George Allan Carlisle
George Allan Carlisle, 67, of Sun City Center, passed away peacefully at home on May 24, 2016, after a long illness.
He was born in Muskegon, Mich., and was raised in Illinois. He graduated from Lyons Township High School and the University of South Alabama. George served three enlistments in the U.S. Army, beginning with a tour in Vietnam in the late ’60s. He retired as a route salesman after moving to Sun City Center, where he worked for the SCC Community Association and loved caring for the dog parks.
George liked all sports, but he loved playing golf and cards with his buddies. He lived in Renaissance and was a founding member of the FROGS golf league. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Vivian Carlisle; his beloved sister, Linda Webster; and his brother, Rick Carlisle.
George is survived by his loving wife, Debbie; his son and greatest pride, George (Allan) Carlisle (Angie); brothers Gordon (Butch) Carlisle (Vicki), John Carlisle and Doug Carlisle (Juanita); grandsons Cameron Cobb, Byron Cobb and Jordan Cobb; numerous nieces and nephews; and extended family members.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at Club Renaissance, 2121 S. Pebble Beach Blvd., Sun City Center.
Memorials may be made in George’s name to either the Alzheimer’s Association, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33762-3820, or to LifePath Hospice, 3101 W Azeele St., Clearwater, FL 33609.
George will be forever missed, but will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.
Captain W.D. “Denny” Groves
Captain W.D. “Denny” Groves, SC, USN (ret.), age 76, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2016, surrounded by his family.
Denny was born in Hays, Kan., in 1939 and graduated from Fremont High School and Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Neb. Denny was an athlete! Four basketball letters, four baseball letters and two track letters in high school; leading scorer in basketball all four years in college, setting the scoring record for a single season and a four-year career — a record not broken until recently — even though (Denny’s words) “he didn’t get 3 points for outside the arc.” He was inducted into the Midland College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. Denny was also selected to play basketball for the U.S. Navy and was MVP, leading them to their 1965 Interservice Championship win.
Denny joined the Navy from Omaha and earned his officer’s commission in 1962. His military assignments included Navy Station, Adak, Alaska; Naval Construction Battalion Center, Port Hueneme, Calif.; Commander Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Personnel Supply Center, Philadelphia, Pa.; the DLA Systems Automation Center, which he commanded, and the DLA Construction Supply Center, Columbus, Ohio, where he was Deputy Commander; and served aboard the USS Washtenaw County (LST-1166), USS Fort Mandon (LSD-21), and USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36). His personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal. He retired from the Navy after 27 years and continued in selfless service to God, country, family and the community.
Denny loved and served his church with the same fervor he lived his life, serving as MND Small Group Leader, Stewardship Chair, Finance Chair, Capital Campaign Co-Chair, Information Technology Advisor, and a favorite, teaching our kids in his FX role of “Grandpa Henry.”
Denny also “preached” the Walk to Emmaus, where he found his own faith “wings”! He served in multiple leadership roles for nine weekend retreats and had the honor of serving as Lay Director in 2014.
Denny served the children of our community through his Kiwanis leadership for over 25 years. Most recently, he served as Secretary and President-Elect of Kiwanis of SouthShore, was set to serve as President for 2016-2017; was an East Bay High School Key Club Advisor, where granddaughter Gabby is a member; and served in the Corr Elementary Terrific Kids Program where both Gabby and Riley attended AND were Terrific Kids.
Denny was a storyteller and loved to tell jokes, telling the “same” story multiple times; he seldom met a stranger because he could strike up a conversation with anyone; he loved to do magic tricks; and he played golf with the same competitiveness that he lived the rest of his life. Denny loved teaching his grandchildren to do magic tricks, ride bikes, play golf and drive cars. Riley became his special “building and fix-it buddy.”
Denny is survived by his wife of 26 years, Faye; daughters Micky (Dan) Mulligan and Lori (Cedrick) Watkins; sons Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jason (Cathy) Groves (USMC) and Kelly (Traci) Hamilton; brother Dean (Betty) Groves; and the nine BEST grandchildren in the world — Wil, Kyle, Private First Class Perry (USMC), Rae-Kelly (Naval Academy Plebe), Gabby, Jacob, Riley, Lukas and Nathan.
Celebration of Life Service will be Saturday June 18, 2016, 11 a.m., South Shore United Methodist Church, 11525 Big Bend Road, Riverview, FL 33579. The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the Celebration of Life service. Interment with military honors will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers we invite you to help perpetuate the gift of life Denny received in 2009 by donating to the Tampa General Hospital “Help a Heart” Fund: https://tghsecureforms.org/make-gift or by mailing a check (made payable to TGH Foundation) to Tampa General Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 1289 Tampa, FL 33601-1289. On the online form, please select “Help a Heart Transplant Fund” from the drop-down menu. An acknowledgment will be mailed to the family, and all donations will assist heart-transplant recipients with expensive medications not covered by insurance gaps.
Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.
