John Scribner Kemper, 86, a long-time resident of Northfield, IL passed away on March 10, 2023 at the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston, IL surrounded by his wife, daughter and son.

John was born on June 22, 1936 to Mark and Annabel (Wagner) Kemper in Barrington, IL. After attending the Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts, John graduated with a B.A. degree from DePauw University and earned an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. Most of his career was spent with the Kemper Insurance Company as a telecommunications expert and then later as an independent consultant to small businesses.

John gave back to the community over his lifetime volunteering for many organizations including the Chicago Jaycees, Northfield Public Schools, Winnetka Hockey Club, various local churches and the North Shore Senior Center. John was a handy man around the house willing and able to fix or build anything and he was passionate about travel (with an affinity for Kauai), his miniature schnauzers, Apple products and classical music. In the early 1960s he obtained his pilot’s license around the time he met his beloved Maggie. During the courtship, he would fly her to local Midwest destinations for lunch and back in a single engine Cessna. A devoted husband for 56 years, John professed his love for Maggie until his very last breath. In marriage and in life, John never wavered in his commitment to values of integrity, loyalty and kindness.

John is survived by his wife Margaret McElwain Kemper, daughter Katherine (Donald) Featherstone, son Scott (Jaime) Kemper, grandchildren Sophia Featherstone and Jack and Luke Kemper and sister Mary (Robert) Sowersby. He will be dearly missed by his family.
The family wants to express their sincere appreciation to all the nurses and staff at the Presbyterian Homes whose care and compassion for John will never be forgotten.

A Celebration of Life service and reception will be held at the Elliott Chapel at the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston, IL (3131 Simpson – access from Golf Road) on May 5, 2023 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of John to the Geneva Foundation of Presbyterian Homes. https://www.presbyterianhomes.org/geneva-foundation/

Harrison (Harry) Booth Bennett, 91, died peacefully with his son Kevin by his side on Jan. 5, 2023.

He was predeceased by his dear wife Dorothy (Gates) Bennett in 2018. He was predeceased by parents Marilyn (Booth) and David Bennett. Harry was born on Nov. 16, 1932, in Ridgewood, N.J.

He graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1949. He attended one year of prep school at Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass. Harry graduated from the University of Alabama on May 30, 1954, he was extremely proud of his alma mater. Roll Crimson Tide.

He met his future wife, Dorothy Gates on a blind date in September 1954. They eloped a year later, and were happily married for 64 years. They lived on Erie Avenue in Midland Park, N.J., for 61 years.

Harry held a variety of jobs over his long career and worked for many reputable companies, such as Tiffany and Company, T+W in Ridgewood, IT+T, and Prentice Hall Publishing. After working for over 50 years, he was very proud to volunteer at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood working on Medicare claims.

He kept in touch with his fellow workers there and greatly missed them. Harry and Dot enjoyed many cruises in their retirement, they loved their trips to Aruba, the Bahamas, The Panama Canal, and St. Thomas. They also very much enjoyed a trip to France. Harry and Dot moved to New Hampshire in the summer of 2018 to be closer to family. He enjoyed his life here and kept himself busy listening to music, his favorite era being the 1940s.

He liked watching the birds, lunches at the Gibson Center, visiting with his Meals on Wheels drivers, and especially his weekly dinners and games of Bananagrams with Melissa, Robbie and Neville. His memory for historic dates and musical timelines was phenomenal. He was great at letter writing, and keeping in touch with many old friends and family members.

He was grateful to be able to live on his own thanks to caregiver and good friend, Bobbi Broemme. He was well taken care of by his caregivers, Ellie and Tina from Timberland Home Care more recently. He enjoyed every visit with his doctor Ray Rabideau, as they shared a love of music.

Harry was a kind man who loved being around family and friends. Annual holiday gatherings at the Shea homestead in Brownfield, Maine, were a highlight for him, especially if Helena and Walter Prox were present.

Harry is survived by son Steven (Fran); granddaughter Courtney and her husband, Nick; son Kevin (Leigh); grandchildren, Ruby and Cal; sister-in-law Marie Germain; and many nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be held in the Garland Ridge Cemetery in Bartlett, N.H., later in the spring.

