Obituaries: September 11, 2014

LaRene Gurry Bettinghaus

LaRene Gurry Bettinghaus, 91, died peacefully in her home on August 30, 2014, surrounded by loved ones.  LaRene was a Canadian who lived in Florida the majority of her life, including Winter Park, Deland and Sun City Center.

She is survived by daughter Laurie Bettinghaus and her life partner Laurie Cunningham; daughter Lisa Bettinghaus Fitzgerald and her husband Kevin Fitzgerald; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and a very pampered kitty. LaRene was a devoted mother and a doting grandmother. Humor was one of her defining traits, making her transition from this world both graceful and inspiring.

At LaRene’s request, there will be no formal funeral service or memorial.  In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in her name to C.A.R.E. (Critter Adoption & Rescue Effort) 1528 27th Street SE, Ruskin, Florida 33570.  813-645-2273.

 

Luraden Agatha Harris

Luraden Agatha Harris, 73, of Ruskin, Fla., passed away on Friday, September 5, 2014.  Luraden was born to John and Mildred Harris on Barbuda, an island in the British West Indies.

She is survived by daughters  Nicole Nairn and Lisa Davis; husband Larry Davis; and siblings Magdalene Parker, Delcina Frank, Gertrude Livingston, Norris Harris and Winston Harris.  She had two grandchildren, Chevon Rosenberry and Christopher Nairn, as well as two great-grandchildren.

All loved Luraden; she had a charismatic flair and an authentic style.  She loved to read and to engage socially. She demonstrated love to others and was a wonderful cook.  She was a civil servant secularly and enjoyed her employment in the library system. Luraden spent decades preaching and teaching Bible truths to many communities.

A memorial will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 11725 Symmes Road in Riverview.

 

Howard B. Gunsten

Howard B. Gunsten, 90, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away September 2, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and retired as a General Insurance Underwriter for John Hancock Insurance Company.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Doris; daughter Sue Petersen; grandchildren Erika (James) Costantino and Christian (Ann) Petersen; great-grandchildren Logan and Elliot Constantino; and sister Marge Stoecker. A memorial service was held Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Apollo Beach, Fla.

Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.

 

Douglas Nelson

Douglas Nelson, 76, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away Monday, July 21, 2014, after a short illness. Douglas was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in 1937 to parents Mildred and Harold Nelson.

A vital part of Doug’s life was his longstanding career in the airline industry. Doug’s love for the industry and his lifelong passion for travel started in Miami with Eastern Airlines back in 1955, where he was a Pilot and Flight Crew Scheduler.  He then left the Sunshine State and took a position with Seaboard in Zurich, Switzerland, where, among professional duties, he was able to immerse himself in another one of his lifelong passions, skiing. Later, Doug added golf to his sporting life, and happily he was able to actively continue to do both up till the end.

Doug started with KLM in 1960, working out of the New York office in various sales positions, and retired from KLM in 1998 as a Senior Sales Representative for New Jersey. After retiring from KLM, Doug added another four years to his airline career with Northwest Airlines. Throughout, he was an active member of SKAL, the International Travel and Tourism Organization.

Doug married Susan in 1968 and, for more than 25 years, resided in Glen Rock, N.J., where he and then-wife Susan raised their two daughters before retiring to Sun City Center.

Doug was fun-loving, charismatic and a dear father and supportive friend to many. He is survived by his brother Clif Nelson of Santa Rosa, Calif.; daughter Lisa and son-in-law Mark Landers and grandchildren Charlie and Annabel of Franklin Lakes, N.J.; and daughter Nicole Nelson and grandson Jasper Nelson of Bradenton, Fla.

A memorial service will be held in Wyckoff, N.J., at the Wyckoff Reformed Church at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27.

 

Alvin F. Schafer

Alvin F. Schafer, 91, originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., passed away peacefully to be with our Lord on September 1, 2014, in Sun City Center, Fla. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1950 and was a retired architect emeritus, and was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War with the U.S. Army.  He was a member of the American Institute of Architects.
After relocating from Pittsburgh to Huddleston, Va., Al and his wife Wilma retired to Sun City Center.

Al is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Wilma G. Schafer, and their sons Dean, Douglas and Kenneth and their families.  He was a member of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, where a memorial service will be held to honor Al at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, 1239 W. Del Webb Blvd. in Sun City Center.

 

Martha Dale Southers

Martha Dale Southers, 66, of Apollo Beach, Fla., passed away August 28, 2014. She is survived by sons Ric and Chris, two granddaughters, a grandson, and great grandson, all from Pennsylvania; daughter Stacy and granddaughter Alysa Beasley of Cordova, Tenn.; mother Leila Davis, son Hunter, daughter Meredith, brother Lonnie Jr., aunt Alice Phelps and grandson Damion, all of Apollo Beach; and many relatives in Georgia and other parts of Florida. She was preceded in death by her father, Lonnie Davis Sr.

She will be greatly missed and loved. A memorial service will be held later.

 

In Loving Memory
Linda S. Gofinch
Sept. 12, 1953 – Nov. 25, 2013
From your mom, sister, children and grandson