Funeral services are planned for Wanda Exline, the longtime president of the Dungan Civic Association, who died last week at age 84.
Exline died March 22 in surgery at Nazareth Hospital. She was rushed there with a ruptured aneurysm in the aorta.
A viewing will take place Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at Burns Funeral Home, at 9708 Frankford Ave. The viewing will continue Monday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at Resurrection of Our Lord Church, at Castor and Shelmire avenues, followed by a funeral Mass at 11.
Interment will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
The former Wanda E. Piekutoski was predeceased by her husband Don. She is survived by four children: Donna Wicker (Bill), David (Sandy), Ellen Marcakis (Tom) and Joanne Nutter.
She was the Mom-Mom to Jamie Anne, Joey, Jeannie, Thomas W., Diane, Dillon, Kevin, David Jr., Sammy, Jennifer, Zachary and Adam and great-grandmother to Sophia, Thomas, Nikolas, Wesley and Hayden.
She is also survived by her sister Eleanor Kennedy (Joseph) and many nieces and nephews.
Exline was involved in Girls Scouts and Town Watch, and was a longtime 56th Ward Democratic committeewoman and campaign manager for state Rep. Rosita Youngblood. She became first vice president of Dungan Civic Association in 1998 and ascended to the presidency in 2001. She served until her death.
Exline, an Algon Avenue resident, took an active role in trying to prevent Burholme Park from being leased to Fox Chase Cancer Center.
In her own spunky way, she fought to preserve and improve the neighborhood on issues such as housing and commercial development.
“My mom was a very business-oriented person. She was in so many negotiations. She was direct and straight to the point,” said her daughter Joanne.
Joanne said her mom liked to travel and spend a couple of months a year in Florida, where her son lives.
“She was old-fashioned,” her daughter said. “She was a very good-hearted person and a very generous person. She was a good lady to know.”
Exline and City Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.) had a friendly disagreement over the cancer center expansion issue, and later worked together for park improvement.
O’Neill admired Exline’s toughness, noting that a developer once sued her when the civic association rejected his building plans.
“She was a delight to work with,” he said. “She was a ball of fire. She was out front. She was a good person. We’ll miss her.” ••
