GULF HIGH SCHOOL

Obituaries

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This page was last revised on Apr. 16, 2013.

SAWYER, ARTHUR L., 72, passed away, Thursday, December 22, 2005. He was a long time resident of Brevard County. He attended Gulf High School of New Port Richey. Mr. Sawyer was a sergeant in the United States Air Force.

SCHAEFER, STEPHEN, 51, of Tarpon Springs, died Wednesday (March 15, 1995) at home. He came here in 1967 from his native Brooklyn, N.Y. He worked for the Pasco County school system for 26 years as a teacher and dean of students, most recently at Gulf High School. He was named vocational teacher of the year for 1990-91. He was a president of United School Employees of Pasco and a member of Pasco Vocational Association. Later he owned the Book Fair, Clearwater. He was a graduate of the University of Eastern Kentucky. Survivors include his wife, Barbara; a son, Stephen, Alabama; a daughter, Diana Schaefer, Louisiana; his mother, Helen La Fayette, Somerset, Ky.; and a sister, Laura Hudson, Ferguson, Ky. North/Meadowlawn Funeral Home, Meadowlawn Chapel, New Port Richey.

SCHEIDER, EDDIE. NEW PORT RICHEY - Eddie Scheider was never a champion or an outstanding student. An amateur boxer, he was known as "The Kid." He wasn't rich or famous, but there was something about the 19-year-old that made him special. So special that when he was killed in a car accident July 13 on U.S. 19 in Tarpon Springs, his friends got together and raised money so that he could be buried Thursday. "He was always wanting to make people smile," said his girlfriend, Julie Wioland, 22. "You could just smile thinking about him." At a party last weekend, 18-year-old William Jennings took up a collection. In a few hours, he had raised $150. But $150 doesn't go very far for funeral costs, and Jennings was determined not to have Scheider cremated by the state at a pauper funeral. "No way I was going to let that happen," he said. "I was going around to companies and everything trying to see if I could get the money. But finally, Eddie’s girlfriend, Julie, got the money from her parents and an uncle." So, after raising some more money, Jennings spent $135 on some flowers arranged in the shape of boxing gloves with "The Kid" written across it. Now Jennings has $35 left and he’s still trying to raise money. Jennings and Scheider’s friends want enough for a headstone with boxing gloves inscribed on it, and for a donation to a Dunedin boxing club. "He deserves it," Jennings said. "Boxing was his life. He liked it more than anything." His friends describe the former Gulf High School student as estranged from his family. Although Scheider grew up on his own, he became "everybody’s kid." "He’s got about five mothers by now," said Wioland, who added that Scheider lived with her family for a while, as well as with other friends, including Jennings. His mother died when he was a child, Jennings said, and after that Scheider never heard much from his father, who lives in the Northeast. "At one point, he was living in his car," Jennings said. "He lived out of his car for two months and was still going to school every day. When I found out, he started living with me." Scheider had an engaging personality and always tried to help people, his friends said. That’s why about 150 turned out for his funeral and why Jennings has a list three pages long of people who want to donate money toward the headstone. "You always knew when Eddie was around," said Regine Pender, a friend and supervisor at the Sea Market Restaurant, where he worked as a busboy. "It’s tough for any child to grow up on their own, but fortunately for him, he had that kind of personality that people liked." He was so well liked at the Sea Market that employees took up a collection to help Wioland’s family with funeral costs. The funeral was planned and organized by his friends, and they did things they thought he would like. Since he almost always wore a cap, even when he was asleep, they buried him in a Reebok cap he had been wearing lately. Since he loved cartoons and boxing, they buried him with a little stuffed Tasmanian devil wearing boxing gloves. "We looked it up and a Tasmanian devil is a wolf, not a devil, so it was okay to bury him with it," Jennings said. His friends said Scheider was getting his life together, working at the Sea Market and at Red Lobster, boxing and working on his high school equivalency diploma. "He was showing everyone he could do it," Jennings said. "He had gotten a bad deal, but things were working out for him." One mother whose daughter knew Scheider said she was proud of the way Scheider’s friends handled his death. "These days when the news is always about kids and drugs," said Barbara Carona, "it’s nice to see kids doing something so positive." Scheider was a passenger in a 1978 Pinto station wagon that ran into the back of a pickup truck on July 13. The truck had stopped to pick up a hitchhiker, police said. St. Petersburg Times, July 21, 1989.

SCHULDT, BARBARA A., 66, of Lake Panasoffkee, died on Thursday, June 15, 2006, in Leesburg. She was a beautician. She was born in Hudson and resided in Lake Panasoffkee for the past two years, moving there from Spring Hill. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was Methodist. Survivors include her husband, Gerald; son, Troy Schult of Spring Hill; daughter, Melody Gajus of Cincinnati, Ohio; three grandsons; and many loving friends and family members. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Order of the Eastern Star, New Port Richey Chapter 117, P.O. Box 523 Elfers, FL 34680, or the Bushnell Boys & Girls Club, P.O. Box 2092, Bushnell, FL 33513. Graveside services were conducted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell. Pastor Larry Armbrust officiated. Interment followed at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell. Arrangements were made by Purcell Funeral Home, Bushnell. [Barbara Hatcher, Class of 1957]

[SCHUMACHER] WELCH, LORI KAYE, 33, of New Port Richey, died Saturday (Jan. 31, 2004) at home. Born in Dunedin, she was a lifetime resident of this area. She was an assistant teacher at PHCC and at Deer Park Elementary for special needs children. She was a Navy veteran. She was a member of Calvary Chapel Worship Center. She was a graduate and a member of PHCC Phi Theta Kappa. She was president of the Veterans Association at PHCC. She was a student at St. Petersburg College. She was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader. Survivors include a son, Cody D., and two daughters, Courtney and Cheree, all of New Port Richey; her parents, Michael and Noajean Schumacher, and two brothers, Joshua and Ashton Schumacher, all of Holiday; and paternal grandparents, Sparky and Patt Schumacher, New Port Richey. Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Homes, Holiday. [The photo shows Lori Schumacher from the 1988 yearbook. She was found slain in her apartment.]

