Obituaries: October 23, 2014

Donald Berens

Donald Berens, 91, of Sun City Center, passed away on Sunday, October 12, 2014.

Beloved husband of the late Mary “Mike” Berens; loving father of Thomas Berens, John (Nancy) Berens, Rick (Ally) Berens, Ann (Dan) Hayes and Tony (Suzanne) Berens; cherished grandfather of ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Don was a decorated World War II veteran who served his country in the European Campaign.

A memorial service will be held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Sun City Center, Saturday, Nov. 8 at 11 a.m.

Arrangements entrusted to National Cremation and Burial Society in Ruskin.

 

Nellie Campbell

Nellie F. Campbell, 89, of Sun City Center, Fla., and longtime resident of Kings Point, passed away Saturday, October 18, 2014.

Born in Bentley, Ill., on October 12, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Louis and Mary Hardy Scheuermann. Nellie was a retired Registered Nurse and a member of the Sun City Center United Methodist Church. She enjoyed line and Hawaiian dancing — going to nursing homes and civic clubs in the area — and loved golfing and traveling with her husband Melvin.

Nellie was preceded in death by her husband Melvin M. Campbell in 2009 and son Bruce Campbell in 1998. Nellie is survived by sons Gary (Peggy) Campbell and Steve (Carrie) Campbell; brothers Bud and Dick Scheuermann; sisters Ruth Shipman, Rosie Meinkow and Pat Scheuermann; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to LifePath Hospice in the name of Nellie Campbell. Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.

 

Jearlene Duncan

Jearlene Duncan, 77, passed away October 18, 2014.  She was born July 12, 1937, in McCreary, Ky., to the late Albert and Bertha ( Brooks) Shelley.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Richard Shelley and great-grandson Isaac Hauke.

Jearlene started coming to Florida during the winters back in 2002. In 2009, she moved here permanently from Monticello, Ky. She was very active at Trinity Baptist Church in Sun City Center and a member of the Eastern Star and the Sun City Center Shrine Club. She loved to sing and sang many duets with her husband Sidney. They also enjoyed traveling to Florida over the years.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 55 years, Sidney; daughter Connie Miller (Randy Malone) of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren Sheila Hauke (Matt), Jim Miller (Tiffany Oster), Sara Raab (Marc) and David Miller; great-grandchildren Johanna, Hayden, Carter, Lily and Gregoryanna.

A memorial service was held Oct. 21 at the Trinity Baptist Church.  Interment was at Sarasota National Cemetery.  There will also be a memorial service in Monticello at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made in Jearlene’s honor to the Trinity Baptist Church Building Fund, 702 W. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center, FL 33573 or to the Shriners Hospital for Children at www.shrinershospitalforchildren.org.  Condolences and memories may be left online at www.skywaymemorial.com.

 

Carolyn Grojean

Carolyn R. (Fehlings) Grojean, 79, died Thursday, October 9, 2014, in Sun City Center, Fla.

She was born Aug. 22, 1935, in Hennepin County, Minn., and graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a master’s degree in Education.

She was a teacher and counselor for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools.

Carolyn was proud to use her education to serve her country and the U.S. Army in West Germany from 1983 to 1993.  An avid outdoorswoman and appreciator of creation, she loved the tranquillity of camping, the mysteries of scuba diving and God’s Finery of the golf course.  A true teacher, she turned her quest for knowledge to the field of genealogy.  In addition to her sons and their wives, her true treasures were her eight grandchildren. Her “brass” never tarnished; she was loved by many and friend to all. Carolyn will be missed.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Dorothy Fehlings, and survived by her sons Gregory, Michael and Joseph, and her beloved daughters-in-law Margaret, Carol and Donna.

A Memorial Service was held October 17 at Sun City Center Funeral Home.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, P.O. Box 19023, Seattle WA 98109-1023. Checks may be made payable to SCCA with indication that they are in memory of Carolyn Grojean. You may call 206-288-2070 or 877-308-3117 to make a donation by phone or donate online at: www.seattlecca.org/donate.

Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home.

 

Robert Thomas LaBrecque

Robert “Bob” Thomas LaBrecque, 88, passed away peacefully at his son’s home in Belchertown, Mass., on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014, with his family and loved ones by his side.

Born in Somersville, Conn., on June 17, 1926, he was the son of the late Leo and Bertha “Mamie” (Monstello) LaBrecque. Bob was predeceased in 2006 by his first wife Catherine (Crowe) LaBrecque, to whom he was married for 56 years. He proudly served his country as a Marine during World War II, being commissioned on the USS Ticonderoga aircraft carrier in 1943 as a gunner, fighting in the Pacific Theater. Bob was wounded in action on January 21,1945, and receiv

ed the Purple Heart. After the war he played hockey with the Somersville Team, which won the industrial league title many times and he was league All-Star defenseman. He loved the Red Sox, New England Patriots; UConn Women’s basketball and was a season’s ticket-holder for the Hartford Whalers until he moved from Enfield, Conn., in 1991 to Sun City Center, Fla., where he became a Tampa Bay Lightning fan.

Bob was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus Council 50, Enfield, and former permittee; he was a Life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1288, and a member of Cypress Greens Country Club.

He worked for Otis Elevator for 25 years and finished his career at Hamilton Standard. He is survived by wife Margaret “Peggy” (White) Soucy LaBrecque; children Brian LaBrecque and wife Doris of Belchertown, Mass., Lynn Osborn and  husband Chuck of East Hartland, Conn., and Sharon LaBrecque of Dunedin, Fla.; grandchildren Lauren Mazzoli and husband T.J., Ian Osborn, Kevin LaBrecque, Colleen Osborn Montenegro and husband Diego, Katie Dandarand and husband Nathan, and Jennifer Dasnaw and husband Jay; great-grandchildren Enzo Mazzoli, Hailey and Nathan Dasnaw, and Brandon and Kayla Dandarand; brother-in-law George Crowe of Holyoke, Mass.; along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and most humble man who always had a smile and a kind word for everyone who knew him. He will be missed dearly.

The family is grateful for all the care he received in his last months from the Baystate Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Bob was celebrated Oct. 18 in Connecticut. Rites of Committal with military honors followed in St. Bernard’s Cemetery. Those wishing to honor his memory may make a donation to the Baystate V.N.A. & Hospice, 50 Maple St., Springfield, MA 01102.

To leave an online condolence message, visit: www.brownefuneralchapels.com.

 

Jane Irene Maliga

Jane Irene Maliga, 86, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away Oct. 4, 2014. Born in New York Mills, N.Y., she lived most of her life in Ludlow, Mass., until moving to Florida  in 2006. Stanley, her loving husband of 56 years, predeceased her in 2004.

She will be dearly missed by her daughters Sandra White of Sun City Center and Joyce (Bill) Withers of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; sisters Dolores (Jack) Dudzik and Shirley Chaban, both of Sun City Center, and Patricia Knapik of Galveston, Texas. She also leaves four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held in Massachusetts.