U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014GERALD R. PAGE, 87, of St. Petersburg died Wednesday at Columbia Northside Medical Center. A native of Boston, he had been a seasonal resident, coming from Hopkinton, Mass. He was a truck driver for an oil company, a patented inventor, an artist, a Navy veteran of World War II and a member of Moose Lodge 1145. He is survived by his wife, Edith A.; three sons, Gerald D. of Holliston, Mass., Richard Allen of New Britain, Conn., and William B. of Braintree, Mass.; two daughters, Karen Lynn of Worcester, Mass., and Pamela E. Smith of Auburn, Mass.; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. E. Dale Gunter Funeral Home & Cremation Services, St. Petersburg.
(From January 1997)
JAMES R. PARKER, 82, of Balm died Wednesday at home. A native of the area, he was a retired Hillsborough County Deputy Sheriff and member of Balm Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Anna L.; two daughters, Clarissa Summer of Bristol, Conn. and Andrea Walter of Riverview; three stepsons, Wesley Tyler of Clearwater, Blake Tyler of Brandon and Lee Tyler of Balm; a sister, Teresa Smith of Tampa; eight grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. Hamilton Funeral Home, Riverview.
(From January 1997)
STEVE SOKOL, 40, of Tampa died Thursday at home. A lifelong resident of Tampa, he was a ride maintenance supervisor for Desco Services and Catholic. He is survived by a daughter, Danielle Inge of Tampa; a brother, Jim of St. Petersburg; two sisters, Jane of Gibsonton and Chyann Huddleston of Tampa; and his grandmother, Frieda Biersak of Lutz. C.E. Prevatt Funeral Home, Temple Terrace.
(From January 1997)
MYRA FITZGERALD TOWNSEND, 85, of Richmond, Va., died Friday at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. She was a native of New York City. She was a clerk for Central Fidelity Bank in New York City. She is survived by two brothers, Jack H. Fitzgerald of Clearwater and Thomas L. Fitzgerald Sr. of Freeport, N.Y.; and a sister, Ruth A. Fitzgerald of Richmond, Va. Moss-Feaster Funeral Homes, Fort Harrison Chapel, Clearwater.
(From January 1997)
FRANCES A. VARECKA, 101, of Dunedin died Sunday at Spanish Gardens Nursing Center. A native of Little Ferry, N.J., she moved to this area in 1958 from Englewood, N.J. She was owner/operator of a restaurant business and Catholic. She is survived by a son, William C. of Dunedin; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a great- great-grandchild. Curlew Hills Funeral Home, Palm Harbor.
(From January 1997)
ANNA WAHLE, 91, of Palm Harbor died Sunday at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. A native of Germany, she moved to this area in 1970 from Chicago. She was former member of St. Raphael's Catholic Church. She is survived by a son, Kurt A. Jr. of Tampa; a daughter, Elizabeth Wahle Cook of Charlotte, N.C.; and a brother, Hans Rompza of Chicago. Brett Funeral Home & Cremation Services, St. Petersburg.
(From January 1997)
WILLIAM ELMER "WALLY" WALDRON, 60, of Dunedin died Tuesday at home. He moved to this area in 1993 from his native Roxbury, N.J. He retired as head maintenance worker for Champion International Paper Co. in New Jersey in 1992, was employed by Innisbrook Hilton and San Christopher Villas and Baptist. He is survived by his wife, Mary; two daughters, Jennifer of Dunedin and Kathy Jean of New Jersey; a brother, Harry of Roxbury; and a granddaughter. Curlew Hills Funeral Home, Palm Harbor.
(From January 1997)
STANLEY MICHAEL WALL, 79, of Palm Harbor died Thursday at home. A native of Chicago, he moved to this area in 1991 from Oak Lawn, Ill. He was a retired pressman for Business Forms Printing Co., an Army veteran of World War II and Catholic. He is survived by his wife, Ann; a son, Kenneth of Park Ridge, Ill.; a daughter, Donna Burgin of Tinley Park, Ill.; and a granddaughter. Curlew Hills Funeral Home, Palm Harbor.
(From January 1997)
CLEORA E. WARNER, 72, of New Port Richey died Friday at North Bay Medical Center. A native of Green Island, N.Y., she moved to this area 17 years ago from Troy, N.Y. She was a retired office manager/counselor for the Church of Scientology and a member of the Church of Scientology in Clearwater. She is survived by her husband, Alan B.; a son, Andrew R. Dzembo of Troy; two daughters, Sarah Schillaci of Albany, N.Y., and Cynthia Pinsonnault of Houston; and three grandchildren. Michels- Lundquist Funeral Home, New Port Richey.
(From January 1997)
IRVING E. WOODS, 92, of Seminole died Thursday at Columbia St. Petersburg Hospital. He moved to this area in 1969 from his native Buffalo, N.Y. He was a retired fireman for the city of Buffalo and a member of International Firefighter Union 282 in Buffalo and Chapel on the Hill. He is survived by his wife, Marie; and a niece. Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home and Cemetery, Seminole.
