Michael Demko, a forty-nine year resident of Ft. Myers, passed away at Southwest Regional Hospital on Thursday, September 9, 2004. He was born in 1917, in McKeesport, PA. He was a Veteran of WWII and the Korean War, among his many commendations were the Purple Hear and three Bronze Stars. He moved to Ft. Myers upon his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1964. He then began his employment with the 7-11 Corporation. He managed various stores throughout the Ft. Myers area from 1964-1998. He spoke often of the many children and families that he met during this time.
He is survived by two daughters; Shelly Demko Wilkinson of Woodbridge, VA and Sandi (Bobbi) Davenport of Powhatan, VA; one granddaughter, Lisa Groenke of Woodbridge, VA; one grandson, Denny (his wife, Susan) Groenke of Seymour, TN; tow sisters, Ann Bubrick of Weirton, WV and Irene Kapusta of Finleyville, PA; several beloved nieces and nephews and close friend and companion Geneva Hall of Ft. Myers.
Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday at 2:00 PM in the Chapel of Harvey-Engelhardt-Metz Funeral Home, 1600 Colonial Blvd., Ft. Myers. Family will receive friends one hour prior to service time at the funeral home. The American Legion Post 38 will provide military honors.
Sandra S. Gordon, 64, of Ft. Myers peacefully entered into rest on Sept. 12th at her home. She was born in Akron, Ohio and moved to Ft. Myers in 1960 where she met her loving husband Lewis (Lew) Gordon.
She was a stay at home mother of three; Richard Gordon (Anne), Roxann Gordon Franklin (James), and Dawn Gordon Garcia (Herberto). Sandy was a proud grandmother to Christine, Michelle, Adam, Justin, Desmond, Tommy, Austin, Logan and Thomas. It was always Nana's & Grandpap's house that all the grandchildren wanted to go and celebrate their birthday parties, year end baseball & soccer team parties.
Sandy had a gift with animals that few people possessed. She and her husband raised and showed dogs for 25 years as a hobby, but her dream was to own a horse. Her dream came true at the age of 57. She started taking dressage lessons and successfully competed in some horse shows. Her love and care for her horse did not go unnoticed by all the wonderful loving and supportive friends she met while learning the ropes of dressage.
Sandy is survived by her husband Lewis C. Gordon, 2 brothers, Quin Stumpf (Jacque), Rick Stumpf (Linda) and sister Kay Andrews (Ed) of CA as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.
Memorial service will be conducted on Sat. Sept. 18th in Sandy's memory by Pastor Wayne Cook at 11:00 AM at the Grace United Methodist Church, 13 S.E. 21st Place, Cape Coral with a fellowship luncheon to follow at 12 Noon. All friends and family are welcome. The family requests that donations be made to Hope Hospice in lieu of flowers in memory of SAndy Gordon. Arrangements by Harvey-Engelhardt-Metz Funeral Home.
Jason A. Holder of Tampa passed away August 28, 2004. He was born in Atlanta GA, on October 16th 1970. He served in the U.S. Army and graduated from Florida State University. He resided in the Tampa Bay area where he worked for Price Waterhouse Cooper.
Survivors include his son Jason Alexander Holder of Orlando FL; his mother Donna Clarke, Richard Holder his father, grandparents Arthur C. Smith, Dorothy M. Smith, Betty Holder and Sherilyn M. Holder, his wife.
Burial will be held at Lee Memorial Gardens, Fort Myers. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Southwest Florida, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238
C. Michael Istenes, 33, of Ft. Myers died September 11, 2004. Born August 19, 1971 in Ft. Myers. He is survived by his parents, Charles & Louise Istenes, sister Shelly Istenes, aunt Alma (Frank) Vamum, 2 uncles, Bo (Judy) Koehn, Tommy (Donna) Koehn, and several cousins and close friends.
Funeral will be held Friday, September 17, 2004 at 10:00 AM from the chapel of Lee Memorial Park Funeral Home. The family will receive friends Thursday 6-8 PM at the funeral home. Interment at Lee Memorial Park Cemetery.
