Eleanor M. Eberhard
Eleanor Murray Eberhard passed peacefully on September 28, 2022, in Sun City Center, Fla., at the age of 102 years.
Elly was born on Sept. 24, 1920, in Upper Montclair, N.J., joining her parents, Fred and Annie Bell Murray; sister Jean; and brother Robert. There she attended school and was an active Girl Scout in her mother’s troop. Her favorite childhood memories were of summers spent in Maine, first in Ocean Park and later in Medomak.
As a young lady, Elly attended Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., graduating with a B.A. in English Literature. During college, she met her future husband, Sid, who was studying Chemical Engineering at MIT in Boston. After graduation, they married and moved to Pennsylvania to start their new life in Towanda. All of their children were born there, and Elly was active in Girl Scouts, parent/teacher organizations, bridge clubs and AAUW.
Just before retirement, Elly and Sid relocated to Statesville, N.C., for employment at a startup factory for Sylvania, where they stayed only two years, but where they made lasting friendships. Retiring to Florida after Sid’s 40-year career, they began what was to be her 39 years there. As a couple, they made many friends to form a group that attended plays, musicals and Tampa Bay Rays games together. Each year, she and Sid chose a new destination and traveled to many parts of the world. Elly was an active tennis player, attended exercise classes, spent hours knitting for church charities and volunteered at an elementary school in Wimauma, Fla., reading to children to help them become acclimated to the English language. She and Sid loved to dance and were always ready to enjoy the music at Aston Gardens. They celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2013.
Predeceased by her husband Sid and son John; she leaves her family, Gini Fiedler (daughter) and Chuck Sherman, Karen Dougherty (daughter) and Jim; Doug Eberhard (son) and Amy Garten. In addition, she is survived by eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
The family especially wants to thank her caregiver and friend, Mildred, and longtime friends Elaine and Karen who gave Elly comfort; in addition, thanks are due to her Aston Gardens dinner partners with whom she spent many special evenings.
Arrangements are in the care of Sun City Center Funeral Home, and burial will be at a later time in Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, Boston.
Raymond E. Dornsife
Raymond Edward Dornsife, 88, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, surrounded by family. He was born on March 27, 1934 in Williamsport, Pa., and graduated from Elkland High School (Elkland, Pa.,) in 1952.
Ray enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1953, where he was stationed at the Philadelphia Naval Yard and Port Lyautey, French Morocco. He served his sea duty aboard the USS Great Sitkin AE-17.
Following his military service, Ray became a member of Masonic Lodge Cowansque No. 351 and retained his membership throughout his lifetime. He attended Mansfield University and graduated in 1961 with a B.S. in Elementary Education. He continued his education at the University of Cincinnati, receiving his M.Ed. in 1966. Ray was a positive influence and role model to thousands of children and teachers as a popular elementary school principal with the Cincinnati Public Schools, where he was employed from 1962-1989. Mayor Charlie Luken proclaimed the date of Ray’s retirement, Dec. 20, 1989, as “Raymond Dornsife Day” in Cincinnati.
Ray’s retirement years were spent in Cincinnati, Ohio; Osprey, Fla.; Columbus, Ohio; and, lastly, in Sun City Center, Fla.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy; his son Jeffrey (Laura) and granddaughters, Alexa and Emily; and his son, Stephen (Rebecca) and grandson Jacob; stepdaughters, Cindy and Lou Matthews; and brother Wayne (Helen). Raymond was predeceased by his brother Melvin, sister Jean and son David.
A family service will be held at the Sarasota National Cemetery on Nov. 18, 2022.
Melvin D. Solochek
Melvin D. Solochek, 82, of Sun City Center, Fla., died on Sept. 7, 2022. Mr. Solochek was born April 25, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wis., to William and Mary Solochek. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1965 with a pharmacy degree and worked in the field for the next four decades. He owned a pharmacy in Milwaukee and ran an independent pharmacy buying group for Wisconsin and Illinois.
Mr. Solochek married Leah Grotsky in 1964. They had two children, Jeffrey and Bari. They divorced 30 years later. He later remarried to Roberta Tivin, and moved to Florida. Mr. Solochek enjoyed fishing, gardening and playing cards with friends. He loved watching football, especially the Green Bay Packers. He later developed a passion for painting and served as president of the Sun City Center Art Club.
Mr. Solochek is preceded in death by his parents and his wife. He is survived by his children; grandchildren, Isaak Solochek and Elle Lopez; brothers, Harold and Albert; and other relatives.
A memorial will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 22, 2022, in the Atrium Building Sandpiper Room of the Sun City Center Community Center at 945-E North Course Lane, Sun City Center. Memorial donations may be made to the Sun City Center Art Club, 1009 N. Pebble Beach Blvd., Sun City Center, FL 33573.
Susan Lynn Knapp
Susan Lynn Knapp, much loved by all who knew her, passed away on Sept. 30 in her home in Sun City Center. Born in 1938 and raised by parents Claude and Edith Gardner in Ferguson, Missouri, she started out as a legal secretary straight out of high school and later was an airline stewardess and, finally, a high school English teacher.
Lynn is predeceased by her husband, Richard Knapp and step-daughter Susan Dalton. She is survived by three daughters, Kym Bartlett, Elizabeth Schall and Christine Henry; four grandchildren, Jasper, Jackson, Taylor and Louie; and two sisters, Jill Jones and Claudia Tennison.
Loving to travel, Lynn took her mother to England, travelled to the Galapagos and, also, Alaska with daughter Kym, and accompanied both daughters and their families to Costa Rica where she zip lined along with the family. Lynn was very active in her church and community, sharing her time and money to bless others. Although physically challenged the last few years, she remained mentally sharp all her life. No public funeral or memorial service will be held.