Mary Elizabeth Soja
March 21, 1931 – Feb. 13, 2024
The family of Mary Ferry (McAdoo) Juell Soja announces with great sadness the passing of their beloved wife, sister and aunt, Feb. 13, under the care of Life Path Hospice and Magnolia Senior Living in Sun City Center, FL, and in the presence of her husband, Patrick Soja. She was a celebrated nursing educator, volunteer, active church participant and world traveler. Mary enjoyed a rich and fulfilled life for 92 years.
She was preceded in death by all of the following: her birth parents, Elizabeth (Davidson) Ferry, who died shortly after Mary’s birth; and Adelbert Ferry, her father; and her sister, Marjorie Ferry Holz Lipkowski. Mary was adopted by her aunt and uncle, Mary and Walter McAdoo, who also preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, Patrick Walter Soja; her half-brother, Warren Ferry (wife Marion); two nieces, Cindy Randall and Betty Elkins; two nephews, Robert Holz (wife Jeannie) and James Holz (wife Dolores); and a host of great nieces and great-nephews.
Mary taught nursing at six schools of nursing, including Blodgett Memorial Hospital School of Nursing (Grand Rapids, MI), Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, IN) and Indiana University School of Nursing (IUSON) (Indianapolis, IN). Mary retired from IUSON on May 8, 1997, as a tenured associate professor, after 20 years of service. Her area of research was fall prevention. Much of her IUPUI work centered on service to the school, to the senior nursing students and to Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society. In 2014, Mary was honored as a top-100 Alumni Legacy Leader on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the School of Nursing, and she received other teaching-related awards as well.
Mary volunteered extensively in Indianapolis, IN, and in Sun City Center, FL. In Florida, she was a ten-year member of the Sun City Center Emergency Squad, where she worked as a dispatcher and on the front desk. She loved Shell Crafters, where she made shell art to raise money for charity. At her church, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, she was a lay eucharistic minister, parish nurse and volunteer at many events to make money for charity.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to either St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 Del Webb East, Sun City Center, FL 33573, or to the Mary E. and Patrick Soja Nursing Scholarship Fund, Indiana University School of Nursing. Checks can be made payable to Indiana University Foundation with the scholarship name in the memo, P.O. Box 6460, Indianapolis, IN 46206, or you can call 800-558-8311 to donate.
A mass and interment for Mary will take place at 11 a.m. on April 24 at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 E. Del Web Blvd., Sun City Center. It will be followed at 1:30 p.m. by a Celebration of Life in The Loft at Kings Point South Clubhouse, 1244 Newpoint Loop, Sun City Center.
Dennis (Brent) Augenstein
Dennis (Brent) Augenstein, 84, of Sun City Center, FL, passed away peacefully while in hospice care on March 29, 2024. He was born in Lowell, OH, Nov. 21, 1939, to Harold Edgar and Lena Marie (Scheffel) Augenstein. He graduated with honors from Lowell High School in 1957 and matriculated with the degree of Bachelor of Science, Ceramic Engineering, from The Ohio State University, class of 1962. Brent completed his degree as a married man, having married Janice Agnes Stalnaker during his fourth year on Dec. 17, 1960.
He soon reported to serve in the United States Army, first stationed in Maryland for officer’s training at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and subsequently serving at several stateside posts and a thirteen-month tour in post-war Korea. He was released as a Second Lieutenant in June of 1965.
Brent reentered the private sector and focused his career on research and development within the fiberglass manufacturing industry, working for several companies over the years, including Owens-Corning Fiberglas, Certainteed Corporation (aka Saint Gobain) and Fibertech Corporation. His professional roles often required travel and took him to many parts of North America and Europe. He enjoyed the challenges of engineering and, as a leader, he enjoyed managing teams and developing people.
There were also moves and relocations from Granville, OH, to Sarasota, FL, to Wichita Falls, TX; with two years based out of Jubail, Saudi Arabia, before returning stateside and eventually retiring to the Gulf Coast of Florida. He and Jan acquired life-long friends with every move and loved all of their family life experiences, but they felt most happy when they were at the beach with their feet in the sand and surf.