Lee Memorial Park
334-4880
Mary Grace Pyle, 58, died Friday, Sept. 10, after a six-month battle with cancer. She was active in the Lee County business world and until recent years in church activities. She was one of the original Sunday School teachers at Church of the Resurrection. Mary Grace was a sparkplug in the American Business Women's Association in the late seventies and early eighties. She served as president and in other offices of the Mocking Bird chapter. She was better known as a travel agent, holding offices in the Southwest Travel Industry Association and other travel organizations. Marjorie DeMaria, for whom she worked many years as manager of the Ports of Call agency in Myerlee Square, says Mary Grace was 'known by most in the industry as the travel agent's travel agent.' Television and newspaper reporters frequently contacted her for travel information and for local reaction to travel news stories. Mary Grace often went beyond expectations. She paid airline tickets for clients in emergencies when they were not able to do so, and drove clients to the airport when transportation was difficult. She had literally hundreds of friends. In the last few years she was associated with Geraci Travel and as her health deteriorated with Adventure Travel.
She left behind her grieving husband Homer, a former newsroom executive at the News-Press, her lover and pal for thirty-one years; her son John of Columbus, Ohio; three stepsons, Mark and Dale of Orlando, and Norman of Greeley, Colorado; her mother Mary Walker of Palm Bay and father Edward Falzone of Buffalo, and sisters Diane of Palm Bay and Cathy of Sumter, South Carolina.
National Cremation Society is making arrangements. A funeral mass, memorial service and reception begin at 10 AM, Sept. 24, in the Church of the Resurrection. Interment in the church's Memorial Garden .
Estelle 'Marie' Redden, 54 yrs., of N. Ft. Myers went to be with Jesus Sept. 9, 2004. Marie known as 'Shrimp Lady' was well known for her kindness to the homeless.
Predeceased by her parents Richard & Rebecca Redden of Pine Island. She is survived by her babies; Freckles and Ma Ma Cat.
Memorial services will be Wednesday, Sept. 15, 7:00 PM at Gods Pocket, Star Plaza, N. Ft. Myers.
Lurana Allison Birch, 85, of Ft. Myers died August 26, 2005, she was born May 21, 1920 in Manhattan, New York City a daughter of the lateWilliam H. and Mary Ellen Allison, she was reared in Larchmont, NY, and graduated from American Academy of Dramatic Arts of Carnegie Hall class of 1939. She moved to Ft. Myers in 1952 as Mrs. William J. Birch (Mr. Birch died in 1976), she enjoyed playing the piano, golfing, swimming, gardening and did volunteer work for the church and community. Lurana was never without house pets in need of a good home, she maintained the old Allison Family Farm in Pennsylvania which was deeded 1791 from John Penn (William Penn's son).
Mrs. Birch is survived by her son and daughter-in-law William A. and Janine Birch of Ft. Myers, her grandchildren William Drenner Birch, Laura Allison Birch, several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Everyone is invited to the viewing at Ft. Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home on Tuesday evening from 6-8 PM.
A graveside service will be conducted in the Ft. Myers Memorial Gardens Cemetery
on Wednesday at 10:30 AM.
In her memory memorial contributions may be made to Hope Hospice of Lee County.
Ft. Myers Memorial Gardens 239-936-0555.
Domenico Coppola, 81, of Buzzards Bay, MA and Cape Coral, FL died suddenly and unexpectedly Tuesday, July 26, 2005 in Naples, Italy. He was born on the island of Prcida in the Bay of Naples, Italy on August 6, 1923.
Domenico was a 1944 graduate of the Istituto Tecnico Nautico Statale of Procida. He served in the Italian Navy and in the Merchant Marines from 1945 through 1961. He was a marine chief engineer of cargo and passenger ships and also served on several of the MA Maritme Academy Training cruises. He retired from the Brockton VA Hospital as a Boiler Plant Operator in 1987. Domenico traveled between the US and Itlay each summer and spent his winter months in Cape Coral, FL.
Survivors include his sons Anthony, Robert and Domenick Coppola all of Wareham, MA.
He was preceded in death by his special friend Agnes E. Hollway of Fort Myers and Michigan.