SCHUMACHER, LORI (GHS '88). Three kids wake to find mom slain in apartment. NEW PORT RICHEY - Lauren Boltman’s four young daughters first heard screaming early Sunday, then an ambulance siren. The family soon learned their neighbor at Orangewood Lakes Apartments, Lori Kaye Welch, had been slain. The screams were from Welch’s children, who rose Sunday and found their mother dead. "How can you wake up and find a parent like that?" asked Boltman, 33, whose own children often played with Welch’s. "That’s going to be the last image they have of their mom." Welch’s body was found about 8:40 a.m. in the Osteen Road apartment, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said. Sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Doll would not say how the 33-year-old was killed and would not comment on suspects. "We are keeping a lot of this information close to the vest," he said. Boltman, who lived across the parking lot from Welch, said Welch had three children: a son, 10, and two daughters, 11 and 9. Michael Schumacher, Welch’s father, was caring for the children Sunday afternoon. "They're going to need therapy," said Schumacher, 53, of Holiday. "They're going to need counseling for a long, long time." Schumacher said his daughter had recently completed her associate’s degree at Pasco-Hernando Community College and was set to start classes at St. Petersburg College, working toward a bachelor’s degree in computer science. "She was just a wonderful person, very generous and caring and very trusting," he said. "She always wanted to help people." Sheriff’s detectives and officials from the Medical Examiner’s and State Attorney’s offices were investigating Sunday. They carried off evidence in brown paper bags from Welch’s apartment and a nearby trash bin. Doll said Welch’s car, a silver 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis, had been missing Sunday morning but was later found outside Pasco County. Records show that Welch filed for divorce in January 2000 and sought a domestic violence injunction against her husband, Woodrow Welch, that same year. Boltman said Woodrow Welch saw the children only occasionally, during supervised visits. Boltman said Welch had been dating someone else for the past year and planned to marry him in June. A neighbor, 61-year-old Andy Andrews, said the most trouble he has seen at Orangewood Lakes, a federally subsidized housing complex, is an occasional car driving too fast through the parking lot. "The tenants by and large keep to themselves," Andrews said. Information needed St. Petersburg Times, February 2, 2004.

SCHUSTER, KIEL JOSEPH, died on July 9, 2010, from congestive heart failure. He graduated from Gulf in 2004. He was an outstanding athlete and student. He was a son of Bill and Diana Schuster. His brother is Jeremy Schuster. His wife was Nicolette Schuster; they were married in November of 2008. Kiel had a degree in Drafting and Design and was empployed by a Tampa company for which he designed fire alarm systems. He was born on Jan. 28, 1986.

SCHUSTER, SHANE, 22, of Holiday, died Saturday (Sept. 21, 2002) at home. He came here in 1983 from Batavia, N.Y. He was a 1999 graduate of Gulf High School and a member of King of Glory Lutheran Church, New Port Richey. Survivors include his parents, Roger and Sharon Schuster, a brother, Patrick, and a sister, Jennifer Vert, all of Holiday. North/Meadowlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery, New Port Richey.

SCICLI, CHRISTOPHER "BIG CHRIS," 25, of New Port Richey, died Friday, Aug. 29, 2008. Born in Fairfax County, VA, he was a 2000 graduate of Gulf High School. He served one tour of duty with the U.S. Army Airborne in Iraq and was posted at Fort Eustis, VA. Survivors include his forever loving parents, Robert and Michelle Scicli of Walnut Cove, NC; maternal grandfather, Eugene Flippin of Lowgap, NC; maternal grandmother, Shirley Ramey of Lowgap, NC; maternal aunt, Myra Frick of Richboro, PA; maternal uncle, Matthew Flippin of Lewisville, NC; paternal uncles, Randy Scicli of Port Richey, Richard Scicli of Bedford, VA, Ronnie Scicli of Walnut Cove, NC and Louis Scicli of Woodbridge, VA. Visitation will be Tuesday from 2-3 pm at Calvary Chapel Worship Center followed by a service at 3 pm. Contributions may be made to a charitable trust at Wachovia Bank in Christopher’s name. Dobies Funeral Home Seven Springs Chapel 372-2550 dobiesfuneralhome.com

SHELDON, Wilford "Skid", 88, passed into paradise April 16, 2008. World War II and Vietnam decorated pilot, owner and captain of "Skiddid" and "King’s Kid" commercial fishing boat. Church and community servant leader, he is survived with love and thankfulness by his wife; 11 children, 20 grandchildren; and 8 great-grandchildren. Viewing 10 am, services 11 am, interment 1 pm, Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Monday, April 21. Faupel Funeral Home. [GHS ’37]

SHERWIN, CATHY, of the Class of 1986, died in July 1985 as the result of a family boating accident. She was a JV basketball player, sophomore class vice president, a ninth-grade cheerleader, and a basketball statistician. Survivors include her parents, Gary and Sheila, two brothers, Jonathan and Gregory, two sisters, Christine and Kayla, all of New Port Richey; and her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Sherwin of Tarpon Springs.

