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William Banach
William Banach, 87, of Port Charlotte, Fla., died on July 16, 2001.
Mr. Banach was formerly of the Flushing area of New York City and had resided here since 1979 after his retirement as an electrician. As an electrician, he helped to build Manhattan skyscrapers, including the Citicorp building, where his name is engraved in the marble walls of the lobby along with other tradesmen's names. He was of the Pentecostal faith, serving as director of church music for more than 60 years. In his retirement, he conducted Bible studies and brought his music to Port Charlotte nursing homes as well as the Hour of Power service at a local church. He played all instruments, the saxophone being his specialty.
Surviving are his son, the Rev. Dr. Richard William Banach; two brothers, Daniel and John; two sisters, Theresa and Lillian; two grandchildren, John and Carol; and three great-grandchildren, Christen, Elizabeth and Jennifer.
The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 25, in the Chapel of the Kays-Ponger/Royal Palm Funeral Home, Port Charlotte Chapel, with a eulogy service at 6 p.m. Committal services will be held at 11 a.m. July 26.
Memorials in Mr. Banach's name may be made to Teen Challenge c/o Pastor John, 5646 Seventh Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33907.
Clarence Bernard Johnson
Clarence Bernard Johnson, 87, of Folly Lake and Truro, Nova Scotia, passed away July 17, 2001, in the Colchester Regional Hospital, Truro.
He was born in Truro, son of the late John Campbell and Lauretta (Hayman) Johnson. He graduated from the Provincial Normal College in Truro with a Superior First Class Teacher's Diploma. He taught school for eight years before joining the staff of The Halifax Herald Limited in 1940. He served in several capacities, retiring as Truro bureau chief in 1979. Following his retirement he continued his association with the Herald for another 12 years, writing particularly on agriculture, gardening and lumbering in Nova Scotia. From the early 1940s until the late 1970s, Mr. Johnson played a prominent role in sport activities in Truro and in the province. He organized the Truro Senior Baseball team, which won the Nova Scotia Championship in 1946. He was an organizer and first president of the Truro Minor Hockey Association, and was active in minor baseball. He was president of the Truro Amateur Athletic Club and a strong supporter of the Truro Slugs when they won three Maritime Ladies softball championships during the 1940s. He was also an executive on the Halifax District Baseball League and the Nova Scotia Amateur Baseball Association. He was a president of both the Truro Curling Club and the Truro Golf Club, and a member of the committee which supervised the building of the Colchester Legion Stadium. In the mid '70s, he chaired the committee which arranged the financing and building of the Truro Centennial Swimming Pool, marking the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Truro. For his contribution to sports in Truro and the province, Mr. Johnson was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1980, and later to the Truro Sports Heritage Society. In business circles in Truro, he was a president and a long-time member of the Truro Chamber of Commerce and a principal organizer of the Truro Industrial Commission, serving as its treasurer from 1962-1979. He was the last president of the Shubenacadie River Crossing Committee and presided at the official opening of the Clarence Gosse Bridge in the late '70s. He was also a life member of the Nova Scotia Teacher's College, a 55-year member of the I.O.O.F., member of the Senate Club of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture and a former member of the Truro Kiwanis Club and St. Andrew's United Church. For the past 25 years, Mr. Johnson, with his wife, Claire, spent the winter months at Port Charlotte, Fla., where they were members of the Charlotte Yacht Club, and summers at Folly Lake, Nova Scotia.
Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Claire (Trenholm); three daughters, Carolyn (Mrs. Duane Johnston) of Port Charlotte, Judith (Mrs. Douglas McKeague) of Bragg Creek, Alberta, and Linda St. Pierre of Charlotte Harbor, Fla.; grandsons, Tony and Todd Albright, Chadd and Toby St. Pierre, and Darren McKeague; and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son, Philip, a brother, George, and sisters, Mrs. Muriel Munro and Mrs. Ruth Brooking.
No visitation by request. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. July 21 in Colchester Community Funeral Home, with the Rev. David MacNaughton officiating; reception to follow. Private family burial will be in the Robie Street Cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations may be made to the Colchester Regional Hospital Foundation.
Richard E. Legere Sr.
Richard Edward Legere Sr., 56, of Port Charlotte, Fla., died Thursday, July 19, 2001 at his residence after a long illness.
