Charles 'Chum' Rickards Laws Sr., 79

MIDDLETOWN - Charles "Chum" Rickards Laws Sr. of Middletown died peacefully Friday, Feb. 16, 2007, in his sleep, in Christiana Health Care, Newark. He was 79.

"Pop" as he was affectionately known, was born May 6, 1927, in Bear. He was the son of the late Charles B. and Ida (Rickards) Laws.

Mr. Laws was an accomplished harness horse driver, trainer and owner who was well known throughout the area.

He loved farming in general, but his passion was dairy farming. When he wasn't racing or farming, he enjoyed gardening and was known for the stories he could tell and his amazing recall of baseball facts concerning the Phillies. He and his son Billy enjoyed their times spent together when fox hunting, which they did quite regularly.

Mr. Laws was a member of the United States Trotting Association.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 59 years, Jean Millar Laws Dec. 10, 2006; a son, Donald Laws; a daughter, Alice Laws Barcus; and a grandson, Zachery Rickards Laws March 19, 2006.

He is survived by three sons, Ricky and his wife, Marie of Clayton, Billy of Middletown and Ronny of Middletown; two daughters, Kathy Wade of Florida and Jenny Ostberg and her husband, Jeff of Maine; 14 grandchildren, Amy, Ashley, Abby, Lauren, Brandon, Keri, Dan, Drew, Amanda, Andy, Dawn, Charles, Aaron and Elainea; seven great-grandchildren; five sisters, Mary Keeley, Allie McCommons, Helen Potts, Betty Reader and Judy Walker; and a brother, Donald Laws.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday in Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home LLC, 212 N. Broad St., Middletown, where friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

Burial will be in Forest Cemetery, Middletown.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library, Second and High streets, Odessa, DE 19730.

Arrangements by Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home LLC, Middletown.