SIGMON, HAZEL B. HUDSON, 96, of Tavares, passed away Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Born in Hudson, she moved to Tavares in 2007 from Royal Palm Beach, FL. She was a Homemaker and was a member of Westside Baptist Church, Elfers, FL. Hazel is survived by her 2 sons, Wayne (Caroline) Sigmon, Royal Palm Beach, Glenn (Nancy) Sigmon, Minneapolis, MN; daughter, Carolyn (Larry) Alverson, Eustis, FL; 4 grandchildren, Leighann, Andrea, Stephanie, Michelle & 9 great-grand- children. Graveside services will be held at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater Monday, July 25th at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Florida Baptist Childrens Home, P.O. Box 8190, Lakeland, FL 33802. Online Guestbook available at www.hardenpauli.com Harden/Pauli FH, Eustis, FL. [GHS Class of 1934]

SLATER, WILLIAM TIMOTHY. Mr. William Timothy Slater, 42, 1024 Branchwood Drive, Kernersville, died Sunday [Feb. 14, 1988] at Forsyth Hospital. Funeral services will be 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church in Kernersville by Pastor L. A. Wolf. Visitation will follow the service. Mr. Slater was born October 7, 1945, in Winston-Salem to William Lewis and Frances Woodlief Slater. He was a graduate of Georgia Tech, class of 1971. He was formerly employed by ITT Grinnell as construction manager. Mr. Slater was presently owner and operator of Jani-Kinig of Triad. He was a member of Fountain of Life Lutheran Church. Surviving are his wife, Dee Woolsey Slater, of the home; two sons, William Eric and Douglas Brian Slater, both of the home; his father, William Lewis Slater, and two brothers, Keith Slater and Mike Slater. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Vogler’s Main Street Funeral Home. The family requests that memorials be made to Fountain of Life Lutheran Church, 201 Forest Drive, Kernersville, N.C. 27284. [From the Winston-Salem Journal, Feb. 16, 1988. Mr. Slater was the salutatorian of the GHS Class of 1963.]

SLOAN, VERNA MAE, 70, a lifelong resident of Aripeka, died July 26. Survived by children, Steve Sloan of Aripeka and Terri (Rick) Croley of North Port; six siblings, John Norfleet, Betty Millard, Wayne Norfleet, Carl Norfleet, Joe Norfleet and Carol Ann White; grandchildren, Corbin and Tanner Croley. She was born on November 10, 1940. [GHS ’58]

SMALLZE, JOSEPH R. “JOE,” 18, of Holiday, died Monday (April 22, 2002) at home. Born in Secaucus, N. J., he came here in 1996 from Jersey City, N. J., and was a telemarketer for A&C Co. He was a Methodist. Survivors include his parents, Ray and Diane, a sister, Jamianne, and two brothers, Travis and Nicholas, all of Holiday; paternal grandfather, Raymond Smallze, Keyport, N. J.; paternal grandmother and stepgrandfather, Martha and Robert Hunt, Manahawkin, N. J.; maternal grandparents, Joseph and Connie Meek, Holiday. Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Homes, Holiday.

ST. CLAIR, MARK. Mark St. Clair, a longtime teacher, administrator and superintendent with the Pasco County School System, died Tuesday at the Orchard Ridge Nursing Center. He was 90. "Oh no," said Renee Sedlack when she heard the news Wednesday. She is the former principal of Lacoochee Elementary School, where Mr. St. Clair was head administrator for 20 years. "He was a very nice man. I'm sorry to hear that he passed away," she said. Mr. St. Clair began working at the Lacoochee school in 1928, following his graduation from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. In 1948, he was elected as Pasco’s school superintendent and served two four-year terms. Chester W. Taylor Jr., the man who defeated Mr. St. Clair in 1956, spoke highly of his former opponent. "I thought the world of him," said Taylor, 71. "He was a wonderful person, and well-respected and liked by everyone." Mr. St. Clair also worked 10 years in Leesburg as a high school teacher and administrator before retiring from education in 1968. His teaching specialty was English, but he also taught civics, science and mathematics during his 40-year career. His parents also were teachers. His mother, Zellie, taught in their home state of Georgia and his father, James, taught at Gulf High School in New Port Richey for 20 years before retiring in 1949. The St. Clair Athletic Field at the Schwettman Building on Grand Boulevard is named for Mr. St. Clair’s father. Mr. St. Clair was a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church where he taught adult Bible classes for 35 years. He was married to his first wife, Alice, for 34 years before she died in 1960. They had one son, James H. St. Clair, a retired Air Force colonel who lives in St. Louis. Mr. St. Clair is survived by his wife of 32 years, Helen; his sister, Mary Lou Knight of New Port Richey; and two grandchildren. Viewing will be Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at North Meadowlawn Funeral Home, 4244 Madison St. in New Port Richey. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 6543 Jefferson St., also in New Port Richey. - Information from the Orchard Ridge Nursing Center was used in this report. St. Petersburg Times, July 6, 1995.

