Amwell Township.
   Widower of Teresa Stout, he is survived by one son, Robert P. Stout of Collingswood, N.J.; one daughter, Kathleen Stout of Philadelphia; two brothers, Bill Stout of Stockton and Edward N. Stout of West Amwell; one sister, Margaret Bentham of Orange Park, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
   Funeral services were held Tuesday at Garefino Funeral Home, Lambertville. Burial followed in Holcombe-Riverview Cemetery, Delaware Township.
Joseph Palecek


Jane Palecek


   MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP — Joseph Palecek and his wife, Jane Palecek, of Montgomery Township died Dec. 29 during a fire in their home. They were both 90.
   Born in New York City, Mr. Palecek resided in Florida before moving to the Skillman area of Montgomery more than 50 years ago.
   He was a general contractor in Florida and later a shipping clerk with Ingersoll-Rand in Montgomery.
   An Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he was a B-17 gunner in Europe and Africa and received two Purple Hearts.
   He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Hopewell Valley American Legion Post 339.
   Born in Philadelphia, Mrs. Palecek worked as a secretary in Philadelphia and was a Montgomery resident 38 years.
   The couple are survived by Mr. Palecek’s daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Gerry Franke of Ringoes, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
   In addition to her stepdaughter, Mrs. Palecek is survived by a nephew, Anthony Przansyski of Philadelphia.
   Joint memorial services were held Tuesday at Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, Flemington. Interment was private.
   For further information, visit www.holcombe-fisher.com.
Virginia Harris

   WEST AMWELL — Virginia W. Harris, 81, of West Amwell Township died Sunday, Jan. 2, at Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township.
   Born and raised in Lambertville Mrs. Harris had lived in West Amwell for the past 46 years.
   Over the years, she had worked at Cooper’s in Lambertville, Lipton Tea in Raritan Township, Orr’s Department Store in Flemington and Fiddler’s Creek Farm in West Amwell.
   She was a member of the Free Federation Patriotic Order of America in Lambertville.
   Mrs. Harris had been a member of the West Amwell Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary and the New Hope Eagle Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary.
   Daughter of the late John and Cora Durborow LaRue, she is survived by her husband, Vernon C. Harris; a son, Donald J. Whitehead of Lancaster, Pa.; two daughters, Sherry Rockafellow of Stockton and Anita Lynn Harris at home; a sister, Dorothy Everett of Warminster, Pa.; two grandsons, David Rockafellow and, Doug Whitehead; and two great-grandsons, Tyler and Garrett Rockafellow.
   Memorial services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the Garefino Funeral Home, Lambertville. Burial will be private.
   Memorial donations may be made to the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 237, Lambertville, 08530.