Latest news with #LibertyShip
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dora Henriette Leanos, retired Goucher College French professor, dies
Dora Henriette Leanos, a retired Goucher College French professor, died March 25 in her sleep of Parkinson's disease complications at the Oak Crest Senior Living Community. The former Towson resident was 86. Born in Budapest, Hungary, she was the daughter of Henrik Horchler, an optical engineer and Dora Nagy, a teacher. The family left their home to avoid the Russian Army occupation at the end of World War II. She recalled a wartime escape and seeing bodies in the streets. They left on a truck. They lived in Schruns, Austria, where she attended a convent school that had no heat. She recalled waking in the morning to find a washing bowl covered in ice. The family sailed to the U.S. on a Liberty Ship in 1950 and settled initially in Port Jervis, New York. She attended Eden Hall Convent of the Sacred Heart and earned her undergraduate degree from Chestnut Hill College and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1973 she married James Leanos, a commercial real estate broker. They met through mutual friends during a 'Handel's Messiah' concert at The Lyric. Their wedding was held at the Goucher College Chapel. She taught French at Goucher College from 1968 to 2003 and retired as an assistant professor. 'Henriette was low-key in her approach to teaching. She was traditional — she insisted upon proper diction and grammar,' her husband said. 'Henriette's passion for languages was complemented by a love for travel,' her husband said. 'She had an inquisitive mind. She built a rich and varied circle of friends with whom she was deliberate about maintaining contact and visiting.' He said she enjoyed working with her hands. She 'was an avid gardener with a gift for creating serene backyard settings as well as plentiful vegetables,' her husband said. Suzanne Fitzhugh Cooper 'Suzi' Smith, poet and pianist, dies at 103 Frances E. 'Fran' Smith, medical assistant and philanthropist, dies Perry Lee Conley Sr., retired Baltimore County principal, dies Anne Maureen Pomykala, who restored the Greenspring Valley's Gramercy Mansion, dies Ruth Beitchman Gavis, retired teacher and advocate for seniors, dies She was a quilter and embroiderer. She belonged to a quilting group called SEPT and QUILT where she made close friends 'Her artistic talent, combined with unmatched patience and attention to detail, produced many beautiful items that are treasured by their recipients,' her husband said. Known as 'Muci,' she was the core of her large, extended family and her passing leaves a hole in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. A memorial service and Mass will be held at 10 a.m. May 10 at the Oak Crest Chapel, 8800 Walther Blvd. in Parkville. Survivors include her husband of 52 years, James Leanos; two sons, Alexander Speros Leanos, of Wilmington, North Carolina and Nicholas Henry Leanos, of Greenbelt; two brothers, Martin Horchler, of Andalusia, Pennsylvania and Gabriel Horchler of Cheverly; a sister, Beatrix Daily of Philadelphia; a grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews. Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at and 410-332-6570.
BBC News
12-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Shipwreck off Devon still giving up secrets 80 years on
Divers are being asked to help with the creation of an exhibition telling the story of a ship sunk off the coast of Plymouth-based Ships Project is asking divers to loan artefacts found while exploring the wreck of the SS James Egan Layne, which lies in Whitsand Bay. To mark the 80th anniversary of the sinking in March 1945, the group wants to show US relatives of the crew the variety of things divers have found onboard. They are also planning a voyage to the wreck site to raise the ship's original stars and stripes flag once again. The wreck of the American Liberty Ship rests in just 25 feet of water near the Rame Peninsula, making it one of the most accessible and most dived wrecks in the Ships Project divers are keen to share what they have learned about the vessel with the public. Historian and diver Peter Holt, who is also director of The Ships Project, said Liberty Ships transported goods needed during the war."Because the UK is an island everything had to come in via ship, but the Germans at the time were sinking ships far faster than we could build them," he said. "So a (Liberty Ship) programme was put together to build ships in America really fast."The Egan Layne was fully loaded with cargo when it was torpedoed near the Eddystone Rock by a German submarine. It was limping back to Plymouth when it started to sink. All the crew were able to evacuate the ship, including 17-year-old Earl George Blache who later shared the tale with his grandson Glen in Blache said: "Earl was asleep in his bunk when they were torpedoed. He woke up and was lodged between two pipes. He barely made it out.' Despite this he went back to save the ship's American Blache said the first mate ordered his grandfather to go and retrieve the flag."He said no, if I'm going to get it, I'm keeping it. The captain told him, whoever swims and gets it, gets to keep the flag. So he out swam the first mate..."The stars and stripes flag has been a prized possession passed down through the Blache family ever since. The James Egan Layne sank fully loaded and close to shore so many items have has been salvaged over the years. Diver Mallory Haas said: "Everyone's got a piece of her somewhere in their house. It would be good to see it back together."The Ships Project is keen to find out what divers have found - but said they did not want any ammunition handed to them for safety reasons.
