Aloysius Grontkowski, 86
DUNNELLON — Aloysius Grontkowski, 86, a retired aerospace inspector for Bendix Aviation Corp. for 38 years, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at Life Care Center of Ocala.
A native of South Bend, Ind., he moved here from Indiana in 1982. Mr. Grontkowski was a member of St. Johns The Baptist Catholic Church; and Knights of Columbus, Council 8511.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Grontkowski, Dunnellon.
Roberts Funeral Home of Dunnellon provided information.
Edward J. Novak, 79
BEVERLY HILLS — Edward J. Novak, 79, a retired aircraft technician, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at his home.
A native of New York City, he moved here from New York 15 years ago. Mr. Novak was Protestant. He was a member of Calvary Christian Center of Hernando; and Tri-County R-C Club in Dunnellon. He was a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Freda C. Novak, Beverly Hills; son, Ralph Novak, San Leandro, Calif; daughter, Jan Aster, Richmond, Va.; sisters, Edith Kibilewski, Spring Hill, and Ann Savino, New York; and one grandchild.
Fero Funeral Home Beverly Hills Chapel provided information.
Charles W. Vogel, 77
OCALA — Charles W. Vogel, 77, a retired pipe fitter for Hercules Chemical Co., died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at Munroe Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Vogel was a native of Florence, N.J. He was Methodist. Mr. Vogel was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Angela S. Santos Post 4781; American Association of Retired Persons; Pine Run Residents' Association; the Moose Lodge; and Riverside Turners. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Vogel, Ocala; sons, Charles W. Vogel Jr., Medway, Mass., and Kenneth E. Vogel, Palm Harbor; sister, Viola Copper, West Chicago; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Hiers Memorial Chapel at TimberRidge of Ocala provided information.
Herbert O. Vollrath, 80
MICANOPY — Herbert O. Vollrath, 80, a retired banker for First American Bank in Miami, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at Gainesville Veterans Affairs Hospital.
A native of Elberta, Ala., he moved here from Miami 18 years ago. Mr. Volltrath was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Dunnellon; a former member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Ocala; and The Gideons. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
Mr. Vollrath was preceded in death by his wife, Verona N. Vollrath.
Survivors include his son, Robert K. Vollrath, Wellington; daughter, Kathryn Shockley, McIntosh; brother, Amil Vollrath, Tampa; sister, Ruth Stock, Miami; and five grandchildren.
Roberts Funeral Home Downtown Chapel of Ocala provided information.
Fredrick J. Duitsman, 75
INVERNESS — Fredrick J. Duitsman, 75, a retired United States Department of Agriculture inspector, died Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000.
A native of Fonda, Iowa, he came to Inverness from Ozark, Mo., in 1999. Mr. Duitsman was Lutheran and a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He also was mayor for Rinard, Iowa.
Survivors include his wife of 20 years, Carole Stephens Duitsman, Inverness; sons, Fredrick J. Duitsman Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa, Steve Duitsman, Waverly, Iowa, and Stan Duitsman, Kansas City, Mo.; daughters, Gloria Spanjer, Charlotte, N.C., and Sharon Russell, Charleston, S.C.; five brothers; five sisters; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, and two brothers.
Hooper Funeral Homes & Crematory of Inverness provided information.
Norma J. Gordon, 71
OCALA — Norma J. Gordon, 71, a retired executive secretary for Publix, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at Surrey Place in Ocala.
A native of Indianapolis, she came here from Tallahassee in 1997. Mrs. Gordon loved collecting dolls and playing the organ.
Survivors include her son, Robert Wayne Gordon, Thornton, Colo.; daughter, Judith Ann Torstensen, Ocala; brother, Glenn Westerfield, Tallahassee; sister, Barbara Baldwin, Melbourne; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to your local Humane Society.
Forest Lawn Funeral Home of Ocala provided information.
Alvin H. Gratzel, 83
INVERNESS — Alvin H. Gratzel, 83, a retired schedule controller for Pan Am Airlines, died Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000.
A native of Dallas, he came to Inverness from Miami six years ago. Mr. Gratzel was a member of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church in Crystal River.
Mr. Gratzel has no survivors.
Hooper Funeral Homes & Crematory of Inverness provided information.
Douglas C. Gross Sr., 55
INVERNESS — Douglas C. Gross Sr., 55, a builder, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000.
A native of Gowanda, N.Y., he came to Inverness in 1999. Mr. Gross was Protestant and a member of Moose Lodge 1492, Phoenix Masonic 262 and the Slovanian Lodge, all in Gowanda, and Withlacoochee Air Boat Association.