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Retired educator Mark St. Clair, whose lessons of respect and hard work stuck with his students decades after they graduated, died Tuesday. He was 90. "At the school reunions you could always tell where he was sitting, because there was always a long line of people waiting to see him," said Lorise Abraham, 66, of Dade City, who once sat in St. Clair’s ninth-grade classroom. "I don't know what made him so different. He just had a way of reaching young people." St. Clair was born in Statesboro, Ga., to two educators. His mother taught in Georgia until the family moved, and his father taught at Gulf High School in New Port Richey. St. Clair Athletic Field at the Schwettman Education Center is named for him. The family moved to Dade City in 1919. Mark St. Clair graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland in 1928. He taught in Lacoochee and spent 20 years as principal there, and served as Pasco County school superintendent for eight years in the 1940s and 1950s. He spent 10 years as an assistant principal in Leesburg. Before he retired in 1968, St. Clair served in Florida schools for 40 years. "When you left his class, you knew what he was trying to teach you," Lorise Abraham said. He was "never mad, never mean, but firm," added her husband, Lewis Abraham, also one of St. Clair’s students. St. Clair married his first wife, teacher Alice Mullin in 1926. She died in 1960. He married Helen Jackson Swartsel in November 1962. A lifelong Methodist, he taught adult Bible classes for 35 years. He is survived by his wife, Helen of New Port Richey; a son, James H. of St. Louis; a sister, Mary Lou Knight of New Port Richey; and two grandchildren. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at North/Meadowlawn Funeral Home, 4244 Madison St., New Port Richey. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church of New Port Richey. Burial be in Meadowlawn Memorial Garden. Tampa Tribune, July 6, 1995

STEVENSON, HARMON C., 79, of Inverness, formerly of St. Petersburg, died Saturday (June 23, 2001) in Inverness. Born in Elfers, he became a seasonal resident of Inverness 31 years ago. He moved from St. Petersburg and became a permanent Inverness resident after his retirement from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department. He was a former member of the Florida Highway Patrol, which he joined in 1946 as a driver’s license examiner after leaving World War II service in the Coast Guard. He left the FHP in 1953 to join the Clearwater Police Department and became a member of the Pinellas County Traffic Patrol in 1954. He was Protestant. In St. Petersburg he was a 32nd degree Mason and member of Sunshine Lodge. He was a coach and manager in the Northwest Little League. Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Gloria Kelly Stevenson; two sons, Harmon, Floral City, and Wilmon, Inverness; two daughters, Patricia Stevenson and Brenda Bergman, both of Inverness; two brothers, Wilmon and Richard, both of New Port Richey; two sisters, Gertrude Burgess, Seffner, and Hazel Uzzle, New Port Richey; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home with Crematory, Inverness.

STEVENSON, WILMON. His small-town values were easy to inherit. An old-fashioned house painter, he had a tireless work ethic and strong moral compass.NEW PORT RICHEY - In a Cracker tradition, a special family member is chosen to walk around the house before bringing a newborn baby home. The hope is, the baby will inherit that person’s traits. Wilmon Stevenson was always that person. People hoped his tireless work ethic, steadfast morals, and sharp ideas of right and wrong would rub off. He was a well-known house painter in New Port Richey. He never used a sprayer, always a brush. He teetered on an old extended ladder that reached more than two stories high. His business card had a small-town, four-digit phone number. He'd come home smelling of turpentine and linseed oil. He kept paint cans in his car. Mr. Stevenson’s first wife died when his daughter was a teenager, and he assumed the role of mother and father. He taught his daughter, Beva Karay, how to freshwater fish for crappie using six poles at once. He taught her to water ski and use tools. And he taught her life lessons. As a teen, Karay was embarrassed by the old paint car. She asked him to drop her off a few blocks away from school. She got a lecture - never be embarrassed of what your family has. He wanted her to embrace his small-town values. Once, as she drove with him in the passenger seat, she nodded at a passerby. "Don't think you're too good to wave your hand!" he yelped. Mr. Stevenson built a stilt house in the gulf using remnants from an old barn. He built a cabin in Cross Creek in New Tampa, and a family home in Trouble Creek in Pasco where his daughter dug for arrowheads. When she heard panthers at night, she'd call him to the bedroom to listen to her panicked heartbeat. On weekends, the family took day trips to Clearwater to window shop and eat ice cream cones. After he'd worked long days, he'd take Karay, now 63, to a store in Elfers for a banana Popsicle. Mr. Stevenson got remarried to a woman named Alma, who died about two years ago from Lou Gehrig’s disease. He found peace by attending church in Tarpon Springs every Sunday, and following up with a Greek lunch. Every morning, he ate a waffle with syrup and peanut butter. He'd help take his great-granddaughters to school, then walk around from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to stay limber. Alzheimer’s set in, and Mr. Stevenson had a devastating fall. He died on Monday. He was 88. He left a long list of home improvement projects he never got to complete, and his daughter promises she'd do them all. Biography Wilmon Stevenson. Born: June 22, 1919. Died: Dec. 31, 2007. Survivors: Daughter, Beva Karay; granddaughter, Katherine O'Donnell; great-granddaughters Sabrie, Sierra and Shauna O'Donnell; numerous stepfamily members, in-laws, nieces and nephews. Services: Visitation from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 12 with service following at Michels-Lundquist, 5228 Trouble Creek Road. Burial at East Elfers Cemetery. St. Petersburg Times, January 5, 2008.