Born Jan. 26, 1945 in Worcester, Mass. to Robert and Irene (Dunn) Legere, he had been a resident of Port Charlotte for 13 years, coming from Charlton, Mass. Mr. Legere was the founder and owner/operator of Legere Concrete Specialties in Port Charlotte. He was a founder of the Southern Worcester County Landlord Association. He was a communicant of St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
Survivors include his sons, Jeffrey R. Legere, Kenneth O. Legere and Richard E. Legere Jr., all of Port Charlotte; one daughter, Kim McNeaney of Charlton; close companion and former wife, Joan Legere of Port Charlotte; one brother, Robert J. Legere of Whitinsville, Mass.; two sisters, Elaine Duby of Millbury, Mass., and Theresa Brown of Reno, Nev.; and 11 grandchildren.
Visitation was from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Friday at Englewood Community Funeral Home, 3070 S. McCall Road. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 21, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Grove City, with the Rev. Marcel Dube officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Grafton, Mass.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Southwest Florida, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238, in memory of Mr. Legere.
Ruth Reiher Maynard
Ruth Reiher Maynard, 86, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died July 19, 2001, at Punta Gorda.
She was born April 25, 1915, in Detroit, Mich. She had resided in Punta Gorda since 1972, moving here from Allen Park, Mich. Mrs. Maynard had been a homemaker, a member of the Punta Gorda Country Club and Faith Lutheran Church, Punta Gorda.
Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Fred Maynard Sr. of Punta Gorda; a daughter, Marilyn Bredvik of Punta Gorda; a son, Dr. Fred (Kathy) Maynard Jr. of Marquette, Mich.; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. July 21 at Faith Lutheran Church, 4005 Palm Dr., Punta Gorda with the Rev. Barr Chittick officiating. Visitation will be held one hour before services at the church.
Memorials may be made in Mrs. Maynard's name to: Faith Lutheran Church Organ Fund, 4005 Palm Dr., Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Arrangements under the direction of the Punta Gorda Chapel of Kays-Ponger Funeral Home.
Ted Seidel
Ted Seidel of Englewood, Fla., died Thursday, July 19, 2001, at Englewood Community Hospital. He was 90.
Mr. Seidel was born July 21, 1910 in New York City. He retired from Allied Chemical and moved to Englewood from Greenwich, Conn. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He attended the New York Military Academy and graduated from Louisiana State University. Nominated to the collegiate all-American football team, he also was a noted baseball player and signed with the New York Yankees organization.
Survivors include his wife, Anita Seidel of Englewood; one daughter, Stephanie (Norman) Steketee of Perth, Australia; three grandchildren and four great- grandchildren.
A Memorial Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, at St. Raphael Catholic Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Southwest Florida, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238, in memory of Mr. Seidel. Englewood Community Funeral Home has been selected to handle arrangements.
Margaret Ruth Shurmur
Margaret Ruth Shurmur, 88, of Englewood, Fla., died July 18, 2001, at Englewood Community Hospital.
Born on March 29, 1913, in Detroit, Mich., to Gustav and Fredia (Brandes) Anselm, she had been a resident of Englewood for four years, coming from Dearborn, Mich. Mrs. Shurmur was a loving wife, mother and homemaker for her family. She was a member of Suncoast Worship Center.
Survivors include her daughter, Joyce M. McCasland of Rotonda West, Fla.; two sons, Robert L. Shurmur of Englewood and Terry R. Shurmur of Conyers, Ga.; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Suncoast Worship Center, 881 South River Road, with Pastor Tom Jones officiating.
Memorial contributions in memory of Mrs. Shurmur may be made to the American Kidney Fund, 6110 Executive Blvd., No. 1010, Rockville, MD 20852-9813.
Englewood Community Funeral Home has been selected to handle arrangements.
Dr. Clarence A. Black
Dr. Clarence A. Black, Ph.D., 87, of North Port, Fla., died July 18, 2001, in Eustis, Fla., with his family at his bedside.
He was born July 15, 1914, in Reagan, Neb., and came to reside in North Port in 1984. He was a graduate of Creighton University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Missouri, where he earned his Ph.D. Dr. Black served as chairman of the accounting department at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater for 20 years, where he was an emeritus professor, and will be remembered through the Clarence A. Black Chair of Accountancy. Dr. Black was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Middle East from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. He always felt that one of his most outstanding achievements was to teach public school, grades one through eight, in a one-room schoolhouse in Greely County, Kan., during the first years of the Depression. Dr. Black was a member of many professional organizations, including the Southern Chapter of the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs, for which he served as chairman for one year. He was also a charter member of Beta Alpha Psi at Creighton University, where he began his academic career at age 36. Most recently, he was a member of the North Port Noon Kiwanis. Dr. Black showed many people what could be accomplished in spite of age.
