Charles Eargle, 57 Inverness
Charles D. Eargle, 57, Inverness, died Thursday, July 24, 2003, in Inverness.
He was born September 23, 1945, in Shreveport, La., to George and Nellie Eargle.
He was a retired supervisor with the Sprint telephone company.
Mr. Eargle was a member of the Masonic Lodge and an avid fisherman.
He was Lutheran.
Survivors include his wife, Bonnie I. Eargle of Inverness; son, Charles D. Eargle of New Ringgold, Pa.; daughter, Patricia A. Walker of Hernando; and four grandchildren.
Hooper Funeral Homes and Crematory, Beverly Hills.
Ernest Smith, 96 Inverness
Ernest Russell Smith, 96, Inverness, died Friday, July 25, 2003, in Inverness.
He was born July 20, 1907, in Hamilton, Ohio, to Sarah (Mahler) and Thomas Jefferson Smith. He moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1967 and then to Citrus County in 1970.
He worked at Patterson Field, which was later renamed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairfield, Ohio, where he received numerous promotions until retiring after 30 years of employment. After retirement, he obtained his real estate license and opened Ernie Smith Realty Inc. where he met his current wife.
Mr. Smith was raised to a Master Mason on Feb. 20, 1930, at Yellow Springs, Ohio Lodge No. 421 and received his 32nd degree in the Dayton, Ohio, Consistory Scottish Rite.
He was one of eight charter members of the Michael L. Finnell Lodge No. 711, F&AM; in Fairborn, Ohio, where he served as Master in 1937.
He was a Shriner at the Antioch Shrine Temple in Dayton, Ohio before transferring to the Egypt Shrine and then the Tampa and Citrus Shrine Club.
He was a member of the Hernando Church of the Nazarene.
A daughter, Sarah Ellen Smith preceded him in death Jan. 25, 2003, .
Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Velma Louise "Breeze" Brisendine Smith of Inverness; son, Dale Martin Smith of New Carlisle, Ohio; two stepdaughters, Kathy Kelly of Ocala and Debbie Olson of Miami; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and two step-great-grandchildren.
Hooper Funeral Homes and Crematory, Inverness.
Thomas Vacirca, 87 Beverly Hills
Thomas Vacirca, 87, Beverly Hills, died Saturday, July 26, 2003, Lecanto.
He was born July 16, 1916, in Italy to Gitano and Frances Vacirca.
Mr. Vacirca was retired from the U.S. Postal Service.
He came to the area in 1971 from Brooklyn, N.Y.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He was a member of the Italian/American Social Club. He was Catholic.
His wife, Giovannina Berdina Vacirca preceded him in death in April 2002.
There were no known survivors.
Hooper Funeral Homes and Crematory, Beverly Hills.
Frances Venezia, 85 Beverly Hills
Frances R. Venezia, 85, Beverly Hills, died Friday, July 25, 2003, in Lecanto.
She was born June 26, 1918, in Lynbrook, N.Y., to Anthony and Rosary Fischetti and came here from Cedar Hurst, L.I., N.Y., 24 years ago, where she was a teacher's aide for New York School Board of Education.
She was a member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Beverly Hills, and the Italian American Social Club.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Adolph "Duke" Venezia, on Aug. 4, 1978; and son, Ramon Navarra, in June 1998.
Survivors include three daughters, Sophia Hodge of Beverly Hills, Dorothy Blasi of Hewlett, N.Y., and Barbara Politano of Inwood, N.Y.; seven grandchildren including Jodi Hodge, with whom she made her home; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Hooper Funeral Homes and Crematory, Beverly Hills.
Sheri Lynn Boggess, 39
Sheri Lynn "Frenchie" Boggess, of Dunnellon, died Tuesday, July 8, 2003, in Dunnellon. Born in West Palm Beach, she came here in 1995 from there. She was 39.
Ms. Boggess was a nail technician.
