George L. Rotella
George L. Rotella, 89, of Sun City Center Fla., formerly of Plattsburgh N.Y., passed away July 12, 2022. George was born Aug. 25, 1932, in Mineville, N.Y., to Frank and Rose (Damian) Rotella.
George graduated from Mineville High School in 1950 and went to work for Republic Steel Corporation. He enlisted in the US Army and served from 1952-1954. He is a veteran of the Korean War. Upon his discharge he enrolled in Plattsburgh State Teacher’s College. He joined the City of Plattsburgh Police Force. He served as president of the Police Benevolent Association and retired as a detective after 28 1/2 years with the department.
After retirement he ran for the Plattsburgh Common Council and was elected for three consecutive terms. George served on the JCEO Board, the Plattsburgh Housing Board, the Salvation Army and as president of the Democratic Party. He volunteered at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church and thrift shop, where he was a faithful member for 40 years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and a lifetime member of the Elks. George and his wife were snowbirds from 2000 until 2012 when they permanently moved to Sun City Center Florida. He served as treasurer, vice president and was the current president of Bedford G, their condo association.
George was loved and will be greatly missed by his wife of 65 years, Genevieve (Zydik) Rotella; his daughter, Debra (Chris) Niles and their son Nick; his daughter, Jean (Blake Brant) Rotella; his sisters-in-law, Irene Rotella and Isabel Rotella; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Rose Rotella; his brothers, Thomas, John, Pete and Joe; and his sister, Marie Whalen.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Donations in George’s memory may be made to Sun City Center Emergency Squad, 720 Ray Watson Drive, Sun City Center FL 33573.
Norm Francis
Norm Francis, age 92, of Sun City Center passed away July 13, 2022. Norm grew up in Long Beach, Calif.
Norm was a longtime PGA Golf professional of 50 years, starting his passion for golf in California at age 16. He then served in the United States Airforce. After serving his country, Norm began his career as a PGA professional in Orlando, Miami and Sun City Center, retiring as head golf professional for Sun City Center, Fla.
For all who knew Norm, he was a ray of positivity (Fantastic), loved the sport of golf and lived life to the fullest.
Norm is survived by his spouse, Marcia; two daughters, Noel and Renee; and granddaughter, Olivia.
A celebration of life gathering will be announced at a future date.
Mary Beth Casey
Mary Beth (Martin) Casey, originally of Pittston, passed away recently in Sun City Center, Fla. She was the daughter of the late John and Agnes (Duffy) Martin, and a 1963 graduate of Pittston High School. Before retiring, Mrs. Casey was a data entry operator for Planter’s Peanuts (later Nabisco Brands). Throughout her life she was a bowling enthusiast and enjoyed spoiling her grandnieces, nephew, step-children and grandchildren. Later she enjoyed the “snowbird” lifestyle and the company of friends in Florida and Pennsylvania.
In addition to her parents Mrs. Casey was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joseph Casey; her brother, John Martin; and her sister, Anne Marie Martin. She is survived by her nephew, Nick Martin and his family; her sister-in-law, Stella Martin; step-daughters, Nancy Kyttle, Lisa Potoeskie and Sandra Casey; numerous step-grandchildren and many dear cousins.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family proposes a donation to a local ALS Association chapter or pet shelter in honor of Mary.
Thomas E. Henshaw
Thomas E. Henshaw, 63, of N Ft. Myers, passed away Sunday July 10, 2022. He was predeceased by his father, Francis E. Henshaw; his brother, Daniel E. Henshaw; and his sister, Yvonne (Henshaw) Etheridge. He is survived by his mother, Eara Bell (Gilley) Henshaw; his sisters, Donna (Henshaw) Phillips and Ann E. Henshaw; daughters, Courtney (Patzwald) Jedlicka and Laura M. Newman; four grandchildren; and five nephews and nieces.
A private family memorial was held on Saturday, July 16, 2022. He is loved and will be missed.
Theresa Flores
Theresa (Terri) Flores of Sun City Center, Fla. passed away peacefully on July 20, 2022 after a very long battle with dementia. She was surrounded by her loved ones and caregivers until her journey was complete.
Terri was born January 10, 1937, in Wilmington, Del. and later raised her family in Atlanta, Ga. Terri retired from the Ronald McDonald House in Atlanta, Ga. and moved to Sun City Center in 2001. She was a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Terri dedicated her retirement years to volunteering roles and serving the church. Her passion was being able to minister Holy Communion to the sick and homebound.
Terri was preceded in death by her loving husband, Joseph L. Flores, (2019). She is survived by two adult children, Elizabeth and Mark, as well as three grandchildren, Allison, Clay and Jordan.
Terri’s family would like to express their most sincere thank you to the many nurses and caregivers at Aston Gardens Courtyard. Their compassion for Terri and for their family support over the last two and a half years has been unwavering. While there are too many to name, the family in particular would like to specifically thank Candise Brown, who treated Terri like her own mother and Terri’s family as her own.
Lifepath Hospice provided Terri’s end of life palliative care. The nursing staff, chaplain and social workers were all angels sent from heaven to help Terri’s journey be completed.
Visitation was held from 10 to 11 a.m. July 26, 2022, at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Terri will be laid to rest at Sarasota National Cemetery with her soulmate and husband, Joseph, at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, Terri would want her passion to minister to the sick and aging to continue. Please donate an hour of your time to helping a shut in or a family learning to deal with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Donations can also be made in Terri’s name to Lifepath Hospice at www.chaptershealth.org or the Dementia Society of America at www.dementiasociety.org/.
One of the many lessons Terri’s family learned during this difficult time was this was her journey and to follow her, don’t try to change her.