He is survived by his loving wife, Geraldine; his son, Larry and daughter-in-law, Reggy; his two grandsons, Charles Allen and Chad Thomas, all of Eustis; his sister, Mary Ann McKlem of Boone, Colo.; and brothers, Arrel S. Black of Glenwood Springs, Colo. and Daniel E. Black of Cortez, Colo. Clarence Black was a loving and devoted father and husband who will be missed greatly by his family. We, the family, are very thankful for the many happy years we had with him.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. July 21 at Farley Funeral Home in North Port, with burial at Venice Memorial Gardens to follow.
Charles R. Sheehan
Charles R. Sheehan, 84, of Jackson, Mich., passed away July 17, 2001, at his home under the care of his family and Foote Home Health Service.
Mr. Sheehan was a World War II veteran serving in the U.S. Army, a member of the Masonic Lodge, a member of Harbor Cove Association, North Port, Fla., and a member of the Brookside United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his two daughters, Charlene Sheehan of Lansing, Mich. and Marcia and her husband, Dennis Whitehead, of Jackson; grandsons, Collin Whitehead of Portland, Ore., Ben Whitehead and fiancée, Jessica Stevens, both of Kentwood; a brother, Mack (Adelia) Sheehan of North Port; a sister, Janette (Gayle) Knickerbocker of Concord; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 53 years, Geraldine Sheehan, in 1993; brothers, Jack and James; and sisters, Lois Stockinger and Arlene Sheehan.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. July 20, at the Brookside United Methodist Church, with Pastor Dave Johnston officiating. Cremation will follow.
Memorials may be directed to the Trinity United Methodist Church, 4285 Wesley Lane, North Port, FL 34287. Arrangements are by Charles J. Burden & Son Funeral Homes, Jackson.
Pauline D. Farrar
Pauline D. Farrar, 78, of Arcadia, Fla., raised and resided in Sarasota, Fla. most of her life, died July 18, 2001.
She was born Nov. 12, 1922, in Green Cove Springs, Fla., and moved here four years ago from Okeechobee, Fla. She was a waitress at the Field Club in Sarasota for many years. She was a member of the Salvation Army.
Survivors include her sisters, Dothene Holden of Bradenton, Fla., Evelyn Albritton of Arcadia and Doris Peters of Barnesville, Ga.; and brothers, Robert Lawrence Douglas of Apollo Beach, Fla. and Willie Douglas of Canton, Ga.
Visitation is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 22, at Palms Funeral Home. Services are at 11 a.m. July 23, at Palms Funeral Home, with burial at Palms Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Southwest Florida, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238.
Raymond B. Gover
Raymond B. Gover, 97, of Port Charlotte, Fla., died July 16, 2001, at Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte.
He was born March 22, 1904, in Pulaski, Ky. Mr. Gover came to Port Charlotte 38 years ago from Detroit, Mich. He worked as a Foreman for General Motors, Fisher Body Division.
He is survived by his wife, Leslie Fay (Silvers) Gover of Port
Charlotte; sons, Raymond L. of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and John C. of Fairborn, Ohio; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services will be held at Paul Schelm Funeral Home, Port Charlotte, on Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, Port Charlotte.
Memorial contributions may be made to Murdock Baptist Church, 18375 Toledo Blade Blvd., Port Charlotte, FL 33949.
Arrangements are by Paul Schelm Funeral Home, Port Charlotte.
Kenneth V. Johnston
Kenneth Victor Johnston, 74, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died July 17, 2001, at his home.
He was born May 11, 1927, to Fred and Esther (Niles) Johnston. Ken was a very strong and affectionate man. He was dealt a bad hand right from the start. Being born into an impoverished family of 12 children in South Dorset, Vt., life was not easy for him. But, as his character was, he persevered and climbed to the top of the ladder.
After serving his country during World War II as a training sergeant in the U.S. Army, Uncle Sam sent him to Bryant College, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1952. Ken met his soul mate, Jan, while attending Bryant College, in Rhode Island, through Jan's brother, David, God rest his soul, who was a classmate of Ken's.