STOUGH, ZACHARY, 18, of New Port Richey, died Monday (Oct. 11, 2004) at home. He was born in New Port Richey and was employed by Tri County Aluminum. He was Baptist. Survivors include his parents, Harry and Karen Stough, New Port Richey; a brother, Chad, York, Pa.; six sisters, Terri Barbour, Dayle Barbour, Kiri Stough, Angel Stough and Cheyenne Dietz, all of New Port Richey, and Linda Stough, York; and paternal grandparents, Harry and Janet Stough, York. Morgan Funeral Home and Cremation Services, New Port Richey.

SUTTLE, STEVEN D., 40, of New Port Richey Born on February 17, 1969. Passed away August 30, 2009. Steve served as a Behavioral Detection Officer for the TSA for 7 years and is a proud veteran of the US Army. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kelly and their daughter, Molly; parents, David and Cynthia; brother, Jeffery. Visitation will be Friday at 6 PM with a funeral to begin at 7 PM at Dobies Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Best Friends Society or Joining Hands Kids Mission of Pasco. Dobies Funeral Home-7Springs 727-372-2550 [GHS Class of 1987]

SWARTSEL, DALE, 80, of Tarpon Springs, died Oct. 15, 2007. He was born in Bartow and came here in 1954 from Lake Wales. He graduated from Gulf High School an Florida Southern College. He was a World War II Navy veteran, a citrus grower, and real estate developer in Pasco County. He was a member of Swartsel Masonic Lodge F&AM, Land O’ Lakes, and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was preceded in death by a brother, Ross V. Swartsel, and sister, Maxine Gause. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary K. Swartsel, Tarpon Springs; 2 daughters, Susan (Richard) Gabriel, St. Augustine, and Dottie Towne (David Webster), Tampa; 1 brother, E. F. Swartsel, Baillies Bluff; 7 grandchildren, Lela and Lara Gabriel, Joey Towne, Brett, Lisa, John, and Susan Webster. Visitation 10 am, Funeral Service 11 am on Oct. 22 at: Vinson Funeral Home, Tarpon Springs.

TATUM, LONNIE GLENN, principal of Anclote Elementary School for nine years, has died at age 51. Anclote school opened in 1972 under Tatum’s direction, and he remained the principal until a lengthy illness forced him to retire in July 1991, district records show. He had also been an assistant principal at Mittye P. Locke Elementary School and band director at Gulf High School. In all, he spent 27 years in the Pasco school system. He died in Tampa Memorial Hospital. Teacher Tina Fields, who began working for Tatum in 1973, described him as a caring, compassionate man dedicated to education. "He gave teachers every opportunity to grow," she said. Tracy Bryne, 24, is a teacher at Anclote and was a student at the school from third grade to sixth grade. She remembered Tatum as, "The Principal." The teachers who Tatum hired influenced Bryne to become a teacher, she said. Teacher Lynn Keim said she remembers Tatum as always involved in the school when he was principal. He had an annual fund raiser in which he rolled up his sleeves and dished up ice cream for parents who supported the school, Keim said. "He set a good Christian example for the students," she said. Teacher Donna True said Tatum was fair and reasonable. She remembers that he gave her first job in Pasco, where she has taught for 25 years. "He was good at getting the most out of the children and the teachers," she said. Anclote Principal Mary Stelnicki said the school will donate books to the library in memory of Tatum. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Elfers. He is survived by his wife Esther, son Daryl and daughter Michelle Mercer. [Tampa Tribune, December 15, 1992]

TAYLOR, MARK H., 33, of New Port Richey, died Wednesday (Dec. 23, 1998) at Community Hospital of New Port Richey. Born in Methuen, Mass., he moved here from Salem, N.H. He graduated from Gulf High School, New Port Richey, and was employed by Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor. Survivors include his wife, Diane, and a daughter, Kendra Lynn; his mother, Mildred Taylor of Salem, N.H.; three brothers, Joseph Leonard and Jay Clifford, both of Salem, and George Taylor, Florida; three sisters, Millie Clifford, Atkinson, N.H., Jeanne Leonard, West Park, Maine, and Karen Warrenfells, Niceville. International Funeral Home, St. Petersburg.

TEIXEIRA, DANNY L., 21, of New Port Richey, died Saturday (March 1, 2003) at Mease Dunedin Hospital. Born in Boston, Mass., he came here 13 years ago from Everett, Mass. He was a college student and member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Survivors include his daughter, Anjulik Helena Teixeira, New Port Richey; his parents, Eugenia and Domingos, New Port Richey; his grandmother, Lidia Teixeira; three brothers, Kennedy, Michael and James, all of New Port Richey; and companion, Kim Olsen. Trinity Memorial Gardens, New Port Richey.

THIEL, GEORGE E. SR., 87, of New Port Richey, died Wednesday (April 7, 2004) at Hernando-Pasco Hospice in New Port Richey. He was born in Muncie, Ind., and has lived here for 85 years. He was the owner/operator (meat cutter) of George’s Market in New Port Richey. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He was a charter member of Father Felix Ullrich Knights of Columbus Council and was a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Harriet; a son, George, and a daughter, Dianne DeVault, both of New Port Richey; a sister, Margaret Foote, Sarasota; and three grandchildren. Michels & Lundquist Funeral Home, New Port Richey.

