Ayeisha D. Kassa, 44, covens' high priestess

Ayeisha D. Kassa, a witch who was the high priestess of the Baltimore-area covens of the Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries, died Wednesday of heart failure and complications from Marfan syndrome at her North Charles Street residence. She was 44.

The Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries, or KAM, has been a legally registered religion in Maryland since 1970, and is composed of covens in Maryland and Washington. It is devoted to maintaining the tradition of witchcraft and pagan religious practices.

Mrs. Kassa, who had been a much sought-after radio and television guest for the last 26 years, tried to educate the public to the fact that they weren't Satanists and did not practice necromancy.

The former Ayeisha Distafano was born in the Lansdowne section of Baltimore County and reared in Cockeysville, and became interested in witchcraft as a teen-ager. She later earned her GED and was a graduate of the Aquarian University of Maryland, where she studied religion and metaphysics.

Plans for an October memorial service are incomplete.

She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Joseph M. Kassa; a son, Jason Merlin Kassa of Baltimore; her mother, Morgana Davies of Warwick, R.I.; a brother, Henry Distafano of Florida; and two sisters, Bethany Davies of Atlanta and Donna Distafano of Hyattsville. Charles H. Feihe Sr., retired vice president of Mullan Contracting Co. and a founder and past president of Associated Builders and Contractors, died Sunday of heart failure at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. He was 77 and a Mays Chapel resident.

Mr. Feihe, a certified public accountant and real estate broker, began his career with the Baltimore construction company in 1947.

In 1950, he helped establish Associated Builders and Contractors, a construction trade association that has grown into the largest building and construction association in the nation. He retired in 1986.

Born and raised on East 20th Street, Mr. Feihe was a 1939 graduate of Polytechnic Institute. He worked at Baltimore Commercial Bank while attending night school at the old Baltimore College of Commerce, now part of the University of Baltimore, where he earned his accounting degree in 1947.

He was an avid Orioles fan and enjoyed traveling.

He was a communicant of the Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity, 1809 Vista Lane in Timonium, where a Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. today.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, the former Frances Rouchard; three sons, Charles H. Feihe Jr. of Severna Park, John S. Feihe of Baltimore and Michael P. Feihe of Towson; a daughter, Mary F. Moore of Phoenix, Baltimore County; two sisters, Anne R. Feihe and Mary L. Feihe, both of Mays Chapel; and four grandchildren. James Russell Johnson, retired Westinghouse Electric Corp. worker and active churchman, died Saturday of cardiac arrest at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The longtime East Baltimore resident was 77.

For more than 30 years until retiring in 1987, Mr. Johnson worked as a wireman at Westinghouse Electric Corp.'s Linthicum facility.

Mr. Johnson was a member for 50 years of Christ United Metho- dist Church, where he was a member of the United Methodist Men, Men's Chorus, Mass Choir, Guitar Ensemble, trustee board and finance committee. In 1996, he was honored as the "Man of the Year" by the Methodist Men of Christ United Methodist Church.

He was an active volunteer with the church's soup kitchen and a member of the Eastside Neighborhood Association.

Mr. Johnson was born and raised in Reids Grove Village, Dorchester County, and graduated from schools there. He was married in 1946 to the former Golden Elizabeth Wheatley.

Services will be held at 6 p.m. today at Christ United Methodist Church, Chase and Washington streets, Baltimore.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Johnson is survived by three daughters, Linda Drumwright of Randallstown, Brenda Miller and Joyce Bowers, both of East Baltimore; two sisters, Rosalie Kearney of Baltimore and Evelyn Fountain of Frederica, Del.; and seven grandchildren.

Dr. I. Rivers Hanson, a retired Salisbury obstetrician and gynecologist, died of a stroke Aug. 27 at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. He was 85.

The former Salisbury resident moved to Manor House Retirement Community in Seaford, Del., in 1995.

He began a general medical practice in Salisbury in 1940. After studying obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins Medical School from 1947 to 1950, he returned to Salisbury, where he continued his practice until retiring in 1993.

Born and raised in Wilmington, N.C., he earned his bachelor's degree from Wake Forest College and earned his medical degree in 1939 from Temple University Medical School.

Dr. Hanson was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Kansas City in 1976.

He was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church, where a memorial service was held Monday.

Dr. Hanson is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Virginia Benton; three sons, I. Rivers Hanson Jr. of Alexandria, Va., and John H. Hanson and Hugh K. Hanson, both of Salisbury; three grandsons; and two step-grandchildren.

Lillian J. Stubbs, 77, teacher's aide

Lillian J. Stubbs, a former teacher's aide who worked at Roland Park Country School for 20 years, died in her sleep Thursday at her East Baltimore residence. She was 77.

Mrs. Stubbs earned several awards for her work at the school, where she was an aide from the 1950s to the late 1970s.

The former Lillian James was born in Chester, Pa., and moved to Cambridge, Dorchester County, where she graduated from high school. In 1948, she married Hargis Stubbs, who died in 1982.

A resident of East Baltimore since 1957, Mrs. Stubbs was active in Waters African Methodist Episcopal Church, where services were held yesterday

She is survived by a daughter, Rosalind Stubbs Brooks of Perry Hall; two sisters, Maryium Jefferson and Pauline James, both of Baltimore; six grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Robert H. Porter Sr., 67, construction company owner

Robert H. Porter Sr., founder and president of Bob Porter Co. Inc., a commercial interior construction company, died Monday of cancer at his son's home in Laurel. He was 67.

Mr. Porter, a resident of Woodbine in Howard County, established his company in 1979 and it grew into one of the largest interior construction companies in the Baltimore-Washington area. He retired in 1991.

Mr. Porter was born in Philadelphia and moved to Washington in 1935. He left high school after three years and joined the Navy in 1948. He served in the Korean War and was discharged in 1951. In 1952, he graduated from Montgomery-Blair High School.

In 1959, he was married to the former Barbara White, who died in 1990.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. today at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd., Silver Spring.

Mr. Porter is survived by his son, Robert H. Porter Jr. of Laurel; a daughter, Susan Lynn Porter of Woodbine; and four grandchildren.

Isabell L. Cain, 80, production worker

Isabell L. Cain, a retired production worker and homemaker, ** died in her sleep Monday at Genesis Eldercare of Severna Park. She was 80.

From the early 1970s until retiring in 1984, Mrs. Cain was a production worker at Barton Cotton Inc., a Baltimore printing company.

The former Glen Burnie resident, who had lived in Severna Park )) since 1988, was a volunteer at the Burwood Senior Citizens Center in Glen Burnie.

Born Isabell Hartlove in South Baltimore, she attended city schools until the eighth grade when she left school to help support her family. She was married in 1943 to a Baltimore police officer, who died in 1986.

She was a communicant of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Church, 8499 Virginia Ave., Riviera Beach, where a Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 9: 30 a.m. tomorrow.

She is survived by two daughters, Linda Russo of Severna Park and Catherine Allen of New Bern, N.C.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Pub Date: 9/03/98