Mert Aldrich, 85 Inverness
Mert Watson Aldrich, 85, Inverness, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003, at Citrus Memorial Hospital of Inverness.
A native of Detroit, Mich., he was born Sept. 1, 1918, to Fred and Bessie Aldrich. He came here in 1976 from Fenton, Mich.
He retired from the Buick Division of General Motors in Flint, Mich., with 32 years of service.
He was in the U.S. Navy.
He was Protestant.
He loved to play the organ and had a sense of humor.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Betty Aldrich of Inverness; two sons, Ronald M. Aldrich and his wife Barbara of Durand, Mich., and Kenneth W. Aldrich and wife Linda of Inglis; daughter, Nancy R. Mullins of Hernando; three brothers, Fred of Linden, Mich., Stanley of Fenton, Mich., and David of Burbank, Calif.; sister, Betty Lou Morris of Travis City, Mich.; five grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home, Inverness.
John Downs, 91 Crystal River
John R. Downs, 91, Crystal River, died Friday, Oct. 3, 2003, in Crystal River.
Born in Pickaway County, Ohio, to William A. Downs and Mattie F. (Holt) Downs, he came here four years ago.
He retired after 30 years as a maintenance supervisor at Ralston Purina Co., in Circleville, Ohio.
He was a member of Gulf to Lake Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Vera A. Trone Downs of Crystal River; son, Charles Trone and wife Martha of The Villages; daughter, Joy Trone and husband Fred Whittemore of Lecanto; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Fero Funeral Home with Crematory, Beverly Hills.
Lois Reedy, 73 Dunnellon
Lois Jean Reedy, 73, Dunnellon, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003, in Dunnellon.
Born in Springbrook, Iowa, she came here from Bellevue, Iowa, in 1999.
She was retired from a health care facility as a technician.
She was Catholic and attended St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
Mrs. Reedy was preceded in death by her husband Robert E. Reedy.
Survivors include two sons, Stanley J. Reedy and Craig M. Reedy, both of Clearwater; three daughters, M. Kilburg Reedy of New York, N.Y., Renee Reedy of Dunnellon, and Andrea Reedy Monaco of Ridgefield, Conn.; brother, Wayne Kilburg of Dubuque, Iowa; two sisters, Darleen Kral of Bensenville, Ill., and Wanda Remakel of Dubuque, Iowa; and seven grandchildren.
Roberts Funeral Home of Dunnellon.
John Winkleblack Jr., 77 Dunnellon
John E. Winkleblack Jr., 77, Dunnellon, died Friday, Oct. 3, 2003, at his home under the care of his family and Hospice of Citrus County.
Mr. Winkleblack was born July 28, 1925, in Bicknell, Ind., to Emma C. and John E. Winkleblack Sr. He came here from Fort Laud-erdale 22 years ago.
He was a retired carpenter.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II.
He was Catholic.
Survivors include his wife, Arlene B. Winkleblack of Dunnellon; two daughters, Gayle Boyd of Seymour, Tenn., and Kathy Fitzgerald of Boca Raton; two brothers, Ed Winkleblack of Grand Rapids, Minn., and Frank Winkleblack of Atton, Ill.; sister, Janice Stumbough of Bloomfield, Colo.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Brown Funeral Home & Crematory, Crystal River.
Ronald Crites, 65 Hernando
Ronald B. Crites, 65, Hernando, died Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003, in Inverness.
He was born June 9, 1938, in Clay County, W.Va., to Edgell Grant Crites and Nora Alice McKown. He moved to the area in 1986 from Galax, Va.
He was an assembler who worked for 17 years at the Ford Motor Co. in Lorain, Ohio.
He served in the U.S. Army.
He was a member of United Auto Workers Local 425, Lorain, Ohio. He attended the House of Power Church in Lecanto. He was a former member of the Free Pentecostal Church, South Amherst, Ohio.
He was preceded in death by two siblings, Don Crites and Carole Stuck.
Survivors include his wife Louisa Crites of Hernando; three sons, Herb VanOver and his wife, Becky, of Galax, Va., Gary VanOver and his wife, Malinda, of Rocky Mount, N.C., and Brain VanOver of Homosassa; three brothers, Gray Crites of Belpre, Ohio, Gene Crites and his wife, Jeanie, of Mineralwells, W.Va., and David Crites of Vienna, W.Va.; three sisters, Sharon Marks and her husband Bruce, of Hockingport, Ohio, Sue Henes and her husband Ralph, of Madison, Wis., and Shirley Boswell and her husband Richard, of Belpre, Ohio; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Hooper Funeral Homes, Inverness.
Gladys Endicott, 77 Inverness
Gladys L. Endicott, 77, Inverness, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003, in Inverness.
She was born March 28, 1926, in Colliertown, Va., to Henry and Iva Long.
She moved to the area in 1972 from Plain City, Ohio.
She was a homemaker.
She was Baptist.
Her husband Marion Endicott preceded her in death.
Survivors include her two stepsons, Bennie Joe Endicott and William R. Endicott, both of Piketon, Ohio; a sister, Ruby Waldrop of South Carolina.
Hooper Funeral Homes, Inverness.
Phyllis Esposito, 69 Beverly Hills
Phyllis A. Esposito, 69, Beverly Hills, died Friday, Oct. 3, 2003, in Lecanto.
A native of Caribou, Maine, she was born Feb. 27, 1934, to Walter and Madeline (Storey) Durost. She came here from Stratford, Conn., in 1994.
Mrs. Esposito was a payroll/bookkeeper with Bryant Electric Company, Bridgeport, Conn.
She retired in 1994 with more than 20 years of service.
She was a member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Beverly Hills.
She loved cooking and caring for her family.
She was predeceased by one sister.
Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Vincent Esposito of Beverly Hills; son, John Esposito of Beverly Hills; daughters, Rose Burzynski and husband Richard, of Titusville, and Debra Esposito of Bridgeport, Conn.; brother, Walter Durost of Maine; two sisters, Arlene Delbene of San Francisco, Calif., and Nancy Hersey of Davenport; and three grandsons.
Fero Funeral Home with Crematory, Beverly Hills.
Dr. Howard McManus Jr., 66 New Port Richey
Dr. Howard A. McManus Jr., 66, New Port Richey, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003, in Hernando.
He was born Jan. 9, 1937, in Queens, N.Y., to Howard and Helen McManus Sr. He moved to the area in 1988 from Glen Cove, N.Y.
He served in the U.S. Air Force.
He was a member of the Nassau County Medical Society, AMA. He was Catholic.
Survivors include two sons, Michael Sean McManus of San Antonio, Texas, and Brian Evan McManus who is currently serving in the U.S. Navy; a daughter, Carolyn Jean Moncada of Orlando; and two grandchildren.
Hooper Funeral Home, Inverness.
