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Date of these obituaries: 09-01-2003
Thomas A. "Tank" Lange
He played Santa for 27 years in tri-state
For thousands of Northern Kentuckians, Christmas just wasn't Christmas without a visit from Thomas A. "Tank" Lange. Still, many people didn't know him by his given name. To them, he was Santa Claus.
Mr. Lange played St. Nick for 27 years after filling in at the last-minute for the regular Santa at Shillito's department store in 1974.
"He was 19, working as a courier, " recalled his brother, Ken Lange of Fort Wright. "And he was already a pretty big guy, so they threw the suit on Tanker and he took to it like a duck to water."
He played Santa for two years with Federated, was St. Nick for the Reds and Bengals and participated in the Beechwood Breakfast with Santa for 20 years. He visited countless families on Christmas Eve and as many future brides got their engagement rings from him.
Mr. Lange died at 1:10 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood, following a massive heart attack. A Covington resident, he was 48. When not donning the red suit, he was manager of Ken/API Builders Supply Co., Covington.
"There are people today, grown people, who know him as the only Santa Claus they ever knew, " said Ken Lange.
To some, it was more real than others. His brother recounts a story from a few years ago when Mr. Lange had a car filled with presents for his grandkids. Upon meeting a family down on their luck, and children who weren't going to have a Christmas, he emptied his car to give the family a memorable Christmas.
"That was probably the biggest thing he did, but he did stuff like that all the time. He had a big heart, and he loved children. His grandkids meant all the world to him, too, " said his brother.
When he decided to hang up the Santa suit two years ago, he sent his usual families a letter explaining he would no longer be available. The hundreds of letters he received in return, his brother said, were so touching the Langes still have them.
Sunday night, Mr. Lange's family and friends marked his passing the way he would have wanted -- with a big fireworks party in their parents' backyard. And maybe a letter or two from Santa's families.
Other survivors include his wife, Phyllis H. Lange; sons, Todd Henson of Latonia and Mike Henson of Hamilton, Ohio; a daughter, Tammy Mersman of Burlington; his mother, Mary Minnette Lange of Park Hills; brothers, Robert Lange of Batavia, Ohio, and Dan Lange, Dick Lange and Mike Lange, all of Fort Wright; and seven grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Agnes Church, Fort Wright. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, and from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Steinford Toy Foundation, P.O. Box 17634, Covington, Ky. 41017.
Karl "Andy" Anderson, 61, of Fort Thomas, died at 12:40 a.m. Friday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a bus driver with Green Line and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky.
Survivors include his wife, Cheryl Semm Anderson; a brother, Sherwood Anderson of Amarillo, Texas; nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., Suite 102, West Chester, Ohio 45069.
William Robert Berendsen, 70, of Dayton, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a retired inspector with Avco, Cincinnati. His wife, Bonnie J. Berendsen, died in 1993.
Survivors include daughters, Theresa Alcorn and Patricia Cope, both of Dayton; a son, Robert Berendsen of Fort Thomas; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Dayton. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Bellevue. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Carey Lawrence Carroll, 57, of Covington, died at 2:30 a.m. Saturday at Florence Park Care Center, Florence. He was a forklift operator with Duro Bag Co.
Survivors include sisters, Madonna Evans of McVeigh, Brenda J. Ooten of Cincinnati and Lanna Caudill of West Union, Ohio; and brothers, Billy Wayne Carroll and Danny Carroll, both of Pinsonfork, Glen Carroll of McAndrews and Ted Carroll of Cincinnati.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
John Chajkowski, 58, of Erlanger, died Friday at his home.
He was a quality control inspector with Owens of Illinois and a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, Florence.
Survivors include his wife, Polley Chajkowski, and a son, John Michael Chajkowski of Erlanger.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Entombment will be in Forest Lawn Mausoleum, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to Immanuel Baptist Church, 7183 Pleasant Valley Road, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Hilman F. Fookes, 90, of Park Hills, died at 10:53 a.m. Friday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a retired draftsman with William Lang & Sons, Cincinnati, a member of Lakeside Christian Church in Lakeside Park and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Ruby Fookes; sons, Gary Fookes and Dean Fookes, both of Florence; a sister, Thelma VanLandingham of Cynthiana; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Tuesday at Lakeside Christian Church. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Entombment will be in St. Mary Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to Leukemia Society of America, 100 Merchant St., Suite 236, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 or to Park Hills Firemen's Fund, 1106 Amsterdam Road, Park Hills, Ky. 41011.
Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Robert Harrison, 62, of Hamilton, Ohio, formerly of Alexandria, died Monday in Tampa, Fla. He was a retired employee of Roadway Express and was enshrined in the Butler County, Ohio, Sports Hall of Fame for softball.
Survivors include a daughter, Bobbi Joy Maggard Harrison; sisters, Donna Hayes of Alexandria and Linda Lavello of Tampa; and two grandchildren.