THOMPSON, CAROL J. (BROWN), 56, of Holiday, FL, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 15, 2007. Carol was born Aug. 23, 1951 in Niagara Falls, NY to James Brown and the late Margaret (Martus) Brown. She attended Gulf High School. She was preceded in death by her mother and stepsister, Carol McKnight. She is survived by her loving family, her father, James (Tina) Brown; son, Jeffrey Thompson; daughter, Cheryl Thompson; 3 grandchildren, Jeffrey, Autumn and Declan; sisters; Sandy Brown Lehtinen and Cathy Brown (Mark) Petty; step sister; Sharon Thompson, step brother; Stephen Miklos, and several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at: Meadowlawn Funeral Home, 4244 Madison St., New Port Richey, FL 34652 on Wednesday, Sept. 19, from 68 pm. A Memorial Service will be held at 7:30 pm with Rev. William Clarke officiating. Donations may be made in memory of Carol to: SPCA Suncoast, 7734 Congress St., New Port Richey, FL 34652. Serenity Meadows Funeral Home (813)677-9494 Michael K. Wick, F.D. www.serenitymeadows.com

TIPTON, CRYSTAL S., 45, of New Port Richey, died Friday (June 6, 2003) in New Port Richey. Born in Danville, Ill., she was a lifelong resident of New Port Richey. She was a homemaker, a volunteer for American Cancer Society, Little League, and First Baptist Church, where she was a member, a member of Suncoast Women’s Bowling Association, Neighborhood Director of Girls Scout, Band Booster for Ridgewood and Bayonet Point Schools, and sat on the Advisory Board of Pasco County Schools. She was chosen as "Most Courageous Cancer Fighter in Pasco County" by the American Cancer Society. Survivors include her husband, Landon Jr.; three daughters, Lisa Tipton, Holiday, and Christina Tipton and Tammy Rockett, both of New Port Richey; her mother, Margie Roach, Holiday; her father, Larry White, Illinois; two brothers, Chandler Roach, Hudson, and Chris White, Illinois; three sisters, Cindy Gee and Terri Miller, both of Indiana, and Carla Nuniak, New Port Richey; and a grandchild. Trinity Memorial Gardens, New Port Richey.

TRUE, CHESTER WENDELL, Chief Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret). 08/01/1935 - 02/07/2013. He was born Aug, 1, 1935 at Rings Island, Salisbury, MA and died Feb. 7, 2013, age 77 in Roseville, CA. He is survived by Julia Lynne (Daniels), his loving wife, friend and partner of 27 years whom he adored. Also survived by step-daughter, Velinda Ross and step-granddaughter Samantha Carmona. From a previous marriage he is survived by his daughter, Thurvia Dany and her husband Gary Vieau; and granddaughters Katie and Taylor Rae Vieau of Somerville, SC. Also survived by a son, David F. True of Dalton, GA by his second wife, Alicina; sisters, Arlene Ferry and Denise Blanton; and brothers, Robert, Steven and Herbert, all of Sacramento; a cousin, Shirley Dangerfield of Roseville, CA; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Hazel Alice (Clark) and his father, Herbert. His family moved to California about 1940. After WWII, they moved to new Port Richey, FL, where he grew up and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Gulf High School in 1952 and then attended Florida Southern College where he lettered in Crew Racing as the teams coxswain and was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa social fraternity. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1954 and served honorably for 30 years in the Personnel career field. He was stationed at various locations including Mater AFB, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, Lackland AFB, Texas, Goodfellow AFB, Texas, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal and Clark AFB, Philippines. He retired from the Air Force in 1984 and found employment with the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). When he retired from SHRA in 1995, he was the Asst. Director of the Housing Dept. He held a BA degree in Human Resource Management, and served as Sacramento's Regional Representative of the Alumni Association Board for the Union Institute college of undergraduate Studies. His hobby was genealogical research. Assisted by his wife Julia, they made numerous visits to the town of his birth where they spent countless hours recording names and other genealogical information from the gravestones in current and historic local cemeteries. They then published the results of their research and donating these books to libraries and public works departments in that area. His research also revealed that he was the 7th great-grandson of Mary Perkins Bradbury, an innocent victim who was convicted of witchcraft in the Salem, Massachusetts witchcraft trials of 1692. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the McClellan Chiefs Group, in c/o MCSgt. (Ret.) George Moses, Dir. of Retiree Activities, Tele: (916) 561-7507.

TUCKER, GORDON L., 61, of Spring Hill, died Saturday (July 23, 1994). Born in West Helena, Ark., he came here in 1974 from St. Petersburg, where he had lived since the late 1940s. A graduate of Arkansas State College, he received a master’s degree from Florida Atlantic College, Palm Beach. He was former headmaster at Canterbury School of Florida, St. Petersburg, from 1971 to 1973. He was principal at Bay Pointe Junior High from 1974 to 1983 and also taught at Gulf High School in Pasco County. He was an Air Force veteran of the Korean War and was a Baptist. Survivors include a sister, Fran T. Davis, St. Petersburg; a brother, Robert A. Tucker, Monroe, La.; four nephews; and three nieces. Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes, Ninth Street Chapel, St. Petersburg.