After college Ken pursued a business career. Once again, Ken climbed to the top of the heap. But, it came at a costly price. He suffered from an ulcer which almost killed him. This was in 1960. Ken cheated the Angel of Death of his query by moving his family back to his hometown of Manchester, Vt., for a slower, rural lifestyle of the small town.
Ken's family was immediately accepted into the small community where he took a "sow's ear" of a business and turned it into a "silk purse" before selling it and becoming a gentleman farmer by buying an old, neglected sugarloaf, which he turned into a productive maple sugar farm. Ken & Jan have been seasonal residents of River Haven in Punta Gorda for the past eight years.
Surivors include his loving wife of 50 years, Janis Johnston; four wonderful, loving children, Beth McWorter, Mark Johnston, Cindy Welch and Wendy Markham; and six grand children, Wayne Norse, Steve Norse, Jesse Welch, Wesley Welch, Chelsea Markham and Melanie Markham.
A memorial service will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at River Haven Mobile Home Park. It was Ken's wish that, instead of sending flowers, friends send a monetary donation in his name for the construction of a dance floor at the park where Jan still resides. Please send your heart-felt donations to Jan Johnston, 10100 Burnt Store Road No. 5, Punta Gorda, FL 33950.
Larry Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements.
Paul E. Jones
Paul E. Jones, 73, of North Fort Myers, Fla., died July 14, 2001.
A native of Okeechobee, Fla., and a life long resident of this area, he was a retired construction welder.
Mr. Jones is survived by his wife, Mary I. Jones; his mother, Alberta C. Jones of Punta Gorda, Fla.; two daughters, Sherry T. (Gary) Kincaid and Cindy M. (Chester) Robinson, both of Live Oak, Fla.; three step-children, Mary Williams of N. Fort Myers, Bobby Jones of Gainesville, Ga. and Gilbert Tutin of Cleveland, Ohio; a brother, James Jones of Corpus Christi, Texas; four sisters, Aretha Jones, Cherry McClain and Shirley Sauerbrey, all of Punta Gorda, Vivians Sims of Pensacola, Fla.; 10 grandchildren, Andrew, Joseph, Cameron, April, Brian, Mary Jane, Tip, Gilbert, Sean, Daniele and two great-grandsons, Skilor and Mikle.
Graveside service with military honors will be conducted at 10 a.m. July 20, at Indian Spring Cemetery, Punta Gorda. Friends may call from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 19, at North Fort Myers Memorial Funeral Home, 3453 Hancock Bridge Parkway, with the funeral service at 8:30 p.m.
Carmelo "Carl" F. Muscato
Carmelo "Carl" F. Muscato, 78, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Sunday, July 15, 2001, at his residence.
He was born Aug. 22, 1922, in Livonia, N.Y., to Frank C. and Jennie Gugino Muscato. He was a retired automobile mechanic, a World War II veteran of the Army Air Corps and a member of the V.F.W. He moved to this area in 1955.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Marie Rawls Muscato; two daughters, Geraldine Meadows of Port Orange, Fla., and Jenny Austin of Punta Gorda; a son, Frank C. Muscato of Punta Gorda; four sisters, Anna Reilly of Elbridge, N.Y., Mary Harvey of Livonia, Margie Filipello of Lyons, N.Y., and Virginia Clark of Richardson, Texas; a brother, William Muscato of Lima, N.Y.; seven grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will held held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home in Punta Gorda with the Rev. Ralph Burton Jr. officiating.
Ruby Beth Badger
Ruby Beth Badger of Port Charlotte, Fla., died July 15, 2001.
She was born in McAlester, Okla., on March 19, 1918, to Steven and Bernice Rich.
Beth is survived by her brother, Roy Russell (Helen) Rich of Orlando, Fla., and one nephew, Steven Rich of Orlando; one daughter, L. Jean (Bob) Kaczmarek of Port Charlotte; granddaughter, Lynn (Jim) Sciaretta of Punta Gorda, Fla., and their daughters, Heather, Andrea and Shannon; grandson Earle (Hank) Soutter of Bonita Springs, Fla.; granddaughter, Mary (Jeff) Lipps of Kingsland, Ga., and their daughters, Brandy, Hilary and Hannah. Beth was preceded in death by her husband, Orville S. Badger.
There will be no calling hours. Burial will take place at the Bloomingburg Cemetery in Bloomingburg, Ohio, beside her husband, Orville S. Badger.