Memorial services were Thursday at Webster Funeral Home, Fairfield, Ohio.
Mildred Gaines Kirkpatrick, 93, of Florence, died Saturday at Florence Park Care Center, Florence.
She was a member of Burlington Baptist Church. Her husband, Albert Edwin Kirkpatrick, died in 1972.
Survivors include a son, Edwin Kirkpatrick of Burlington, and a granddaughter.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Hopeful Lutheran Cemetery, Florence.
Memorials are suggested to Gideon Living Memorials, P.O. Box 18488, Erlanger, Ky. 41018.
Mary J. Martin, 77, of Hebron, died Saturday at her home.
She was a homemaker and a member of Erlanger Christian Church and Christian Women's Fellowship.
Survivors include her husband, Rev. Roy D. Martin; sons, Richard D. Martin of Newark, Ohio, and Ken Martin of Florence; a daughter, Sherri Martin of Cincinnati; a brother, Howard C. Barnett of Lexington; eight grandchildren and seven great-grand-children.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Erlanger Christian Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Charles E. Powell, 64, of Latonia, died Friday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill.
James Ross Riffe, 67, of Louisville, died Saturday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was general manager of a car business in Louisville.
Survivors include his wife, Geraldine "Gerry" Riffe; a son, James Riffe of Fort Thomas; daughters, Holly Riffe of Cincinnati and Teresa Schmidt of Louisville; brothers, Kenneth Riffe and Thomas Riffe, both of Fort Thomas, Robert Riffe of Bellevue and William Riffe of Alexandria; a sister, Cheryl Runge of Independence; and a grandson.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Marie Bearden Boelscher Robinson, of Ellijay, died Thursday at her home.
Survivors include her husband, William Render Robinson; a son, Victor Boelscher of Burlington; a daughter, Mary Ann Lane of Walton; stepdaughters, Patricia Kee of Grantville, Ga., Robin Barber of Lone Oak, Ga., and Rhonda Robinson of Marietta, Ga.; a brother, Roger Bearden of Burlington; four step-grandchildren and a step-great-grandchild.
Services were Sunday in Ellijay.
Bernhardt Funeral Home, Ellijay, handled arrangements.
Linda Gaile Ross-Scales, 52, of Independence, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence.
She was a registered nurse.
Survivors include a daughter, Monica Scales of Independence; a brother, James L. Ross of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and a sisters, Donna Ross of Dayton.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Memorials are suggested to St. Luke Hospital, 85 N. Grand Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Donald Robert Russ, 54, of Elsmere, died at 7:23 p.m. Friday at his home.
He was a self-employed freight transporter and a member of Masonic Lodge No. 949 F&AM.
Survivors include his wife, Paula Kaye Neal Russ; daughters, Amy C. Russ of Cincinnati and Jade M. Adams of Crestview Hills; sisters, Joann Lecture of Nancy and Jackie Long of Denver; and a grandson.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Jason "Jake" Schuller, 30, of Crittenden, died Wednesday at his home. He was a screen technician with Sweco.
Survivors include his wife, Tara Schuller; daughters, Tiara Schuller and Jena Schuller, both of Crittenden; his mother, Shirley Schuller of Harrodsburg; brothers, Victor Schwartz of Harrodsburg, Joseph Schuller of Wilmore and Jerry Keith Schuller of Florence; and sisters, Tammy Mahan of Covington and Rhonda Heaton of Erlanger.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ellison-Stanley Funeral Home, Crittenden. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Crittenden Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, 132 S. Main St., Crittenden, Ky. 41030.
Barbara Sorrels, 58, of Falmouth, died Friday at University Medical Center, Lexington.
She was a retired daycare operator and a member of Falmouth Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son, Tony Crook of Falmouth; a brother, Robert W. Biery Jr. of Falmouth; sisters, Dorothy Shearer and Linda Ruth Pittman, both of Falmouth, and Virginia Pittman of Shelbyville, Ind.; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Shearer Family Cemetery, Falmouth. Memorials are suggested to Falmouth Baptist Church, Fourth St., Falmouth, Ky. 41040.
David John Spare, 41, of Hebron, died Friday in an automobile accident in Boone County. He was a parts manager with American Bus, Cincinnati.
Survivors include his wife, Rhonda Spare; a daughter, Morgan Spare of Hebron; a stepdaughter, Kelsey Doty of Hebron; his father, Delbert Spare of Fort Wright; brothers, Don Spare of Fort Wright and Mark Spare of Indialantic, Fla.; and sisters, Carol Buring, Marcia Deters, Susan Smeltzer and Paula Ritter, all of Burlington, and Melissa Baeten of Verona.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Burlington. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Memorials are suggested to Morgan Spare Trust Fund, in care of any Huntington Bank.
Wayne L. "Bud" White, 66, of Fort Thomas, died Saturday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Fort Thomas.