Ronald S. Prentice died on July 27, 2022 at home. He was born October 4, 1932, in Pittsfield, MA, the son of Fred and Lucy (Turner) Prentice.
Ron graduated Pittsfield High School, Class of 1949. After High School, he graduated from UMass Amherst, with a degree in Business. While there, he was actively involved in ROTC. Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, spending time stationed in Italy. He had the opportunity to see several countries in Europe, while on duty. He retired from the Army on May 20, 1963 as a Captain and remained in the Reserves, stationed in Ludlow, MA. Serving his Country was very important to him and one that created a tremendous amount of pride. Once out of the Army, he was a Sales Manager for Lindenmeyr Munroe and Rourke Eno Paper Company, both in the paper distribution business.
In 1959, he married Madeleine T. (Rougeau) Prentice, of North Adams, MA. They celebrated their 61st anniversary in October 2021. Once married they settled in East Longmeadow, MA eventually moving to Westford, MA, where they lived for over 42 years. They then moved to Pepperell, MA, where they have lived for eight years.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Gertrude, who died in 1928, prior to his birth. Surviving in addition to his wife, are his son Glen Prentice of Attleboro, MA and daughter Sandra (Prentice) Estes of Pepperell, MA. Six grandchildren; Tara (Prentice) Cherubino and her husband Kevin of Johnston, RI, Heather Prentice and Kelly Prentice and her fiancé Brandon Osborn, all of Norton, MA, Christopher Estes and his wife Heatherlee (Webb) Estes of Baldwinsville, MA, Jonathon Estes and Timothy Estes of Pepperell, MA. Six great grandchildren; Devin Prentice, Haylee Estes, Christopher Estes Jr., Ryker Estes, Nathan Cherubino and Ethan Cherubino. Additional family members include Debra (Plummer) Prentice of Norton, MA and Chris Estes of Fitchburg, MA.
He was a very skilled craftsmen working with wood, having created several pieces of furniture and art. Along with his wife Madeleine, they started a small craft business and sold wooden bunnies with ears and posts to depict various seasons and events. They attended craft fairs throughout New England and were very successful.
He was known as “Papa”, which he felt was his greatest accomplishment. He was extremely proud of his family as they were his whole life, worshipping every minute he had with them. He was always smiling and ready for a hug anytime somebody needed one.
A service of remembrance will be held at a later date and will be private.
In lieu of flowers and in remembrance of Ron’s honorable and faithful military service, donations in his memory may be made to a Veterans Service Organization of one’s choice.

Philip Wardner Wilkinson
January 6, 1936 – October 13, 2022

Phil graduated from Williston Academy, a preparatory school in Easthampton, MA., and then attended Colgate University to earn his undergraduate degree. During his college years, Phil was a successful athlete earning his Varsity Letter for Soccer and Track & Field. He graduated from Colgate in 1959 with a degree in Economics; afterward, he continued his education and attended graduate school at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Immediately after graduating from Northwestern, Phil moved to New York City, taking a job in Product Development with the American Mustard company French’s. He lived in a fantastic apartment on the Upper Westside of Central Park!

Shortly after moving to New York City, Phil met and married the love of his life, Mary Rothmann. Phil and Mary were married on May 9th, 1970, and soon began to plan their epic off-shore sailing trip aboard “Vibrant.” Phil & Mary spent nine months sailing from Long Island Sound to the Bahamas.

Once back on land, Phil moved with Mary to Fairport, NY, to start a family. Phil worked for several companies in marketing, consulting, and product distribution in the Rochester area. On days off, Phil & Mary enjoyed sailing “Vibrant” at Sodus Bay with sons Eric and Philip, enjoying many summer vacations across Lake Ontario. A loving and supportive father, Phil could always be found at the sidelines of his son’s soccer games and in the front row of their concerts, line judging at their ski races, or heading up Boy Scout meetings or trips.