Outside his professional life Brent had diverse interests and was engaged in many activities over the years, many of which were centered around his wife and daughters (Denise and Missy), music and performing, gardening, landscaping and his Christian Faith. His church life was always full, starting from his teenage years singing in the choir and accompanying on piano, to leading bible study and congregational ministry roles. He was most proud of the lay ministry work he did for many years, bringing music, prayer, communion and more to those who were not able to worship in church. He taught bible study for eight years at Cypress Creek Assisted Living.
Brent was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Marie (Augenstein) Koorenny Gardner. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Janice; children, Denise Jenkins (Jack) and Missy Deen (James); grandchildren, Ryan (Sara), and Emily Deen; sister-in-law, Scottia (Koch) Stalnaker; and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at Trinity Baptist Church of Sun City Center at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 12, and streamed live on YouTube. Brent will be interred, at a later date, at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, in Dallas, TX. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Lowell Christian Church, 322 4th Street, Lowell, OH 45744, or Trinity Baptist Church, 702 Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center, FL 33573.
Susan M. Koverman
Susan Margaret (Steger) Koverman, age 86, of Sun City Center, FL, died on March 23, 2024, after a brief hospitalization.
Susan was born in Milwaukee, WI, on Sept. 16, 1937, to Joseph Steger and Lillian (Feilbach) Steger. She grew up in Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls and was a graduate of Messmer High School in Milwaukee. After completing her education, she was a clerical worker in various industries. She loved exploring and traveling, notably living in Utah, Texas, Florida and California and traveling extensively in the US and Europe.
Susan was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Howard ‘Bud’ Koverman. She is survived by her brother, Joseph Steger of Muskego, WI; her sister and brother-in-law, Mary (Steger) and Gerald Wick of Cordova, Tennessee; as well as nieces and nephew, Gerald Wick, Jennifer (Wick) Treece, Susan (Steger) Clausen, Julia (Wick) Heerding and Ann (Steger) Grinwald.
Susan will be missed greatly and remembered for her love of adventure, her commitment to family and friends, and her wonderful sense of humor. Interment will be at Sarasota National Cemetery. Donations to The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation are greatly appreciated.
Dolores M. Phelps
Dolores M. Phelps, 87, of Sun City Center (SCC), FL, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2024, after a courageous nine-year battle with cancer. She is survived by her loving husband of almost 68 years, Dale E. Phelps. She had two children, David Phelps and Diane (Serdar) Phelps-Soysal, and two grandchildren, Ash and Evan Soysal. Dolores was born in 1936 in Grand Rapids, MI, to Corniel Konyndyk and Gertie Faber Konyndyk. She had three sisters, Caroline (Donald) Kornoelje, (Dick) Davis; Dorothy Konyndyk; Nancy (Art) Meyer; and three brothers, George (Ada) Konyndyk, Chester (Marilyn) Konyndyk, Gordon (Sharon, Joyce) Konyndyk.
Dolores had a teaching degree in business education and an MA degree in Administration from Northern Michigan University. She taught at Marquette Senior High School and worked in the Community Education office in Marquette, MI. She retired in 1997 and has lived in SCC since. As a prolific artist, she painted in all media, won many ribbons in the Art Show, as well as the “2014 People’s Choice Award.” She served as an officer for the Art Club, and received “Artist of the Month” recognition. In addition to art, she enjoyed playing golf, doing tai-chi and sitting outside on her back porch.
Instead of a funeral service, please take a moment to watch a sunrise or sunset in her honor and appreciate the art in nature. If you feel compelled, please consider either donating to cancer research or donating the gift of blood.
Carol Schindler
Carol Schindler, 86, of Sun City Center, FL, went home to heaven on March 26, surrounded by family. Carol was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she met and married her devoted husband of 65 years, Charles J. Schindler.
Carol was a loving and devoted mother to her six children, Kevin, Jeffery, Karen, David, Charles and Brian; she was also a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Carol was preceded in death by her brother, Thomas, and sister, Kathleen.
Funeral Mass will be held Monday, April 15, 2024, at 10 a.m. at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Sun City Center. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Saint Anne Catholic Church, 106 11th Ave NE, Ruskin, FL 33570..
Virginia “Gayle” Yost
Gayle, 76, is survived by and will be missed greatly by her husband, Robert “Butch” Yost, and her son, Tobey Yost. She leaves two granddaughters, one grandson and seven great-grandchildren as well as extended family.
Family asks that instead of flowers, please make a donation to the ASPCA of Tampa.