Bruce Paul Elsberry
Bruce Paul Elsberry was born in Tampa, Florida, on December 3, 1940. He departed this life at home in Ruskin, Florida, on April 22, 2020, after a lengthy illness.
Bruce was preceded in death by his father, Paul Sam Elsberry, and his mother, Mary Louise Rawls. Bruce leaves behind his wife of 49 years, Betty Hester; a daughter, Eva Elsberry (husband Nicklos Byrd); two stepsons, Kevin Taylor (Terrina) and Keith Taylor; and three grandchildren: Jesse, Rachel and Shelby. He is also survived by two brothers, Terry Elsberry (Lynn) and Ross Elsberry (Vicki); numerous nieces and a nephew.
Bruce was a lifelong tomato farmer with The Elsberry Family Farms. He loved to fish and spend weekends on Lil Gasparilla Island.
A heartfelt thanks to Amanda Hall and Earl Acosta, his personal caregivers. Hospice Green Team was always there to help.
Elizabeth L. Frercks
Elizabeth L. Frercks, 85, of Sun City Center, Fla., formerly of Fort Salonga, (Long Island) N.Y., peacefully passed away April 24, 2020. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 46 years, Daniel, and her beloved brother, Merrill.
Elizabeth (aka Billie) was born and raised in Augusta, Maine, enjoying many of life’s offerings including traveling to England on the QE2 to visit her older brother. She was a Katharine Gibbs School graduate, and as a young woman, she worked first in Boston, then in New York City as an executive secretary, after which she began her married/family life for 40 years on Long Island, N.Y. She and Dan raised their family, were local entrepreneurial business owners and enjoyed a very active life to include traveling across the USA and to many continents, a great deal of community involvement, sports activities, swimming, sailing and socializing with friends and neighbors before retiring to Florida in 2003.
Elizabeth took great pride in her God given gift of being a master connector, sincere listener and kind, thoughtful communicator! She believed in immediately taking a genuine interest when first meeting people along her daily path, be it in person or by phone, taking note of their name and offering thoughtful conversation ~ an experience that either left a memorable impression or was an encounter that would grow into a long lasting, genuinely heartfelt relationship. Those whose lives she has touched have expressed the sentiment, “I feel honored to have known her, consider her a lady of quality character and am grateful to have memories of her forever in my heart.”
Elizabeth was a faithful Christian servant, devoted to participating in the church choir, where she shared her classically trained soprano voice in singing God’s praises (anthems were her favorite). She was a graceful greeter, engaging leader and, as a faithful steward, she was awarded, along side her husband Dan, the annual Trinity Episcopal Church Cross.
Elizabeth leaves behind her proud family members who will carry on her legacy, spreading kindness and love: her treasured children: John, Elizabeth and David and their families; Barbara Egbert, Sheri Buchman, Scott Williams, Seamus McGuire, Kelsey McGuire, Kristi and Kerry Williams, Sandy Frercks, Dylan and Elizabeth Frercks, Matthew and Tanya Dempsey, Jordan, Beau and Reagan Dempsey; her cousin Jeanne and family; her wonderful nieces and nephews: Sheila, Judi, Nancy, Steven, Peter and families; her church families, both from St. John Divine Episcopal Church (Sun City Center, Fla.) and Trinity Episcopal Church (Northport, N.Y.); her PEO sisters (and “BILs”); and her many cherished friends all across the USA.
A celebration of her life will be held in the near future in Sun City Center, Fla. and Northport, N.Y. Interment will take place at Pinelawn Memorial Park on Long Island. Please join us on the caringbridge.org website. The family would be most appreciative if you would consider making a memorial donation to either: SCC-Ride Samaritan Services, Inc. Fla. 33573 (813-633-6111); St. John Divine Episcopal Church Organ Fund (813-633-3970); PEO Chapter II/FL G.C. Rosch Scholarship Fund (813-633-6675); Trinity Episcopal Church Organ Fund (631-261-7670).
Daniel Lee Haegert
Daniel Lee Haegert went to the arms of his Savior on Sunday, April 12, at his residence at Sunrise Senior Living in Broomfield, Colorado. Daniel was born on March 22, 1933, in Topeka, Kansas, to Lee and Rilla Haegert. Topeka was his home until he left to attend college at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.
It was there that he met the love of his life, Karen. Daniel trusted Christ as his Savior while at college and became campus president of Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. He and Karen were married on June 9, 1956, and moved to Kansas where daughter Laura was born and then moved to Michigan where son Stan was born. They have also lived in Springdale, Arkansas, and Sun City Center, Florida, where they were members of First Baptist Church of Ruskin.
He graduated with a master’s degree in music with a focus on the trumpet. Daniel taught instrumental music in Flint, Michigan, for 27 years at many different schools. He was a talented musician who loved to entertain with his piano and trumpet playing. He loved people, his family and restoring and driving his Model A Ford, which was recently featured in the New York Times. He could fix or repair just about anything. Most of all he loved the Lord Jesus, shared his faith with everyone he knew and now he is enjoying His presence.
He is survived by his children: daughter, Laura (Andy) Grenier and son, Stan (Debbie) Haegert; five grandchildren; and two great-grandsons. He was preceded in death by his wife, Karen Haegert; parents, Lee and Rilla Haegert; and sister, Gwendolyn Haegert.
Raymond Ivan Kelley
Raymond Ivan Kelley, aka Pops, passed away on April 20, 2020.
When you asked him his birthday, he would respond, 23 43. I wonder if his parents knew when they first saw him on February 3, 1943, that he would become the man that every man should strive to be.
We learned so much from Pops through the years. He did not preach about how to live a good life. He did not preach how to be a good person. Pops was a walking, talking example for all to see.
He was a math teacher at Sullivan High School (Missouri) during the 70s. Imagine a corvette pulling up to a HS, the door opens and out steps this tall, dark and handsome man. He would stroll down the hall with his big smile and polyester bell bottom pants, matching slightly worn white belt and shoes and the perfect Tom Selleck mustache. The girls must have all just melted. He coached the football team at Sullivan onto many victories in that small town of 5,000. He taught those young men about winning on the field and doing the right things off the field.
Pops loved smooth scotch and crazy women. He was an amazing singer and was seen by many in karaoke bars across the U.S. He was a Route 66 kind of guy. As a teenager during a midnight race, he drove the tires off the rims while taking a corner on some forgotten back road in Arkansas.
He was a professional at putting just the right amount of English on a pool ball, a card shark and he loved restoring old cars. He had a brilliant mind yet was unassuming. He would laugh at his own mistakes and at his own jokes. He lived a simple life and talked in riddles. He would give away everything to anyone. The only thing he held onto was family. He loved to fish, fix things and flirt. He was a lifelong MacGyver.
He did not have a favorite color; he said he liked them all equally. He was kind and giving and never let a chip land on his shoulders. He was a cowboy, a farm boy, a good ole boy and one heck of a man.
Instead of cards or flowers, please do something nice for someone you don’t know, in honor of this incredible man.
The world needs more guys like you, Pops. Words cannot describe how much he was loved and how much he will be missed.
