Bonnie Kay Mackar
Bonnie Kay (Campbell) Mackar, 74, of Sun City Center, formerly of Mentor and Euclid, OH, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. The daughter of Harold and Elaine (Williams) Campbell, Bonnie was born on October 10, 1950, in Philipsburg, PA. She was a 1968 graduate of Collinwood High School in Cleveland, OH, where she met the love of her life, Tom Mackar, whom she married on December 26, 1970. A devoted wife and mother, she was also a travel agent and a co-owner of Cruise Experts, a travel agency dedicated to cruise vacations, located in Chardon, OH, where she worked until her retirement. Bonnie previously had worked for U.S. Steel and the Internal Revenue Service.
Bonnie was an avid traveler who visited numerous countries over the years and spent several summers camping across the United States with her family. She was equally comfortable traveling on a luxury ocean liner as she was in an RV. Bonnie particularly enjoyed visiting historical sites and museums, especially the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Upon moving to Sun City Center in 2010, Bonnie became a vibrant member of the Kings Point community, where she loved hosting family and friends. Bonnie was a voracious reader who met regularly with her book club to discuss their latest selections. She was always ready with the perfect book, movie or television show recommendation. Bonnie met weekly with friends to play cards and games and also played trivia with her husband every week at the Kings Point Clubhouse as members of the Witness Protection trivia team. She loved cooking, sewing, knitting and gardening. She was a member of the Kings Point Garden Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Bonnie volunteered for Meals on Wheels and as an usher at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.
Survivors are her husband of 54 years, Tom Mackar; sons, Christopher (Maureen) Mackar, of Painesville, OH, and Douglas Mackar, of New Orleans, LA; sisters, Lisa Campbell, of Mentor, and Cindy (Patrick Lyttle) Homan, of Wickliffe, OH; brother-in-law, Marty (Denise) Mackar, of Chardon; nieces, Melissa (Mark) Fetheroff and Lindsey Homan; nephews, Marty Mackar, Scott Mackar and Corey (Heather) Homan; great-nieces, Naomi and Harper; great-nephews, Xavier, Maverick, Julian and Silas; several aunts, uncles and cousins; and many wonderful friends. She was preceded in death by her parents.
John Peter von Lackum III
John Peter von Lackum III, 82, died peacefully Thursday, March 13, 2025, of Alzheimer’s at Hospice House in Sun City Center, FL. He is survived by his loving wife, Sandy, of 31 years; daughter, Cindy Wolford, and granddaughters, Becca Wolford and Claire Wolford, of Cincinnati, Ohio; daughter, Kate von Lackum, and her husband, Jarred Paull, and daughter, Ava, of Lexington, KY. Also surviving are siblings, Sue von Lackum, of Atlanta, GA, Nan Horstman, of Traverse City, MI, Tom von Lackum, of Gilroy, CA, Marilyn Crocker, of Evanston, IL, Jim Crocker, of Titusville, FL, and Phyllis Crocker, of Detroit, MI.
John was born in Waterloo, Iowa, and spent his early childhood there and in Iowa City, Iowa. After the death of his father, his mom, Becky, married widower Bob Crocker, and the blended family of eight moved to the greater Chicago area. Bob Crocker was a minister in the Methodist church and the family moved often. They spent every August at Kahshe Lake. John graduated from Yale University Divinity School and became a minister in the United Church of Christ church with his first wife, Nancy Jo Kemper. After their divorce, he owned a business repairing and building furniture in Oak Park, IL.
John and Sandy have been active in the recovery community for over 30 years. They met in AA and were married in 1993. John returned to the ministry and served churches in Prospect Heights, IL, and South Bend, IN. They moved to Sun City Center, FL, in 2013 after his retirement.
John was an Ironman. He took up running in his late 40s and completed many marathons before transitioning to triathlons. He finished several Ironman competitions and countless other triathlons. He was still competing until Dec. 2020 when he broke his first hip. He especially loved being part of the various biking and triathlon communities and enjoyed keeping fit all his life.
He loved going to the family cabin on Kahshe Lake in Canada. He and Sandy went almost every summer, most recently in 2022 and 2023.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Sun City Center with visitation immediately preceding. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to LifePath Hospice House in Sun City Center, FL, or to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Harry William Benter
Sept. 15, 1935 – March 1, 2025
Harry Benter died on March 1, 2025, after a long illness. He and his sister Dotty grew up in Sterling, Illinois.
He is survived by his wife, Sheila; four siblings, Doris, Jeanne, Judy and Richard; seven grandchildren; and his sister, Dotty.
Harry received a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University in 1960. He proudly served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1984, initially as an electronic technician and later as a pilot and training officer, after which he went to work at the Pentagon, assisting the work of Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also taught at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
After he retired from the Navy, Harry answered a call to the priesthood and was accepted by Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. He was ordained a deacon in 1988 and a priest in 1989. Father Harry was appointed Associate Rector of Trinity at St. John’s Church in Hewlett, New York, and served there from 1989 until 1996. He then moved to the Diocese of Southwest Florida to serve as the Associate Rector of St. John the Divine in Sun City Center. After his retirement from St. John’s in Sun City Center, he was invited to serve at St. John’s in Tampa and was there for several years. He returned to St. John’s in Sun City Center and finally retired for health reasons.
Harry was a member of several military organizations in Sun City Center, belonging to MOWW, Military Family Support and serving as its chaplain. He also served as the chair of the retirement officers’ corporation of Freedom Plaza and after seven years ended his tenure.
A Celebration of Life will be held at St. John The Divine Episcopal Church in Sun City Center on Tuesday, April 22, at 3 p.m., followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. His ashes will be interred in Oak Knoll Cemetery in Steeling, Illinois, with his wife, Jacqualine.