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CHESTER COUNTY PRESS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016
Area’s best school jazz bands unite for big show on Feb. 19 By John Chambless Staff Writer For the high school band members taking the stage, the Jazz Along the Brandywine show on Feb. 19 is a chance to play in a huge hall for a big audience. The 18th annual festival will be held in the massive Unionville High School auditorium, and features the best ensembles from the region playing classic jazz tunes.
Sponsored by the nationwide Cavalcade of Bands Association, the concert will spotlight the Unionville High School Jazz Band as well as the Charles F. Patton Middle School Jazz Band playing on their home turf. But visiting bands will be bringing their best efforts as well. Taking the stage throughout the evening will be bands from Chichester High School, Garnet Valley High School, Harriton High School, Kingsway
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HARRY W. RICKARDS, JR. Harry W. Rickards, Jr., died on Feb. 8 at the age of 90. Born in Chester, he was the husband of the late Kathryne E. (Jaworsky) Rickards, whom he joins in glory. Over the years, he had a unique love for the people in his life, from his congregations of Grace Baptist/Oxford, Calvary Baptist/ Tyrone, Oxford Fellowship/Oxford, Crum Lynne Baptist/ Crum Lynne, and his home church, Maranatha Tabernacle/ Darby (where he met and wed his wife-to-be, Kathryne), to the staff and special needs children of Melmark Home, Newtown Square, staff at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, to his neighbors at the Antonian, Wilmington, and Regal Heights, Hockessin. Over the years one of his greatest joys as a pastor was to join two loving people together in matrimony to share their lives. He had a special fondness for young people, starting a boys club for young men early in their Christian walk at Maranatha, through his church ministries wherever he pastored. He shared the gospel from the pulpit, youth conferences, summer camps and his radio programs in Coatesville and Tyrone, Pa., while supporting his wife’s own radio program, “Heart to Heart,” to consistent support of foreign missions throughout his life. He and his wife, Kaye, traveled to Alaska to support missionaries stationed there, and Harry traveled to Africa to join his late brother, Donald, to support his ministry there. Harry graduated from the Philadelphia Bible College and the Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He was known for his dapper hats, his love of all things ice cream, his favor for the color green, his signature dish of bacon and eggs and tater tots, his passion for old war movies (perhaps because he was on one of the first medic teams to arrive in Auschwitz at the end of World War II). Those who will remember and continue to love him include his daughter, Cheryl Rickards of Delaware; son, Steven Rickards of California; and son, the late Craig Rickards (wife Susan) of Pennsylvania; sister, Dorothy Wagner of Florida; and grandchildren, Rhonda (Walt), Terry, Patrick (Carly), Tyler (Kate), Kelli (Eric), Lindsey (Nathan); great-grandchild Eliza; and nieces/nephews, Susan (David), Don (Betty), Valerie (Jim), Linda (John), and Dale (Valerie); and many great nieces, nephews and cousins.
The 2015 Jazz on the Brandywine show brought a big crowd to the Unionville High School auditorium, and the 2016 event is slated Feb. 19.
Regional High School, Pennsylvania Leadership
Charter School, Pennwood High School, Souderton
Services will be private. As the Lord leads, you are invited to make contributions to Harry’s most recent favored charities in his name: Global Recordings Network, 41823 Enterprise Circle N, Temecula, CA 92590, 951-719 1650 (www. globalrecordings.net/en/donate); or The Salvation Army, Delaware State Office, 400 N. Orange St., Wilmington, DE, 19801, 302-472-0700, (www.pa.salvationarmy.org/ delaware-command).
STEPHEN A. FARKAS Stephen A. Farkas, 85, of Oxford, formerly of Westtown, passed away on Jan. 29 at Ware Presbyterian Village in Oxford. He was the husband of Iona Martha Maria Wolters Farkas, with whom he shared 59 years of marriage. Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, he was the son of the late Stephen Farkas and Edith Tamassy-Csepan Farkas. He graduated from Shaker Heights High School and Case Western Reserve University. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in the Korean War. Stephen was retired from Cahners Publishing Company in Eagle, Pa., where he was a salesman in the electronics industry. Stephen was a member of the Philadelphia Area Sailing Association. He was an avid reader who enjoyed reading novels and history books. He was a skilled builder of wooden and plastic model boats and airplanes, and shared his passion for modeling with his sons. He loved vintage aircraft and took great joy in watching them at airshows. He was meticulous and spent his weekends doing many carpentry, landscaping and masonry projects around his homes. He loved classical music and traveling, especially to Europe and Cape Cod with his family. He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Madeleine M. Henry (Leslie) of Oxford; two sons, Stephen P. Farkas (Jaime) of San Diego, Calif., and Paul A. Farkas of Gyor, Hungary; seven grandchildren, Blake Farkas, Rowan Farkas, Dylan Howe, Amanda Howe, Stevie Farkas, Andor Farkas and Erik Farkas; one sister, Mignon Donaldson of Ohio; one nephew, Stephen Donaldson; and one niece, Kriss Schwab. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. March 19 at Ware Presbyterian Home Chapel (7 E. Locust St., Oxford), where friends and family may visit from 10 to 11 a.m. A luncheon will be served following the service. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011; or Willow Tree Hospice, 616 E. Cypress St., Kennett Square, PA 19348. Visit www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.
High School, Warwick High School and West Chester East High School. While Patton Middle School and Unionville High School are doing exhibition performances, the other bands are competing for awards that will advance them in the Cavalcade of Bands competition that wraps up with Regionals on April 9 at the Millville Performing Arts Center, and Championships on the weekend of April 15 and 16. Awards are
scheduled to be given out at 11:15 p.m. on Feb. 19 at Unionville High School.ll be held on April 15th and 16, 2016 Tickets, which will be sold at the door, are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and free for children under 5. Call 610-347-1600 for more information.
Feb. 17 to March 23 Lent family activities West Grove United Methodist Church (300 N. Guernsey Rd., West Grove) offers a series of family programs on Wednesday evenings. There will be a potluck dinner, and activities to prepare for Lent. The events are free. Families can come to as many of the programs as they wish. The schedule is: Feb. 17 – Create a chest of those prayers we wish to confess to Christ, and then offer them to God; Feb. 24 – Praying for the world. There will be global interactive games and stations to pray for our world; March 2 – Create thankfulness sculptures to give thanks to God for blessings in our lives; March 9 – Make Easter boxes for our shutins; March 16 – Make Resurrection egg sets. Supplies will be provided. You will go home with a dozen plastic eggs that tell the story of Holy Week and Easter; March 23 – Create interactive experiences of Holy Week to pray together. Call 610869-9334 or visit www. westgroveumc.org. Feb. 23 Free meal ministry West Grove United
Methodist Church (300 N. Guernsey Rd., West Grove) offers a free meal for the community on Feb. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The menu will feature roast pork, roasted potatoes, green beans, applesauce and pudding. A special dessert and beverages will also be served. Meals are served at round tables in the Sanctuary. Reservations are suggested, but are not required, by calling the church office at 610-8699334 or emailing wgumc@ verizon.net. Walk-ins are welcome. The Rover Bus Company provides local transportation for a nominal fee. You must call them at 610-594-3911 to reserve your seat. If you want to attend the lunch, but are unable to afford transportation, the driver will be met at the church doors, and the fee paid for you.
To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@ chestercounty.com.
To submit items to the Church Calendar, e-mail jchambless@ chestercounty.com. There is no charge. Information should be received at least two weeks before the event. Not every submission can be included. Please include the address and contact information for the church in your submission.