Logan Miller
Logan Miller, 71, of Ruskin, peacefully left us in the early morning hours of June 6, 2016. He was born June 25, 1944 in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Kentucky. He has lived in Ruskin since the early 1970s.
Logan served in the United States Marine Corps from 1964 to 1968. He is also a Vietnam War Veteran.
Logan is survived by his loving wife, Peggy, sister Christine, brother Roger, three children, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and a handful of nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at the First Baptist Church on College Avenue in Ruskin at 3 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2016.
Gloria G. Swallow
Gloria Gay (Dreas) Swallow passed away in an Assisted Living Facility in Brandon, Fla., on May 29, 2016.
Born August 21, 1936, in Vera Cruz, Pa., Gloria was the daughter of Francis F. and Florence (Schoenly) Dreas. Gloria attended Emmaus High School and was employed by the Phil Allen Company, Allentown, Pa., and Bearings Inc., Norristown, Pa.
Gloria retired in 1994 upon moving to Florida. Gloria enjoyed Bunka embroidery, Eastern Star, Ladies of the Oriental Shrine, Organ & Keyboard Club, playing the piano and singing. She was a former member of Old Zionsville U.C.C. and later a Unitarian Universalist in Florida.
Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Arthur A. Swallow Sr. of Sun City Center; sons Arthur A. Swallow IV and wife Celia of Macungie, Pa., and Scott F. Swallow and life-partner Elizabeth Roma of Orefield, Pa.; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; brothers Carlton (Emily), Timothy (Peggy) and Maynard (Barbara); sister-in-law Erma Dreas. Gloria was predeceased by daughter Cynthia Ann Wagner and brothers Francis and Garfield.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2016, at Schantz Funeral Home, P.C., 250 Main St., Emmaus, PA.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Tampa.
John Francis Tarrant
Decorated WWII Navy veteran, John Francis Tarrant, 94, of Carefree, Arizona, formerly of Lowell, Massachusetts and Sun City Center, Florida, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, May 14 at Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was the beloved husband of the late Mary Theresa (Shanahan) Tarrant, who died in 2006.
Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, September 15, 1921, a son of the late James Joseph and the late Mary Christine (Moran) Tarrant, he attended Haverhill schools and was a graduate of St. James Catholic High School. Eager to further his education, following his Honorable Discharge from the military, he went on to graduate from Burdett College in Boston with the Class of 1947.
A veteran of World War II, John proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as a Pharmacist’s Mate First Class and was awarded the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, the American Defense Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (nine stars).
After many years with the General Electric Company in Lowell, he joined the Internal Revenue Service of the Department of the Treasury. In 1965, he was assigned to the Lowell office as an Auditor. John retired from the IRS in 1982 as Chief, Compliance Division, Brookhaven Service Center in Holtsville, New York. During his assignment at Brookhaven, he was awarded the Albert Gallatin Award for faithful and honorable service to the Treasury Department.
Upon his retirement, John and Terry relocated to Sun City Center, Florida, where for 30 years he lived out his dream of golfing just about every day. He was also extremely proud to serve as an Adult Altar Server at the Prince of Peace Church in Sun City Center.
John loved anything that had to do with golf whether it was playing, watching or reading Golf Magazine. He was also an avid boxing fan and enjoyed playing the stock market. Above all else though, being all about family, he cherished the quality time he spent with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
John is survived by two daughters Mary-Jean Godbout and her husband Ronald of Northfield, N.H., and Patricia A. Melnicki and her husband L. Stephen of Scottsdale, Ariz.; six grandchildren James Godbout and his wife Jillian of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Jon Godbout and his wife Lori of Londonderry, N.H., Lisa Powell and her husband Ronald of Waldorf, Md., Alexis C. Melnicki of Portland, Ore., Emily A. Bacchetti and her husband Stephen of Portland, Ore., and Stephen P. Melnicki of Chicago; five great-grandchildren Angus Godbout of Mont Vernon, N.H., Declan Godbout of Carlisle, Mass., Ethan and Evelyn Godbout of Londonderry, N.H. and Jameson Patrick Bacchetti of Portland, Ore.; two brothers George Michael Tarrant of Phoenix, Ariz. and Robert James Tarrant and his wife Jeanne of Merrimac, Mass.; two cousins Elizabeth and Florence Holton both of Lowell, Mass.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was also father of the late John Michael Tarrant and Bernard Anthony Tarrant and brother of the late James Joseph Tarrant, Jr., Christine (Tarrant) (Paquette) Newton and Elizabeth (Tarrant) Pyatt.
There will be no calling hours. His funeral will take place at the Odonnell Funeral Home home June 21 at noon followed by a Funeral Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church in Lowell, Mass., at 1 p.m. Burial in St. Patrick Cemetery. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, John’s family suggests that contributions may be made in his memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or the Autism Society of America, 4340 East West Hwy., Suite 350, Bethesda, Md. 20814.
Arrangements by Funeral Directors James F. O’Donnell, Jr. and John W. Crane 978-458-8768.
