Obituaries

RUTH KEMP Ocean Pines

Ruth Mary Kemp, a longtime resident of Ocean Pines, died peacefully in Ormond Beach, Florida on July 1, 2022 at the age of 87. Born in 1934, Ruth was the daughter of Ruth Von Schricker and Earl Stimson, Jr. of Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from the Bryn Mawr School and Goucher College with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

In 1956 she married Louis Ray Kemp and they raised two children. Ruth taught kindergarten in the Baltimore County Public Schools for more than 35 years before retiring to Ocean Pines.

Ruth had a talent for teaching young children and enjoyed watching her kindergartners discover the world and their own abilities.

It was not unusual for her students, grown to adulthood, to recognize her and tell her how happy they had been in her classroom.

She retained a lifelong interest in promoting education and was a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

Ruth loved the natural beauty of the Eastern Shore, enjoyed birdwatching and photography, and was a docent at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury.

She was an aficionado of lighthouses and adored her many cats. She was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Berlin and active in Episcopal diocesan proceedings, as well as an enthusiastic supporter of the St. Martin’s Church Museum.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Louis, and her brother, Earl

Frederick Stimson. She is survived by her children, Mary Katherine and Louis, and their spouses, Christopher and Victoria; her grand-daughter, Amanda, and husband, Greg; and her niece, Mary Louise. Memorial services will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 3 Church Street, in Berlin, Maryland, on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to P.E.O. Chapter F’s Ruth Kemp Maryland Program for Continuing Education (donations.peointernational.org) or Town Cats of Ocean City rescue organization (towncats.net). DELORIS ANN BURBAGE Ocean View Deloris Ann Burbage, “Dee,” age 83, died Monday, July 4, 2022, at Bebee Hospital in Lewes, Delaware. Born in Seaford, Delaware, she was the daughter of the late Doris Megee. Deloris was the first female police officer on the East Coast and the first woman to graduate from the Ocean City, Maryland Police Academy. She loved Ocean Downs Casino, gardening, bingo, cooking, and watching cooking shows on The Food Network. She had formerly worked as an assistant with Mayor Harry Kelly in Ocean City. She retired in 2017 after working 33 years for the government of South Bethany Beach, Delaware, as a municipal clerk and an administrator. She was also a member of the Delaware Municipal Clerks Association.

Deloris Burbage

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The Luftwaffe team, named Flakelf, demanded a rematch, which was scheduled for Aug. 9, 1942. It was advertised as the “REVENGE” (“REVANCHE”) match and attracted 2,000 spectators. Kick-off was scheduled for 5 p.m. The Luftwaffe team considered itself superior to all others.

Prior to the start of the match, an SS officer entered the Start locker room and told the Start players, in impeccable Russian, “I am the referee of today’s game. I know you are a very good team. Please follow all the rules. Do not break any of the rules and before the game, greet your opponents in ‘our fashion.’” “Our fashion” meant the Nazi salute accompanied by the slogan, “Heil Hitler!” The Luftwaffe team also had a visitor, who told the players, “it is a special game and you have to win it to prove the superiority of the Aryan race.”

When the two teams took the field, the Luftwaffe team did as expected, and gave the Nazi salute and yelled “Heil Hitler!” The Start players began to raise their arms only to pound them to their chest and yell, “fizcultura!” This was the Soviet sporting salute.

Start players realized that they were not going to get any of the calls, and they didn’t. The Germans scored their first goal after Trusevich, the Start goalie, and team captain, went down from a kick to the head. Kuzmenko tied the score on a free kick. Honcharenko went coast-to-coast for the go-ahead score. Just before halftime, he took a pass from Kuzmenko and scored again, so that at half-time, Start was leading 3 - 1.

During half-time, Start had several locker-room visitors who warned them of the consequences of winning. With the score 5 - 3, Klimenko got the ball, beat the entire German rear guard and walked around the German goalkeeper. Instead of scoring the goal, he turned and kicked the ball toward the center circle. With that, the SS referee blew the final whistle, even though time had yet to expire, and the game ended with Start leading 5 - 3.

Start played its last game on Aug. 16, defeating Rukh, again, 8-0. Two days later, the Gestapo arrested eight of the Start players, accusing them of being NKVD agents. Two more players were arrested later. After 24 days of “interrogation,” seven were sent to Syrets Labor Camp, located in the Kyiv neighborhood of Syrets. Korotkykh, whose sister had identified him as a former NKVD officer, died during the “interrogation.”

The “labor” camp was established in 1942, near Babi Yar, where more than 30,000 Jews had been murdered and buried the previous year. Paul Radomski was the camp commandant until Nov. 28, when he was appointed commandant of Haidari camp near Athens, Greece.

On Feb. 18, 1943, Trusevich, Kuzmenko and Klimenko were executed. Honcharenko and Putistin escaped on Oct. 5, 1943. One reason that Svyridovskiy and Honcharenko survived was because they had a skill. Both were cobblers.

