Obituaries for the week of August 5, 2021
Tom Winder
Tom Winder, of Sun City Center, Fla., died July 12, 2021, at the age of 93. Tom will be remembered as a World War II Navy Veteran, avid sailor and boater, bridge player, ballroom dancer and an active member of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.
He was predeceased by his first wife Joanne and is survived by his wife Jackie; his two sons, TL and Reid; stepson, Kirk White; stepdaughter, Kimber White; and six grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sept. 18, 2021, at 3 p.m. at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 Del Webb E., Sun City Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John the Divine Episcopal Church or the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Philip Cunningham
Philip Dean Cunningham, 86, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away on Monday, July 26, 2021. He was born in Indiana in 1934 to Rolle Goodrich and Harriet Esther Cunningham.
Philip was predeceased by his wife, Lee Alys Cunningham, in 2013. He is survived by his son, Craig Cunningham; daughter-in-law Christine; daughter, Amy Perkins; son-in-law Gregory; and two grandchildren, Sierra and Zachary Perkins.
Funeral services were held at Sun City Center Funeral Home, 1851 Rickenbacker Drive, at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021. Burial will follow at Ruskin Memorial Park in Ruskin, Fla.
Jon Bunnell Ruse
Jon Bunnell Ruse, 84, of Sun City Center, Fla., passed away on July 20, 2021.
He was born January 17, 1937, in Dayton, Ohio, to the late Helen (Bunnell) and Dwight M. Ruse.
Jon graduated from Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio, in 1960. Following graduation, he joined the Navy and went to officer’s candidate’s school. He was stationed in Hawaii and Guam for several years and finished his Naval career in the reserves.
He worked in personnel management for several different government agencies, including Social Security and the CDC.
Jon was a member of the Masonic Lodge 171 in Green Valley, Ariz., and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sun City Center, Fla.
Jon is survived by his wife, Margie Ruse; children, Mark A. Ruse (Lisa), Eric C. Ruse (Diane), Richard A. King (Dena), R. Scott King (Laurie), Amy S. Pitts (Greg), Carol A. Theo (Peter), J. Barry McLaughlin (Patty); 14 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; first wife and mother of his children, Nancy M. Seagrove; many extended family members and friends.
A grave side service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, Sarasota National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to My Warrior’s Place, 101 22nd St. NW, #112, Ruskin, FL 33570.
Marie A Roy
Marie A Roy, 65, (1-10-1956/7-22-2021) of Sun City Center passed after a valiant fight against diabetes and heart disease. Formerly of Abington, Mass., and Apollo Beach, Fla., she is survived your her husband, Frank Tortolano; two sisters, Pat McCarthy of Sun City Center and Pam Rowell of Halifax, Mass.; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
Marie was retired from the auto industry, working as a service manager for Highway Leasing and Western Auto. She enjoyed travel, golf, penny slots and the ocean and beaches. Her contagious smile and zest for life will be missed by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations in her name be sent to the American Diabetes Association.
Mary Cook
Mary Catherine Webber Cook, 96, who formerly lived 45 years in Marcellus, N.Y., and also had lived many years in Ruskin, Fla., passed away July 29 in Syracuse, N.Y. She was a dedicated, caring wife and mother, first and always.
Mary worked many years in retail as a stockroom manager, utilizing her sharp mind for numbers and organizational skills. A friend said of mom, “She was a remarkable woman, thinking of her in her little red car getting down the road.” Mary was predeceased by her loving husband Raymond; son, Eddy Cook; and daughter, Jean Rigsby.
Surviving are her children, Kenneth (Lynda) Cook, Patricia (John) Kappes and Mary Ellen (J. Michael) Kelly; daughter-in-law Sharon; son-in-law, Dan (Karen) Rigsby; grandchildren, Shane Cook, Shelly Cook Barhites, Kenny Cook, Eddy Cook, Heather Cook Long, Brian Cook, Wendy Johnson, Mark Johnson, Patty Kappes, Sean Kelly, Brenna Kelly Hockey, Andrew Rigsby; and 16 great-grandchildren.
A private service and burial will be held at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Francis Xavier Church, P.O. Box 177, Marcellus, NY 13108.
Arrangements intrusted to Ryan Funeral Home, Marcellus, NY.
Joan Lawhead
The epitome of ‘Live, Love, Laugh,’ Joan (Spangenberg Houk) Lawhead, passed away on July 11, 2021 in Sun City Center, Florida, surrounded by her husband and daughters who will continue to honor her legacy by living their lives to the fullest.
Born in Marysville, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Andrew Satori and Martha (Wheeler) Houk, and William K. Spangenberg Jr. Joan completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at Shippensburg University, where she began her great love affair and life full of adventure with her husband Jack. Throughout her life, Joan took great pride in advising and guiding others through personal, professional, community service and creative passions. She was a teacher at heart – educating in elementary school, art school and Sunday school; PHEAA college scholarship manager; middle school cheerleading coach; Mrs. Job’s Daughters 1985; professor of student teaching at Shippensburg; a licensed realtor; keeper of family recipes (the chicken corn soup and filling balls will live on!); floral arrangement instructor in SCC church college classes; president of the SCC Garden Club; antiques expert and garage sale organizer extraordinaire. Joan was creative and artistic, and her light shined through in all she did — with undeniable humor, strength and creativity. A devoted grandmother, mother and wife, she found her greatest joy in spending time with her husband and family, travelling and creating meaningful memories.
Joan is survived by her husband Jack; daughters, Jamie and Keri; sons-in-law, John and Matthew; and grandchildren, Julia, Dakota and Finn. A Celebration of Life was held on July 14, 2021, in Sun City Center, Fla. A private family burial will be held on Aug. 28, 2021, followed by a Celebration of Life for family and friends in Harrisburg, Pa. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions in her honor be made to the Sjogren’s Foundation, www.sjogrens.org/.