William E. Betzner
William Edward “Bill” Betzner passed away on Aug. 12, 2022, at the Palm Garden of Sun City Center, Fla., at the age of 90. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, on March 23, 1932, to William and Estelle Betzner.
Bill attended high school in Irvington, N.J., and entered the U.S. Army after graduation. He received his training at Fort Dix in the infantry and was subsequently stationed in Germany. Serving from September 1952 to August 1954, he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Upon discharge, Bill attended the Newark College of Engineering and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1959. He began work at Johns Manville Corporation Research Center in June of 1959.
While on a blind date, Bill met Arline Mary Mezoff. They married on Sept. 26, 1959, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Raritan, N.J., and had two children, Audrey and Tom. Bill and family lived in Martinsville, N.J., and he continued to work for Johns Manville.
In February of 1970, Bill moved his family to Clearwater, and later St. Petersburg, Fla. He worked as a research and development engineer at the Center For Applied Engineering, Inc. (formerly called the Jim Walter Research Corporation) in St. Petersburg, Fla., until his retirement in July 1995.
Throughout his career, Bill received six American patents and one Canadian patent relating to building products. He was a charter member of the American Fiberboard Association and a member of the American Society for Testing Materials on Committees D4 and C16.
After his wife Arline passed away in 1996, Bill moved to Sun City Center, Fla., where he was a member of the Sun City Volunteer Emergency Squad for 10 years. Throughout his life, Bill enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, woodworking and watching football. He was a huge Tampa Bay Bucs fan. In 2004 he met Dolores Whiteside and they enjoyed many fun times together.
There will be a memorial service for Bill on Friday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m. at the National Cremation & Burial Society, 308 East College Avenue, Ruskin, FL 33570.
Bill is survived by his daughter Audrey Betzner Brunetti and her husband Mario of Rockledge, Fla.; son Tom Betzner of Tulsa, Okla.; grandson Steven Brunetti and his wife of Oklahoma, and their children Hannah and Sarah Grace; granddaughter Jacklyn Brunetti of Texas; granddaughter Melissa Brunetti Asher of Oregon and her daughter Lillian; Dolores Whiteside and many other dear friends and relatives. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Arline and his brother Jerry.
In lieu of flowers please send memorial donations to: SCC Emergency Squad, 720 Ray Watson Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573.
Richard Bessette
Richard Bessette, 85, of Sun City Center, passed away in his sleep on Aug. 11, 2022, at Hospice House. He was the beloved husband of Jeanne Bessette, with whom he shared 64 years of marriage.
He was born in Randolph, Mass., on May 29, 1937, the son of the late Leon and Diana Bessette. Richard graduated from New Bedford High School in 1954, and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served from 1955 until 1958, during the Korean War, and he attained the rank of Petty officer 2nd Class.
He married Jeanne Desrosiers in October 1958, and together they had four sons. Richard earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from U. Mass in 1968, and became a Registered Professional Engineer in July 1976. He worked at Commonwealth Electric Utility as an Electrical Engineer for 23 years before retiring in April 1993.
Richard is survived by his wife, Jeanne; by his sons and their wives: Paul and Teresa Bessette of Austin Texas, Marc and Lynn Bessette of St. Johns, Fla., David and Reyna Bessette of Saarita, Ariz., and Michael and Michele Bessette of Gold River, Calif.; and by five grandsons and by his sister, Diane Piper of Burkeburnett, Texas.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to www.cancer.org. Arrangements by Sun City Center Funeral Home, 813-634-9900.