In retirement, Phil enjoyed skiing, sailing, and traveling with Mary. Together they visited Italy, Sweden, Russia, South America, the Galápagos Islands, Alaska, Montana, California, and Canada, and even made time for a Semester at Sea enrichment voyage. In addition, he created many intricate sculptures and did so for many years side by side with Mary at several local art galleries.

He is survived by his children, Philip Wilkinson Jr. and his wife Theresa of Pittsburgh, PA, and Eric Wilkinson and his wife Emily of Charleston, SC. His four grandchildren, Kiera, Theo, Mary Catherine, and Julia Wilkinson loved him dearly. He is also survived by his sister Suzanne Meldrum of Pawling, NY, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held on Friday, October 14th, at 1:00 p.m. at Simons Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, PA.

A second memorial service will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fairport, NY conducted by Rev. Ken Peppin on October 29th at 4:00 p.m. The family would like to invite guests to attend a reception before the service at 2:00 pm also at St. Luke’s Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bridges Hospice, 4130 Monroeville Blvd. Monroeville, PA 15146 or online at www.bridgeshospice.org

The family would like to thank the many doctors, nurses, caregivers, and Bridges Hospice staff who provided such excellent care and the thoughtfulness and prayers of devoted friends.

Duncan passed away October 4, 2022 at the Weatherly Inn in Tacoma. After attending Williston Academy in Massachusetts, he graduated from Lehigh University and received a Master’s degree from USC. He entered the Army and served 28 years as a senior aviator and advisor. He was a loving husband to Joan for 66 years and father to Elizabeth (Betsy) Yohai, (Steve), Meredith Blackwell (Lyndon), and Peter Duncan Cook. He cherished his grandchildren, Rachael Yohai and Ryan Blackwell. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to LCOP or the charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held at Little Church on the Prairie on Oct. 21 at 2pm.

Richard Isaac Wrubel, 85, of Middletown, CT, passed away on December 23, 2020. Born on March 30, 1935, to Arthur M. and Mildred S. Wrubel, he lived in Middletown for 85 years. He graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 1957 and was a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. A talented clarinet player, Richard led a top traveling Dixieland college band, The Quaker City Six. He then went into the US Army, finishing as a staff Sergeant. Richard joined Wrubel’s department stores-a business started by his grandfather Isaac Wrubel in 1899, and ultimately opened his own retail store in 1976, called Richard Wrubel. He retired from retail in 1992, going into the residential real estate business where he acquired a portfolio of condominiums throughout Middlesex County. Being civic-minded, he remained an active participant in the Downtown Improvement Committee for Middletown Chamber of Commerce. He was also Vice President of the Middletown Concert Association. Throughout his life Richard was an exceptional and avid musician. He generously donated his time playing for local audiences around the area. In his later years, his daily piano playing brought him and his listeners much joy. He was a true champion of Middletown, CT. Richard loved his family more than anything and was truly the family historian, recounting tales from the time his grandfather arrived here in 1898, perpetuating the Wrubel legacy. He was a die-hard Red Sox fan throughout his life and was fortunate enough to attend the 2004 World Series to see them break their nearly 100-year curse. In later years, Richard organized a bi-weekly Friday lunch gathering with his best pals, called the ROMEOs – Retired Old Men Eating Out. Richard will be remembered for his optimism and generous spirit, his infectious laugh and wonderful sense of humor. In the words of his favorite composer George Gershwin, “The fundamental things apply, as time goes by…” Richard will sadly missed and always in the hearts of his loving wife of 56 years, Marcia, his daughter Susan, his son Arthur and daughter-in-law Melanie and their children Wesley and Ava, and his older sister Constance Carrigan of New Jersey. Due to current health concerns, the family held a private graveside service at the Indian Hill Cemetery in Middletown on Sunday, December 27, 2020. The family will organize a memorial service in Richard’s honor at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s name: Amazing Grace Food Pantry, SVD Middletown, Attn: Peter, PO Box 398, Middletown, CT 06457, The Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at Congregation Adath Israel, PO Box 337, Middletown, CT 06457, or Alzheimer’s Disease Research at the Mayo Clinic.