Ruth EllenNewberry
Ruth Ellen Newberry peacefully went to be with the lord on October 20, 2021. She was born on December 15, 1930, in Donalsonville, Georgia, and moved with her family to Ruskin, Florida, in the 1940’s.
Ruth retired from Hillsborough County Schools, where she made many lifelong friends and enjoyed serving the children. She loved shopping and spending time with her family, and she never turned down some good smoked mullet.
She was an amazing cook, and everyone who knew her loved her world famous sour cream cakes.
Ruth is survived by her beloved son, Allen (Vicki) Newberry; granddaughter, Amanda Newberry; grandson, Jason (Elisha) Newberry; great-grandson, Brody Newberry; brother, Roger (Betty) Miller; and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Grady Newberry; parents, Thomas Jefferson and Stella Miller; and sister, Merle Griffis.
Lester Terromo Moretti
Lester Terromo Moretti, 95, went to heaven on October 18th after a short but courageous battle with cancer. He was born June 19, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pa., one of eight children of Joseph and Mary Josephine (Saracino) Moretti. He served in WWII, earning the Purple Heart for combat wounds.
He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Vera (“Jackie”); brother, Raymond Moretti; two children, daughter, Eileen Hall (Mark), son, Lester (Lise Dietz); three grandchildren, Alysha Eileen Moretti (Cory Cooper), Alex Joseph Hall (Kaylee Doback Hall) & Stephen Moretti (Kim Murtaugh); six great-grandchildren, Roslyn, Audrey and Cayden Cooper, Riley and Matthew Hall, Zoey Lynne Moretti. He is also survived by many nieces/nephews, most especially, Marry Beth Veight, Joel Moretti, Jenn Moretti Bahr, Cathy and Raymond Moretti.
Viewing will be held on Thursday, November 4th, from 5-7 p.m. at Sun City Center Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is at 11 a.m. Friday, November 5th, at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Sun City Center. Interment with military honors will be at 12:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 17th, at Sarasota National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wounded Warrior Project or Home Helpers of Brandon.
Sarah Munger
Sarah Munger, 40, of Ruskin, Fla., passed away on October 17, 2021. She is survived by her mother, Nancy Dunnigan Munger; father, Brian Munger; half-brother, Jon Munger; and uncle, Dennis Dunnigan; along with her boyfriend, Earnest Klotsch, and life-long friend, Sara Clauss. Sarah was a joyful, loving, and loyal friend who was always willing to help others. Sarah was employed by her step-father Ray Weedon. Sarah loved to paddle her kayak, cook, go fishing and explore Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Please check Sarah Munger’s Facebook page for information about an upcoming, private memorial service.
Patricia Ann Bussell-Neumann
Born Feb. 1, 1940, to Orley J. Corkwell and Alida Emelia Koenig, in Continental, Ohio, the youngest of three sisters, she is known to many as Patty Bussell, a long-time resident of the Sarasota-Bradenton area, who passed unexpectedly on Aug. 24, 2021.
Always a bouncing, bubbly, bundle of energy, she was highly admired for her love of people, her velvety-smooth voice and fingers that blurred as they moved across a piano keyboard. She was a very accomplished woman with fierce ambition. She held a masters degree and was a certified music therapist and licensed mental health counselor, in practice for many years in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. She retired to Sun City Center with her husband, William “Bill” L. Neumann, in 2014.
Patty and Bill recently relocated to Pikeville, N.C. Patty is survived by Bill; her adoring children, Celeste A. Bussell (Schott) of Palmetto, Fla., and Jason S. Bussell of N.C.; and her three cherished grandchildren, Ryan, Chloe and Jason. Services were held on Oct. 4, 2021, in N.C.
Dorothy M. Emig-Myers
Dorothy M. Emig-Myers, age 84, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. Dorothy was born Nov. 5, 1936, in St. Louis, Missouri. A visitation for Dorothy was held Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, from 11 a.m. to noon, at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home, 90 Weathersfield Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. A funeral service was held Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at noon, 90 Weathersfield Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. A committal service was held Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at 1 p.m. at Highland Memory Gardens, 3329 East Semoran Boulevard, Apopka, FL 32703.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her mother, Joanna Johnson Jordan, and her father, John F. Jordan; her spouses, George Emig and Barry Myers; her sister, Ruth Burgdorf; her granddaughter, Jessica Clark. Dorothy is survived by her son, Richard L. Emig (Teresa), and her daughter, Lynda R. Hyland (Douglas). Dorothy also leaves behind six grandchildren, Trish Bougue (Steven), Adam Hyland (Hope), Richard Michael Emig, Dustin Hyland, Joshua Hyland, Cheyenne Dean and six great-grandchildren, Alli Hyland, Richard Matthew Emig, Morgan Hyland, Aiden Clark, Kacetyn Williamson, Paige Emig.
Dorothy was born in the Dutchtown area of St. Louis, close to the Mississippi River. She attended Cleveland High School where she was a majorette and part of the Cleveland High School Girl’s Bowling League. She married her high school sweetheart, George Emig, and proceeded to have two children. After George’s death in 1997, she spread her wings and decided to take up ballroom dancing. She was very gifted and became an award-winning dancer who was asked to perform in the Bahamas.