UHLE, WILLIAM C., "BILLY," 19, of Holiday, died Monday (Aug. 6, 2001) in Holiday. Born in Port Jefferson, N.Y., he came here in 1998 from Madison Heights, Va. He worked as a cook at Villa Roma Italian Restaurant & Pizza in Holiday and was a 1999 graduate of Gulf High School. Survivors include his parents, Warren and Nanette, Holiday; two sisters, Felicia, New Port Richey, and Paige, Holiday; and his grandparents, Fred and Claire Fallen, Lady Lake. Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Homes, Holiday.

VOORHEES, WALT M. Walter M. Voorhees, former Pasco County Commission chairman and the first Big Brother in the county, died in his home Monday (Oct. 13, 1986) after a seven-month fight with cancer. He was 66. Mr. Voorhees, at one time dubbed “Four-to-one Voorhees” because he often voted in the minority on the County Commission, was a controversial figure during his tenure on the commission from 1970-74. But friends and colleagues said Tuesday they remembered him best as a man who was eager to become involved in the community. “This is a great loss for the community,” said former Commissioner Robert Rees, who served two years with Mr. Voorhees and kept in touch as a friend in recent years. Rees said Tuesday that he visited the ailing Mr. Voorhees on Monday and spoke with him briefly. “I thought he was a very fine man, always willing to help,” Rees said. “He was very active in church work, willing to get on a committee. He was very active in the Big Brothers. I tell you, the county has lost a very fine man.” Mr. Voorhees' family moved to West Pasco when he was 2 years old, and he lived here most of his life. He graduated from Gulf High School, and in 1939 joined the Navy, beginning a 27-year career in which he became a pilot and traveled around the world. He retired as a lieutenant. When he was elected to the County Commission in 1970, Mr. Voorhees and newly elected Commissioner Louie E. Holt were the first Republicans ever elected to the County Commission. Holt, now the city manager of Zephyrhills, remembered Mr. Voorhees as a man who “certainly did his share to make it a better community.” “We didn't agree on everything,” Holt said. “But we respected each other’s opinion. I knew him to be an honest person who had his own philosophy about things.” During Mr. Voorhees' tenure as County Commission chairman, there were significant changes, including a change in the very form of county government, as the commission shifted to a county administrator form of government. Mr. Voorhees' interest in children prompted him to become involved in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program in Pasco, and he was the first Big Brother to become matched with a youngster in Pasco in 1984. He also served on the Big Brother board. Mr. Voorhees, who lived at 686 State Road 518 in New Port Richey and owned Citrus Nursery, was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs, the Republican Club of Pasco, American Red Cross and the National Silver Eagles Association. Survivors include his wife JoAnne; a son Mike, New Port Richey; two daughters, Pam Baughm, Orlando, and Sue Scott, Lafayette, La.; a brother Carl, Tulelake, Calif., and three grandsons. Visitation will be Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the North Funeral Home chapel. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in New Port Richey. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that anyone wishing to make a donation send it to the Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs at 709 State Road 518. [GHS ’38]

WAMBLES, ALICE SAWYER, Sept. 17, 1933 to Feb. 11, 2009 Alice was born in Elfers, FL. She was a true Floridian, and graduated at the original Gulf High class of 1951. Alice held many honors in high school. She was voted Best All Around, Most Popular, Wittiest, Biggest Flirt and Best Liked. After graduation, Alice went to work for Publix and had a combined 30 years of service. She is survived by her sister Hazel V. Sawyer Jacobs of Elfers; nine nephews, George, Anthony, Mike and Manuel Kapetanis; Kevin Sawyer, John South; Lafayette (Fat), Clyde and Freddie Sullivan; five nieces, Kally Single-tary, Martha Scott, Joann Kellom, Mary Olson and Dorothy Bronson. Alice will be missed dearly and forever in our hearts. A memorial service will be held, Monday, Feb. 16 at 3 pm. Dobies Funeral Home Congress Chapel dobiesfuneralhome.com

WARDER, JAMES E., 64, of Port Richey, died Saturday (Oct. 24, 1998) at home. Born in Tampa, he came here 20 years ago from Virginia Beach, Va. He was a retired naval science instructor at Gulf High School and a member of St. Michael Catholic Church. He was a master chief petty officer and a member of the Elks Lodge 2284 and the Pasco Gators Booster Club. Survivors include his wife, Ann; five sons, Thomas, Jacksonville, James, Fayetteville, N.C., Mark, West Point, N.Y., Matthew, Port Richey, and Vincent, Hudson; five daughters, Analisa Little, Palm Harbor, Michelle Hansen, New Port Richey, Renee Warder, Port Richey, Cristina Warder, Orlando, and Nicole Warder, Hudson; his mother, Asa Waters, Tampa; a brother, Steve Stinnett; and five grandchildren. Bell Funeral Home, Bayonet Point.

WARDER, MERCEDES, 22, died on November 17, 1990. She was very involved in Gulf High School sports and was a daughter of James Warder. She died in Pinellas County. She was born on Aug. 31, 1968.