Survivors include his wife, Alice Malinowski Gross, Inverness; sons, Max LeRoy Gross, Little Valley, N.Y., Douglas Gross Jr., Cattaraugus, N.Y., and William Paul Gross, Elmore, Ohio; stepson, David Staffin, Dayton, N.Y.; stepdaughters, Charlene Rebmann, Hamburg, N.Y., Tina Gloe, Lawtons, N.Y.; brother, Charles Gross Sr., Little Valley; sisters, Naomi Bargy, Salamanca, N.Y., and Joanne Gross, Randolph, N.Y.; and 11 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Louise Gross.
Hooper Funeral Homes & Crematory of Inverness provided information.
Earl J. Ballagh, 89
OCALA — Earl J. Ballagh, 89, a retired welder for General Motors, died Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000, at Ocala Regional Medical Center.
A native of Cass City, Mich., he moved here from Michigan in 1984. Mr. Ballagh was a member of Ocala West United Methodist Church and United Auto Workers Local 594.
Survivors include his daughter, Janice Ryan, Homosassa; son, Richard L. Ballagh, Crystal River; sisters, Mary Pridemore, Waterford, Mich., Alice McBurney and Mildred Ferguson, both of Rochester, Mich.; brother, Lester Ballagh, Lapeer, Mich.; five grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.
Hiers Memorial Chapel at TimberRidge provided information.
William J. Blough Jr., 57
BELLEVIEW — William "Bill" J. Blough Jr., 57, a certified welder in the aerospace industry, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 2000, at Munroe Regional Medical Center.
A native of Smithville, Ohio, he moved here from Akron, Ohio, 14 years ago. Mr. Blough was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Nancy Blough, Belleview; daughters, Cora L. Davis, Akron, and Jennifer Miller, Wooster, Ohio; sons, Carl Gray, Summerfield, David A. Blough, Akron, and William "Bill" Blough, Orlando; sisters, Mary Kittinger, Wooster, Bobbie Norris, Sebring, and Shelia Norris, Butler, Pa.; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Hiers Belleview Funeral Home provided information.
Russell Bridges, 84
SUMMERFIELD — Russell Bridges, 84, a retired lineman, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 2000, at New Horizon Rehabilitation Center.
A native of Georgia, he moved here from Tampa 1 years ago. Mr. Bridges was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Belleview. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Survivors include his son, Jim Bridges, Summerfield; sister, Rosalie Rhyner, Tampa; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-granddaughter.
Roberts Funeral Home, Bruce Chapel East Ocala, provided information.
Richard Cleary, 68
SUMMERFIELD — Richard Cleary, 68, a retired mechanic, died Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he moved here from Queens, N.Y., in 1984. Mr. Cleary retired from the Long Island Railroad after 30 years of service. He was a member of the Mechanics Union and Carman's Brotherhood. Mr. Cleary was a U.S. Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Joann Cleary; son, David Cleary; daughters, Courtney Cleary and Morgan Cleary, all of Summerfield; brother, Tommy Cleary, Woodbury, Minn.; and sisters, Beatrice Cleary, Valley Stream, N.Y., and Virginia Lesier, Huntington, N.Y.
Florida Cremation Society, Ocala, provided information.
Alice L. Dazelle, 57
OCALA — Alice L. Dazelle, 57, a housekeeper for Marion House, died Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000.
A native of Westfield, Mass., she moved here in 1992. Mrs. Dazelle was Protestant.
Survivors include her husband of 36 years, Richard Dazelle, Ocala; sons, Richard Dazelle Jr. and Robert Dazelle, both of Westfield; daughters, Debbie Seibold and Patricia Mulville, both of Westfield; brother, Robert Burt, Blandford, Mass.; sisters, Betty Avery, Westfield, and Edith Refford, Port Orange; and 10 grandchildren.
Florida Cremation Society, Ocala, provided information.
Frederick B. Fess, 80
INVERNESS — Frederick B. Fess, 80, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, died Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000.
A native of Collins, N.Y., he moved here from St. Petersburg 10 years ago. Lt. Col. Fess served in the Army for 21 years. He was a member of Inverness Lions Club; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Inverness; and First Presbyterian Church, Inverness.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Armes Fess, Inverness; son, Joseph Fess, Atlanta; daughters, Deborah Souders, St. Petersburg, and Linda Lohe, Inverness; sister, Dorothy L. Powers, Collins; and six grandchildren.
Hooper Funeral Home, Inverness, provided information.
Imogene W. Havens, 69
HOMOSASSA — Imogene W. Havens, 69, died Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000.
A native of Montcalm, W.Va., she moved here from Bluefield, W.Va., 11 years ago. Mrs. Havens was a member of Loyal Order of Women of the Moose, Chapter 565, Bluefield. She was Protestant.
Survivors include her husband, Vincent Havens, Homosassa; daughter, Deanna Sizemore, Bluefield; brothers, Dana R. Warden, Dunnellon, and Ronabee Warden, Princeton, W.Va.; sisters, Susan White, Homosassa, and Maxine Burchett, Hartfield, Va.; one grandson; and two great-grandchildren.
Hooper Funeral Home, Homosassa, provided information.