She was lucky enough to be able to find love a second time and married the second love of her life, Barry Myers, in 2001. Dorothy loved many things, especially all of her beloved pets, including her cherished ”Bug;” she loved being the photographer of the family, making sure everything was documented; she loved holidays and found every reason to make celebrations huge as well as fun; she loved vacations with the family; and she loved moving to a new house, remodeling it and moving again.
She was smart in business and owned used car dealerships and hot dog stands and became a business owner again later in life after buying a Granny NANNIES franchise with daughter Lynda in the Pensacola area. She loved doing things for her community and while living in Sun City Center, she joined the GFWC Sun City Center Woman’s Club for several years, serving as its treasurer for a period. Dorothy was an intelligent, caring, devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and will be missed by everyone who had the opportunity to meet her.
Pallbearers were Richard Michael Emig, Doug Hyland, Dustin Hyland, Josh Hyland, Michael Lanza, Cody Parkinson.
Ruby Bastress
Ruby Bastress has a new address. On Oct. 16, 2021, three days before her 100th birthday, she moved to heaven. It was always her dream to relocate to her permanent residence to join her Lord and Savior. She will join her husband Paul, relatives and many friends.
Paul and Ruby met in Washington, D.C., just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ruby had recently moved to Washington to work at the Department of Navy. They married, after the war ended, on Oct. 26, 1945. They were married for 48 years until Paul’s death from Lou Gehrig’s disease on Dec. 24, 1993.
They raised their two girls in Falls Church, Va., and were actively involved at National Gardens Baptist Church. In 1971, they built a home in Gainesville, Va., with close friends as neighbors. They were members of Haymarket Baptist Church for over 20 years. In 1991 they left church family and friends and moved to a retirement community in Ocala. They joined College Road Baptist Church.
After Paul’s passing, Ruby relocated to Sun City Center, and joined First Baptist Church of Ruskin, where she was an active member of Sunday School and Sonshiners and served on the visitation committee. Her two daughters blessed her with four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Ruby is survived by her oldest daughter, Sharon Vasquez, and husband Ernest; grandson, Jason Goree; great-grandson Logan, fiancée Carrie and her two children, Blake and Brooke. She will be remembered as a wonderful, caring and loving mom, grandmother and Gigi.
Ruby is also survived by her younger daughter, Joanne Hendricks, and her husband Gary; grandson Brian and wife Teresa and great-granddaughters, Megan and Kaitlyn; grandson Michael and wife Molly and great-granddaughter Izzy; granddaughter Kristen and husband Dave and great-grandchildren Reese and Keaton. She will be remembered for her loving nature, dedication to her Lord, commitment to her church and family, and a beloved mom, grandma and Gigi.
A Celebration of Life was held at the Sun City Center Funeral Home, 1851 Rickenbacker Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33572, on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Ruskin, 820 College Avenue W, Ruskin, FL 33570, www.fbcruskin.org/; ServeTrust, (a charity Ruby supported that ministers to the marginalized in Andhra Pradesh, India) 24162 Rochester Lane, Aldie, VA 20105, www.servetrust.org; or Seasons Hospice Foundation, 6400 Shafer Court, Suite 700, Rosemont, IL 60018.
Judge Debra K. Behnke
The Honorable Judge Debra K. Behnke was born Jan. 16, 1953, in Somerville, N.J. She received her BA in German and history from Indiana University and her JD from the Loyola School of Law in New Orleans. She worked for both the public defenders and state attorneys offices in Hillsborough County. Debra served her community as both a Hillsborough County judge and a Thirteenth Judicial Circuit judge from 1989 to 2014.
She is preceded in death by her sister, Jill Krochta; her brother, Gregory Krochta; and her father, John Krochta. Debra is survived by her mother, Arlene Krochta; sister, Denise Krochta; brother, Eric Krochta and her daughters, Sara and Grace Behnke. Her proudest achievements were her grandchildren, Oliver, Toby, Simon and Iris, whom she loved so very much. She was a hero and mentor to many.
Per her wishes, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay in honor of her best friends, Stella, Lucy and Cleo.
Christina Avella
Christina “Chris” Avella, 77, of Sun City Center passed away on Oct. 16, 2021.
She was born on Feb. 25, 1944, in Queens, N.Y., to the late Margaret (nee Hilzinger) and George J. Craig Sr.
Chris retired after a successful career in nursing.
She was a member of the Sun City Center Emergency Squad, the Sun City Center Safety Patrol, the Red Hat Society, Prince of Peace Catholic Church, the German, Italian and Irish Club.
Chris is survived by her beloved children, Alicia (Andrew) Squires, Nicola (Leigh) Avella; siblings, Timothy Craig, Margaret Deegan, George J. Craig Jr.; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Andrew, Nicolas, Cristopher, Alex; faithful companion, Trixie; many extended family members and friends.
In addition to her parents, Chris was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Nicola Avella.
A visitation was held from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, Sun City Center Funeral Home, 1851 Rickenbacker Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the SCC Emergency Squad, 720 Ray Watson Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573.