(From January 1997)
CHARLES H. ZAPATA, 91, of Largo died Jan. 11 at Largo Medical Center Hospital. A native of Managua, Nicaragua, he moved to this area in 1969 from New York City. He was an electronics engineer for IBM and Catholic. He is survived by a brother, Julio of Costa Rica; and a sister, Dolores Howell of Guatemala. Lakeview Chapel Funeral Home, Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater.
(From January 1997)
WILLARD E. BRIDGES, 71, of Tampa died Thursday. A native of Madison, he moved to this area 50 years ago from north Florida. He is survived by his wife, Josephine Ciria; a daughter, Linda Smith of Riverview; and a grandchild. Garden of Memories-Myrtle Hill Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
THOMAS L. BRINEY, 90, of Tampa died Friday at home. A native of Trafford, Pa., he moved to this area 35 years ago. He was a retired machine mechanic for Union Oil Co. and member of St. John's Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Lounette. Hamilton Funeral Home Inc., Riverview.
(From January 1997)
LILLIE BURGER, 77, of Ruskin died Wednesday at Columbia South Bay Hospital. A native of Friendship, Wis., she moved to Ruskin 16 years ago from Kirkland, Ill. She was a retired restaurant owner. She is survived by a son, John of Tampa; two daughters, Shirley Wakenight of Oregon, Ill., and Bonnie Burger of Ruskin; a brother, John Backman of Oregon; a sister, Mary Wiltfang of Oregon; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Zipperer's Agape Mortuary and Crematory, Riverview.
(From January 1997)
ELAINE DECKARD, 49, of Brandon died Friday at Columbia Brandon Regional Medical Center. A lifelong resident of this area, she was a certified nurse's aide and Baptist. She is survived by two sons, Robert Douglas Knight of Tampa and James Manuel Knight of Brandon; her father, Henry D.C. Hewett of Pensacola; her mother, Ruby L. Davis of Brandon; a sister, Peggy Betancourt of Brandon; three grandchildren; and her fiance, Kenneth Gibson of Brandon. Stowers Funeral Home, Brandon.
(From January 1997)
W. ELISE FORTNER, 91, of Tallahassee died Friday. A native of Hazelhurst, Ga., she was a longtime resident of the Plant City area before moving to Tallahassee. She was a homemaker and member of Turkey Creek Baptist Church. She is survived by a son, William Joseph of Lakeland; three daughters, Libby Sue Morelock and Geraldine Pool, both of Tallahassee, and Gaynell Pool of Bonifay; a brother, Carl J. Dean of Westville; two sisters, Elizabeth Wetherington of Ocoee and Evelyn Oszmianski of Plant City; 12 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Well Memorial Funeral Home, Plant City.
(From January 1997)
FLORENCE KIRBY, 70, of Tampa died Friday. A native of Saginaw, Mich. she moved to Tampa in 1980. She was a school bus driver and Catholic. She is survived by a son, Kim of Lutz; four grandchildren; and three great- grandchildren. F.T. Blount Co. Funeral Home, Lutz-Land O' Lakes Chapel.
(From January 1997)
JUANITA H. KRULL, 73, of Tampa died Thursday. A native of Cincinnati, she was a homemaker, pianist and member of Eastern Star and the Assembly of God faith. She is survived by a son, Wayne L. of Tampa; a daughter, Rowena Day of Villa Riva, Ga.; a brother, William C. Huff of Harrison, Ohio; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Garden of Memories-Myrtle Hill Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
WILLIAM E. LATTA, 79, of Sun City Center died Thursday. He was the executive vice president of Pittsburgh Forgings Co. He is survived by a son, Charles of Dewitt, Mich.; two daughters, Bonnie Kreinar of Woodbridge, Va. and Susan Daugherty of Bradenton. Family Funeral Care, Sun City Center.
(From January 1997)
WALTER D. LEVEY, 60, of Brandon died Friday at home, under the care of Hospice of Hillsborough. A native of Wellington, Del., he moved to this area 18 years ago. He was a salesman and Army veteran. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; a daughter, Lori Dugan of Tarpon Springs; a sister, Barbara Powers of Freeport, N.Y.; and two grandchildren. Zipperer's Agape Mortuary and Crematory, Ruskin.
(From January 1997)
ANNA MARY OBERHOLTZER, 74, of Brethren Village, Pa., died Wednesday. A native of Earl Township, Pa., she lived in Tampa from 1980 to 1991. She was a manuscript coordinator for Lancaster County Historical Society and member of New Joy Brethren in Christ Church. She is survived by a sister, Elsie Horning Gockley of Ephrata, Pa. Stradling Funeral Homes, Ephrata.
(From January 1997)
BILLIE C. PENZEL, 81, of Sun City Center died Friday at Vencor Hospital. A native of San Francisco, she moved to this area in 1992 from Spain. She was a retired director of overseas sales in the real estate industry and Episcopalian. She is survived by her husband, Charles A. Jr.; two daughters, Deridre of Lake Geneva and Julie Penzel Althoff of Hamburg, Germany; and a grandchild. Lewers Funeral Home, Ruskin.
(From January 1997)
