Delaware Grieves Over the Death of Beau Biden
Vice President Joe Biden announced the death of his son Beau Biden, the former Delaware Attorney General, on Saturday, May 30.
Following is the statement from the Vice President:
“It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life.
The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words. We know that Beau’s spirit will live on in all of us—especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter.
Beau’s life was defined by service to others. As a young lawyer, he worked to establish the rule of law in war-torn Kosovo. A major in the Delaware National Guard, he was an Iraq War veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star. As Delaware’s Attorney General, he fought for the powerless and made it his mission to protect children from abuse.
More than his professional accomplishments, Beau measured himself as a husband, father, son, and brother. His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father’s saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did.
In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.”
There will be three public viewings in advance of Saturday's funeral mass. The first viewing will be held at Legislative Hall in Dover on Thursday, June 4 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. WDEL-FM has the details on traffic patterns and road closures.
The other two viewings will be held at the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington on Friday, June 5. The viewings will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The funeral mass will be held June 6 at the St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Delaware. President Barack Obama is set to deliver the eulogy at 10:30 a.m.
The White House has set up a public memorial page at whitehouse.gov/webform/memory-beau-biden. The site is a designated page where the public can leave electronic condolence messages for the Biden family. Handwritten notes should be addressed to the White House, Washington, DC 20500.
The family requests that those wishing to make a contribution in Beau’s memory do so to the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children at beaubidenfoundation.org.
Evelyn Dick Thoroughgood, Rehoboth Historian
Evelyn Dick Thoroughgood, 94, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away in the comfort of her home and in the presence of her loving daughters, Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Evelyn was born Oct. 7, 1920, the daughter of John R. Dick and Lena S. Dick of Rehoboth Beach.
Upon graduating from Rehoboth High School in 1938, she returned home every weekend while attending Goldey-Beacom Business College and while working in the treasurer’s office at Atlas Powder Company, which later became ICI Americas in Wilmington.
Evelyn married George “Bugs” Thoroughgood Jr. in 1946 and assisted with the operation of the Thoroughgood Lumber Company on Rehoboth Avenue. A passionate Republican, she began her long stint in politics in 1964 as a Republican Committeewoman, and served on the legislative staffs of the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as local and national election boards. She first served for Sen. Eugene Bookhammer, who became Lieutenant Governor, and for Ren DuPont. In the House of Representatives, she served for Rep. Harry Derrickson, the minority leader.
Evelyn truly loved Rehoboth Beach, serving three years on the Rehoboth Beach Planning and Zoning Commission, and ten years as city treasurer. After serving on the committee to rebuild the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse Replica, Evelyn was named co-chairman of the Rehoboth Railroad Preservation Society. She was determined to preserve the original railroad station which was moved to its present location at the entrance of Rehoboth Avenue, and is now the offices of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Evelyn served two terms as Vice President of the Rehoboth Beach Homeowners Association and chairman of the Memorial Tree Fund. The water fountain at the foot of Rehoboth Avenue on the Boardwalk became a project of Evelyn’s. It was erected in 1929 and there was a possibility that it would be removed during the streetscape renovation. She contacted several agencies, and received assistance from the National Historic Register, which preserved the fountain as it stands today.
Evelyn served as the President and Treasurer of the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society. An avid reader, she served on the board of the Friends of the Rehoboth Beach Public Library and Director of the Board of the Friends of the Delaware Archives, and Friends of Delaware Libraries Board. Evelyn was honored to receive the Mae Hall McCabe Award for community service in 2002 by the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.
A confirmed member of All Saints Episcopal Church since 1938, she served as Second Female Warden, and chaired the All Saints’ Antiques Show for several years. Evelyn shared her collection of photographs of Rehoboth Beach in the early days, along with her experiences, by designing a slide show and lecture which she proudly presented to several organizations, including Elderhostel. Her sharp wit and sense of humor remained, as she closed each presentation with “Delaware Born, Delaware Bred, and Scrapple Fed.”
Evelyn Dick Thoroughgood is survived by two daughters, Melissa Thoroughgood, of Rehoboth Beach and Marilyn Thoroughgood Webster and her husband, Donald F. Webster Sr., of Rehoboth Beach; two granddaughters, Penelope Baker and her husband Thomas Baker of Newtown Square, Pa., and Dr. Jennifer Mazzola, and her husband Gregory Mazzola, of Chester Springs, Pa.; and four great-grandchildren, Timothy Baker and Katherine Baker, both of Newtown Square, and Lauren Mazzola and Jessica Mazzola, both of Chester Springs.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at St. George’s Chapel, Beaver Dam Road, Harbeson, DE, where friends may call one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow services in the adjoining cemetery. The Rev. Eunice Dunlap, assistant rector to All Saints’ Church, will officiate.
Arrangements are being handled by Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes, DE.
In lieu of flowers, Evelyn suggested contributions to the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society Museum Fund, 511 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, or Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford DE 19963.
Please visit Evelyn’s Life Memorial website and sign her online guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.