His funeral and burial were on Thursday, July 28, 2005 on the island of Procida, Italy.
James H. Henderson, 78, of North Ft. Myers died August 26, 2005. In addition to his wife of 55 years, Barbara M. Henderson he is survived by his daughter, Deborah Kay Henderson and her spouse, Brett Wilson of Louisville, Kentucky and his son, James Douglas Henderson and his spouse, Gerri Henderson of Atlanta, Indiana
, grandchildren Patrick Neely, Joshua Neely, Jeremy Henderson and Brittney Henderson; brother, Bob Henderson and spouse Dorothy,sisters Alice Scotten and spouse Richard and Ruth Baer all of whom live in central Indiana
.
He was a veteran of the Army, serving from July, 1945 until December, 1946. Born in Thomamsborough, Illinois, March 16,1927, he spent most of his career working with the New York Central Railroad which then became the Penn Central Railroad. He then worked for Bargain Bob's Shoes, first in Atlanta, Indiana
then in Greenwood, Indiana
. Upon moving to Florida in the early 90's he began working at Southwest Florida Auto Auction, where he was employed at the time of his death.
A memorial service will be conducted August 29, 2005 , 11 a.m. at Bayside Community Chapel, located at Samville Road/Church Road in Pioneer Village.
In lieu of flowers,donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
Arthur William Kelley, "Speed", 83 of Fort Myers passed away Thursday August 25, 2005. Arthur was the son of the late Arthur and Isabelle (Hendry) Kelley and was a pioneer of Lee County and part of four generations of the Kelley and Hendry families born in Fort Myers. He was a devoted member of the Parkway Baptist Church and enjoyed his dedicated involvement with the church. He owned and operated Kelley Nurseries for over sixty years and was a member of the Fort Myers Rotary Club, County Farm Bureau and served on the State Board. Arthur was an avid hunter and fisherman and served his country in the United States Navy. He was predeceased by his brother Jimmy and sister Tilda Lorraine.
Arthur is survived by his loving wife Dixie of 55 years, two sons; Drew Kelley, and Kent (Claudine) Kelley, his daughter Piper (Michael) Hunt, four grandchildren; Aubrey (Bruce) Harwood, Nigel, Darby, and Ethan Kelley, also a brother Joseph (Gloria) and his sister Julia Pate.
Family will receive friends Monday 6 PM to 8 PM at the Harvey-Engelhardt-Metz Funeral Home, 1600 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers. Burial will be in the Hendry Frierson Cemetery
in Fort Myers. A Memorial Service will be conducted at the Parkway (Briarcliff) Baptist Church, 6211 Briarcliff Road, Fort Myers Tuesday afternoon at 2 PM. Services will be conducted by the Pastor Leonard Anderson. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Parkway Baptist Church in Arthur's name would be deeply appreciated.
Christine D. Martinez, 56, of Cape Coral passed away on Friday August 26, 2005. She was born on July 30, 1949 in Washington , D.C. to Christopher L. and Ruth C. Conklin Dunnigan, IL. Christine was the first female in the history of Abbott Laboratories to become a Warehouse Manager.
Formerly of Texas , she had resided here for the past five years, and served as a PSA at the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Fort Myers. She was an active member of St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church where she taught religious education and was a greeter. Christine also volunteered at Hope Hospice South in the Pharmacy. Her parents and two sisters, Pat Dunnigan and Kay Dunnigan-DeBoer preceded her in death.
Surviving are her loving husband of 21 years, Jack; two sons, Brian (Asher) Martinez and Jeffrey (Jessica) Martinez; two brothers, Christopher L. Dunnigan,III and James Dunnigan; two nieces, Heidi (Kevin) Kloss and Paula DeBoer; two nephews, Gregory DeBoer and Curt DeBoer; and dear friends, Carol Swanson, Sheila Morrison, Tom and Marylou Weiland and Debbie Dirks.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday September 7, 2005 at 10 A.M. at St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church, 1922 S.W. 20th Avenue Cape Coral. Memorials may be made to Hope Hospice or St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church. Care and arrangements entrusted to Cape Coral Memorial Funeral Home.
