Arthur Mervin Stover, known as Smoke, age 87, of State College, died Sunday, April 9, 2006, at The Atrium, the skilled nursing facility at The Village at Penn State. He was preceded in death by his cherished wife, Peg, in 2005, after celebrating a marriage of 62 years.
Born in Blooming Glen, Pennsylvania, Smoke was the only child of Arthur B. and Martha Stover. He met his wife Peg when they were both students at Penn State, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. WW II interrupted Smoke's college career. He and Peg were married and then he served as a First Lieutenant in the Military Police stationed in China and Burma. It was during this time that he earned his nickname - he sent humourous dispatches from the war arena published by the Daily Collegian, signing them "Smokey Stover" after the comic strip character. The name stuck.
After WW II, Smoke began his career with the Seaboard Seed Company in Perkasie,Pa., then in Frederick,Maryland, and Sinking Spring, Pa., having three children along the way, all of whom became Penn Staters! Moving back to Perkasie to become a partner in the family feed and grain business, Smoke and his wife Peg also lived their dream for 18 years in an historic Bucks County farmhouse on 7 acres. They eventually retired to State College, ending up where they had so happily begun, and very much enjoyed many seasons of Penn State football and all the cultural activities and new friendships they made.
Smoke is survived by his loving children: two daughters, Diane Holme and her husband, John, of Chester, Vermont; Patricia Stover and her husband, Robert Flanagan, of Raleigh, NC; his son, Peter Stover and his wife, the Rev. Heather Entrekin, of Kansas City, KS; two sisters-in-law, Patricia Barton and her husband, Carroll, of Lancaster, PA. and Louise Stoudt and her husband, James, of Wyomissing, Pa.; grandson Christopher Holme and his wife Manaslu Gurung of the Bronx, NY and granddaughter Jennifer Troutman and her husband Rufus of Moreno City, CA.; two greatgrandchildren, Franklin Caval-Holme and Sariah Troutman; and the dedicated and caring staff, volunteers and friends from The Atrium, the skilled nursing unit of the Village at Penn State, a Life-Care community, who miss him very much.
Private services will be held for family and friends in both Reading and State College, PA.
A guest book can be signed or condolences sent to the family at www.heintzelmanfunerlhome.com