All Obituaries

   Donna Rae Brown, 75, of New Boston, passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2020, at the SOMC Hospice Center. She was born June 23, 1945 in Portsmouth, a daughter of the late Helen Louise Lewis.    Donna attended Christians Beyond Church and she retired after 36 years with the former Mitchellace Company. A 1965 graduate of PHS, she enjoyed bingo and bowling. Donna loved spending time with her daughter and her daughter's family above all.    Surviving is her...

     Fannie Josephine Ferguson, 97, of Chillicothe, a former Portsmouth resident, passed away Monday, August 10, 2020 at Heartland of Chillicothe. She was born June 18, 1923 in Portsmouth, a daughter of the late Joseph and Macona Hambrick Harris. Josephine was a member of Quinn Chapel AME Church, a 1941 graduate of PHS and had retired from Portsmouth Metropolitan Housing Authority with 12 years of service.    She was preceded in death May 29, 1983 by her husband,...

   Wanda Jean “Neannie” Wilburn Wellman, 78, of Wheelersburg, passed away Saturday, August 8, 2020, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. She was born November 22, 1941 in South Shore, KY, a daughter of the late Morton and America Frances Salyers Wilburn.    Jean was retired from Greenbriar Nursing Home where she worked in the kitchen and she enjoyed time tending to her beautiful flower garden.    She is survived by two brothers, William...

   Robert Lee Moore, 79, of Portsmouth, passed away Thursday, August 6, 2020 at Southern Ohio Medical Center. He was born February 6, 1941 in Sciotoville, a son of the late Dorothy Lee (Reeder) and Charles Edward Moore, Sr.    Bob was the owner of the former area Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants and a 1960 Portsmouth High School graduate. He served in the Army of Ohio National Guard and attended Portsmouth Baptist Church.    Bob loved his family and always...

   Wanda June Johnson Browning, 77, of Columbus, a former Portsmouth resident, passed away July 30, 2020 at her daughter’s home in Columbus. Wanda was born in Lochgelly, WV, a daughter of the late Roy Clayton Wickline Sr. and Nellie Virginia Jenkins Wickline. She was a member of the First Calvary Baptist Church and had worked in the food service industry.     Wanda was preceded in death by her first husband, William “Bill” Johnson and her second...

       Leola Mae Duteil Osborne, 100,  longtime business woman and co-founder of Osborne’s Modern Dry Cleaners, died at her residence after a long illness on July 3, 2020. She was born November 8, 1919 in Decatur Twp., Lawrence County, to the late Clay R. and Jennie Belle McFann Duteil.    Leola and her husband co-founded Osborne’s Modern Dry Cleaners in 1946 and she continued to work for another 66 years until her retirement in 2012....

Michael Thomas Willis, 68, of Sierra Vista, Arizona, formerly of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Ottawa, Illinois, died June 30, 2020, at Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, as a result of contracting COVID-19.  He was born Feb. 10, 1952, in Portsmouth, Ohio, to George William Willis and Maude Mae Stone Willis.     Michael graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1970.  He attended Shawnee State Community College and later completed training in Respiratory Therapy, which became...

   Pamela Sue Burchett, 60, of Portsmouth, passed away Thursday, June 25, 2020 at SOMC Hospice. She was born January 4, 1960, a daughter of the late William Arthur and Jo-Ann Shively Fields.    Pam was a member of Christ's Brethren Church and a 1979 Clay High School graduate. She was a nurse's aid for several area nursing facilities and home health care agencies, including Greenbriar Nursing Home, Scioto Residential Services and Advantage Home Health Care. She...

   Gary Lynn Adams, 69, of Minford, passed away Sunday, June 21, 2020 at his home. He was born June 18, 1951 in Portsmouth, a son of the late Vernon and Polly Ellen Williams Adams.    Gary was retired from Glockner Auto and was of the Baptist faith. He was a 1969 Clay High School graduate and a member of the Lucasville Masonic Lodge #469. A U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal for his service.    Surviving are his son,...

   Francis "Frank" Joseph Napierkowski, 90, of Portsmouth, passed away Sunday, June 21, 2020, at the SOMC Hospice Center. He was born March 10, 1930 in Natrona, PA, a son of the late Louise V. Syput and Anthony David Napierkowski.    Frank was a devout member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and he enjoyed helping wherever he was needed. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, the SSU Golden Bears and the Portsmouth Tuesday Morning Bowling...