Shirley DeFord
Shirley DeFord
Shirley DeFord, 70, of Sun City Center, Fla., was born April 28, 1946, in Columbus, Ga., and passed away June 2, 2016. She retired as a secretary from Hillsborough County government.
Shirley was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Gibsonton, a Guardian Ad Litem and volunteered at Sun City Center Library. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend to many. Shirley loved her family with all her heart.
She is survived by her husband, Robert N. DeFord; children Larry S. (Luci) Rigsby, Lisha K. (Bobby) Harris and Richard H. Rigsby; grandchildren Jessica K. (Will) Nichols, Larry C. Rigsby, Kristina E. Rigsby, Haley B. Harris and Mercedes B. Harris; and by Robert’s children, Debra Blalock, Julie (James) Chawner, and Robert N. (Dawn) DeFord; his seven grandchildren, Nicholas Blalock, Aaron Blalock, April Bergmann, Kenneth Charles Bergmann, Danielle Chawner, Lindsey (Michael) Campion and Dylan DeFord; and by his four great-grandchildren, Kenneth Joseph Bergmann, Bella Bergmann, Wyatt Funk and Michael Campion Jr.
The funeral service was Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at the First Baptist Church of Gibsonton.
Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.
Eleanore Chase Etchell
Eleanore Chase Etchell died Friday, May 13, at the age of 93. She was a resident of the Country House in Greenville, Del., where she had been the physical therapist several decades earlier.
She is survived by her sister, Margaret Taylor Warren of Watchung, N.J. and her brother, Frederick Sutherland of Kissimmee, Fla. She is also survived by four children: David Chase of Sun City Center, Fla.; John Chase of Philadelphia; Susan Chase Levin of Chadds Ford, Pa.; and Robert Scott Chase of Westmont, N.J., as well as eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Eleanore was a graduate of Northfield School and Tufts University’s Bouve – Boston School of Physical Education. She had been a physical therapist in the Wilmington, Del., area for more than 30 years before moving with husband Harold Chase to Sun City Center in 1985. She was an active member of the United Community Church in Sun City Center. She was a Hospice volunteer and a member of the Garden Club.
Eleanore was predeceased by husband Harold Chase, to whom she was married for nearly 60 years, and her second husband, Howard Etchell.
A memorial service will be held in New Hampshire at a later date.
Althea Ganey
Althea Louise Ganey
Althea Louise Ganey, 81, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away May 26, 2016.
Born in Quincy, Mass., in 1934, the daughter of Raymond F. and Lydia Powers, she moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1946. She graduated from Hillsborough High School in 1952.
Music was her passion, and singing was her gift. She sang with the Tampa Oratorio Society, the Tampa Philharmonic Chorus, Sacred Heart Chorus, and was both a cantor and choir member at Christ the King and Prince of Peace Catholic Churches.
She was a secretary for Frank and Howard Franklin at the Pioneer Tire Co. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Raymond F. Powers Jr.
Althea is survived by her husband of 59 years, Jerry Ganey; daughters Pamela (Robert) Sherman and Galyn (Marc) Lecher; grandchildren Abigail, Rachel, Andrew and John Sherman; sisters Patty (Ron) Manly and Judy Powers; brother Lawrence (Carol) Powers; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral Mass was held June 1 at Christ the King Catholic Church. Interment followed at Garden of Memories Cemetery.
Andrew Hatcher
Andrew Thomas Hatcher
Andrew Thomas Hatcher, 21, of Riverview, Fla., passed away on Memorial Day. On June 2, a rescue dog found him in the woods behind the Covewood subdivision.
Andrew was born in Hobart, Ind., as the second child for Mark D. Hatcher and Laura Kathleen Paul-Hatcher. Andrew is survived by stepfather Robert C. Cone; mother Laura Cone; older brother Addison Forrest Hatcher; aunt Jennifer Paul; aunt Leila Duncan and uncle Richard Paul; as well as loving grandmother Hazel Paul.
He served as an EMT for the Sun City Center Emergency Squad for more than two years. Andrew loved music, the band Rush, his dog Annabelle. Kind, gentle, quiet and smart, he completed his associate’s degree from Hillsborough Community College while still in high school. He also graduated from the Fire Academy, an experience he loved.
The Memorial Service is Friday, June 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Sun City Center Community Association’s Florida Room off North Pebble Beach Boulevard. Kindly donate to the Sun City Center Emergency Squad in his memory.
Meredith “Mert” Naayers
Meredith “Mert” Naayers, 84, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away May 31, 2016.
He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He was a lithographer for Nielsen Lithograph for 29 years and retired from Henningkens Printing.
He is survived by Patricia, his wife of 56 years; sons John (Margaret) Naayers and Thomas Naayers; and three grandchildren.
Funeral Mass with Military Honors will be at 11 a.m. Friday, June 10, 2016, at St. Anne Catholic Church, 106 11th Ave. N.E., Ruskin. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to LifePath Hospice, 3725 Upper Creek Drive, Ruskin, FL 33573 or Sun City Center Emergency Squad, 720 Ray Watson Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573.
Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.
Bill Rapp
William E. ‘Bill’ Rapp
William E. “Bill” Rapp, 83, of Sun City Center, Fla. passed away May 8, 2016. He retired from a career at IBM.
Survivors include Catherine, his wife of 26 years; sons Curtis Rapp and his wife Leigh Ann, and Allen Rapp and his wife Anita; and five grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11, 2016, at Sun City Center Funeral Home, 1851 Rickenbacker Drive, Sun City Center.
Memorials may be made in Bill’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33762-3820.
Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.