In 1974, a court in Hamburg, West Germany, opened an inquiry into the claim of the Soviets that the players were killed because Start beat the Axis teams. The investigation was finally closed in 2005, having been unable to substantiate that claim. More probably, they were killed because they were, in fact, NKVD, and/or Communist Party, members.

The story “inspired” the 1981 movie “Escape to Victory,” starring Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Sylvester Stallone and Péle, and directed by John Huston.

In 1981, the name of Zenith Stadium was changed to “Start Stadium.”

The last surviving member of the team, Honcharenko, died in 1996.

Next week: The Destruction of Convoy Pq-17

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own. He can be contacted at wimbrowlaw@gmail.com.

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She is survived by her son, Gregory Scott Burbage of Ocean View; a brother, Douglas Megee of Salisbury; two sisters, Mary Jane Megee of Frankford, and Betty Jean Rickards of Ocean View; and a niece, Pam Browne (Mark) of Dagsboro.

A funeral service was held at The Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin on Monday, July 11. Internment followed at Buckingham Cemetery on South Main Street in Berlin.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the charity of your choice.

Letters of condolence may be sent to the family via www.burbagefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home.

MARTIN ALLEN SHARPLESS Bishopville

Martin Allen Sharpless, age 80, of Bishopville, Maryland, formerly of Severna Park, Maryland, departed this life on July 6, 2022. He was born in Elkins, West Virginia, to the late Wilson L. and Louise B. Sharpless. Martin graduated from Alleghany High School in Cumberland, Maryland, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Industrial Relations from University of Maryland in College Park.

Martin is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Elizabeth F. Sharpless, and four loving children, Chanin Sharpless Wisler (Eric), Jeffrey Martin Sharp (Nicole), Lorianne Nicole Menzel (John) and Suzanne Elizabeth Hearn (partner Bob), and grandfather to Zachary (Alyssa) and Gavin Hearn, Katelyn and Lindsey Menzel and Ryan Wisler.

Martin started his 30-year banking career in 1965 at First National Bank of Maryland and left there as a V.P. in commercial lending in 1974.

He joined Citizen’s National Bank, a Mercantile Bank and Trust affiliate, as V.P. and senior loan officer.

He became president and chief operating officer in 1988. Along with being president of Citizen’s National Bank, Martin was appointed chief executive officer in 1990.

In addition to his banking career, Martin was a member of The Greater Laurel Chamber of Commerce, Lion’s Club, Robert Morris Associates and American Bankers Association.

He served his country for six years in the Army Reserves during the Vietnam conflict. Martin helped to support the First Generation College Bound endeavor.

He participated in the “Christmas in April” event which helped with home improvements for others.

He was treasurer of Harundale Presbyterian Church in Glen Burnie for five years.

At Ocean Pines Community Church, Martin was a greeter and on the finance committee. He was also the treasurer for three years during the transition to a computerized system.

Love of basketball and a fan, Martin had season tickets for over 30 years to Maryland “Terp” basketball games. He also played basketball with friends until he was 58.

Martin was a Severna Park Green Hornets basketball coach for all of his children. Martin also played tennis, racquet ball, and golf. He also enjoyed skiing in Colorado.

Martin was self-taught when it came to fixing things. From the foundation to the roof, he built a laundry room addition to his second house and completed a large clubroom in his Severna Park home.

As a car enthusiast, he took his British convertible TR6 completely apart and put it back together. He taught all four children how to drive that car, which was a stick shift.

On his mom’s side of the family, John Browning came to settle in Virginia in the ship Abigail in 1621.

His great-great grandfather, Meshach Browning, wrote a book about his 40 years in the life of a hunter in West Virginia and Western Maryland.

On his dad’s side of the family, Martin is the 10th direct descendant of John Sharpless who landed in 1682 in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

A memorial service was held on Sunday, July 10, 2022 at The Burbage Funeral Home in Berlin.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Coastal Hospice/The Stansell House, P.O. Box 1733 Salisbury, Maryland 21802; The Community Church at Ocean Pines, 11227 Racetrack Rd. Berlin, Maryland 21811; or The Worcester County Humane Society, 12330 Eagles Nest Rd. Berlin, Maryland 21811.

Letters of condolence can be sent to the family via www.burbagefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home.

LOUISE CATHERINE MICHELS Ocean City

Louise Catherine Michels, age 92, died Monday, July 11, 2022, at her home in Ocean City. Born in Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Archie Becquet and Stella Bizak Becquet. She is survived by her husband, Bernard Michels of Ocean City; two daughters, Barbara Phillips of Salisbury, Maryland and Mary Louise Trahan (Michael) of Newark, Delaware; and a grandson, Christopher Trahan.

She is also survived by her sisters, Henrietta “Hedy” Wimbrow of W. Ocean City and Minerva Mowery of Potomac, Maryland.

She was a graduate of Johnstown High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Michels was a United States Navy veteran serving as a seaman, and she had been a homemaker.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 15, 2022, at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Ocean City. Rev. Paul Jennings will officiate. Internment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Dagsboro, Delaware.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Coastal Hospice, P.O. Box 1733, Salisbury, Maryland 21802.

Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home. Letters

Louise Michels

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