Survivors include her husband, Robert; a son, Bert Lee Boggess; father, Bert Fusco of Jupiter; fiancee, Donald Bailey of Dunnellon; sister, Pam Denny of Palm Beach Gardens; several nieces and nephews.
Joyce E. Duffecy, 87
Joyce Eva Duffecy, 87, a homemaker, died Sunday, July 13, 2003 in Citrus Springs. A native of Sydney, Australia, she moved to Citrus Springs from Glenrock, N.J. 24 years ago.
Survivors include two sons, Peter Duffecy of Leland, Ill. And Christopher Duffecy of St. Petersburg; two daughters, Lynne Wright of Gresham, Oregon and Susanne Ryan of East Hampton, N.Y.; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Lucille Gunter, 50
Lucille Gunter, 50, a laborer, died Monday, July 7, 2003, at Crystal River Nursing Home. Ms. Gunter was a native of Lebanon.
Survivors include her sisters, Mable Smith and Bertha Murphy, both of Dunnellon, Annie Gunter, Linda Gunter, Doretha Gunter and Alberta Jones, all of Sebring; and brothers, Lewis Gunter, Jessie Gunter and Willie Reddick, all of Sebring.
Carnegie Funeral Home, Chiefland, provided information.
Robert M. Hoeppner, 80
Robert Merlin Hoeppner, 80, a retired aircraft mechanic for the U.s. Air Force, died Friday, July 11, 2003. A native of Cherokee, Iowa, he moved to Dunnellon from Lehigh Acres in 2000. Mr. Hoeppner was a member of Dunnellon Assembly of God, the Masons and was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Bertha; son, Robert Wesley, LaQuinta, Calif; daughters, Deb Sternberg, Antiock, Ill., and Colleen Spillman, Dunnellon; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Jane H. Ketcham, 94
Jane Helene Ketcham, 94, a former bomb assembler for Rariton Arsenal during World War II, died Saturday, July 5, 2003, at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, Orange City. A native of Newark, N.J., she moved to Dunnellon from Fort Lauderdale 18 years ago.
Mrs. Ketcham was a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Dunnellon.
Survivors include her sons, Paul Ketcham and Franklin Ketcham, both of Deltona; daughter, Rosemarie Hellegaard of Dunnellon; brother, Franklin Michenfelder of Atlanta; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry, on April 6, 1969; and a daughter, Anne Tenaglia.
Fero Funeral Home, Dunnellon, provided information.
Margaret Keeling, 95
Margaret Edna Keeling, 95, a retired registered nurse from Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa., died Wednesday, July 9, 2003, at Life Care Center, Lecanto. She was born Feb. 5, 1908, in Allegheny, Pa., and was the daughter of the late William and Edna (McClosky) Zapf. She came to Dunnellon six years ago from Orlando.
She was a member of St. Benedict's Catholic Church.
Survivors include three sons, Edward Keeling of Tiberon, Calif., and William and Frodey Keeling, both of Crystal River; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Albert J. Labukas Sr., 75
Albert J. Labukas Sr., 75, a retired truck driver, died Sunday, July 6, 2003, at home. A native of Scranton, Pa., he moved to Dunnellon 11 years ago.
Mr. Labukas was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7991, Dunnellon; American Legion; Loyal Order of the Moose, Dunnellon; Teamsters Union; Tauras Club; and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Dunnellon. He served in the U.s. Army during World War II and the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Lorella; son, Albert Labukas Jr., Belleville, Ill.; daughter, Jane Dolphin, Scranton; sister, Veronica Marsiglia, Phoenix; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Fero Funeral Home, Dunnellon, provided information.
Clifford Peterson, 83
Clifford E. Peterson, 83, a longtime resident of Inglis and Grayling, Mich., died at home on Friday, July 11, 2003, after a lengthy illness. Mr. Peterson was born in Hancock, Mich., in 1920.
He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy. Mr. Peterson was a certified public accountant with clients in Florida and Michigan.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia; two sons, Douglas Lott of Jacksonville and Brad Peterson of Ocala; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren
Strickland Funeral Home, Crystal River, provided information.