BARTOW - WATERS, WENDELL D., age 90, died Tuesday, January 13, 2009, at his residence in Bartow of cancer. Born May 26, 1918 in Worchester, MA, Mr. Waters has been a resident of Bartow 57 years, moving from Stuart, FL. Mr. Waters was a graduate of Gulf High School in New Port Richey as valedictorian of his class of 1935 [should be 1934--jm]. He earned a Bachelors degree in Chemistry at University of Tampa, and a Masters degree in Music Education at Florida State University. He served as a Lieutenant in the Navy as a communications officer in WWII. Mr. Waters moved to Bartow in 1951 employed by IMC Phosphate as a chemist for 20 years, and later with Resources Research of Lakeland. He played the cello with the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, later with the Lakeland Imperial Orchestra for many years. Mr. Waters tuned pianos for local and professional performers at the Lakeland Civic Center, including Elvis Presley and Victor Borge. He was vice president of the Central Florida Technician’s Guild. He was a member, choir director and choir member with the Bartow United Methodist Church. He played the cello with the Trio Unlimited Group for weddings and special events. He is preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Frances M. Waters. He is survived by his daughters: Nadine Robbins & Husband John Johnson of Bartow, Dorothy & husband Chris Cleaves of Palm Bay; son: Roger & wife Joan Waters of Auburndale; 7 grandchildren & 3 great grandchildren. Family will receive friends Friday January 16, 2009, 6-8 pm at the First United Methodist Church, 455 S. Broadway Ave, Bartow. Funeral services will be held Saturday 10:00 am at the Church. Contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church 455 S. Broadway Bartow 33830; Good Shepherd Hospice, 105 Arneson Ave. Auburndale 33823 or Imperial Symphony Orchestra, 1037 S. Florida Ave, Lakeland, 33806. Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, Bartow. Condolences to family at www.whiddenmcleanfuneralhome.com

WEBB, ROSEANN M., 47, of Holiday, passed away on Feb. 21, 2013. She is survived by her son, Kyle; mother, Madelyn; and 2 brothers, William and Robert. She was born on Sept. 12, 1965. Roseann Napolitano was in the Gulf High School Class of 1983. Coastal Cremations, Inc.

WEBB, THOMAS "EDD," 73, of New Port Richey, died Sunday (Jan. 31, 1999) at home. Born in Coffeeville, Ala., he came here 46 years ago from Livingston, Ala., and was retired owner of T. Edd Webb State Farm Insurance. He was a Navy veteran of World War II, a member of First Baptist Church, New Port Richey, past president of the New Port Richey Rotary Club, co-founder of the PAL Football League, a teacher and football coach for Gulf High School and a Little League baseball coach. Survivors include his wife, Maxine; three sons, Clendon, Dale and Michael, all of New Port Richey; a daughter, Cynthia Webb- Orenstein, Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.; two brothers, Roy, Mobile, Ala., and Donnie, Camden, Ala.; four sisters, Gertrude Hope, Mobile, Jeanette Murray, Grove Hill, Ala., Imogene Price, Thomasville, Ala., and Judy Freeman, Orlando; and 10 grandchildren. Faupel Funeral Home, Port Richey.

WEISKOPF, ROBERT C. "BOB," 73, of Tarpon Springs, formerly of New Port Richey, died Monday (Dec. 1, 2003) at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. Born in Tarpon Springs, he returned to Tarpon Springs in 1954 from New Port Richey. He was the owner of Gateway Plaza of New Port Richey and owned the New Port Richey Studio and Camera Shop. He was a freelance photographer whose pictures ran in the St. Petersburg Times and the Clearwater Sun. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War, serving in the Signal Corps Staff as a photographer. He was a member of St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church, where he sang in the choir. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Shirley E.; a son, Dan, Tarpon Springs; two daughters, Lisa Weiskopf, Tampa, and Linda Risola, Tarpon Springs; a brother, James, Houston,; and seven grandchildren. Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Homes, Tarpon Springs.

WETHERELL AARAN A., 34, passed Jan 16, 2010 survived by parents Susan & Jack; sisters Jessica & Tera; daughter Tyrtza. Memorial held at Anderson Park, Tarpon Springs, on Jan 23, 2010 at noon. [GHS Class of 1993]

WHIFFEN, BLEASIA DEAN, 48, of Spring Hill, Pasco County, died Saturday (Oct. 27, 2001) at home. She came here 37 years ago from her native Gaffney, S.C. She was a teacher at Bishop Larkin Catholic School, a CCD teacher, member of the Youth Ministry, art teacher at Gulf High school and a puppeteer with "A Great Love of Puppets." She was a member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. Survivors include her husband, Frank E. Whiffen II; two sons, Steven D. Whiffen, Hudson, and Frank E. Whiffen, Spring Hill; her stepmother, Patricia "Mimi" Sizemore, Hudson; four brothers, Daryl Henslee, Cowpens, S.C.; Elvin Henslee, Gaffney, S.C.; Charles and Roland Sizemore, both of Hudson; and three sisters, Pam Hendersen, Gaffney; Sclena Brantley, Port Richey; and Terri Bearner, Hudson. Prevatt Funeral Home, Hudson.

WHITE, JENNIFER MARIE "JEN," 14, of New Port Richey, formerly of Palm Harbor, died Monday (Sept. 4, 1995) when her bicycle was hit by a car on State Road 54 in New Port Richey. She came to Palm Harbor from her native West Bend, Wis., four years ago and moved to New Port Richey three years ago. She was a student at Gulf High School and attended First Assembly of God Church, both in New Port Richey. Survivors include her parents, Philip J. and Terry R. White, New Port Richey; two brothers, Philip White II and David J. White, both of New Port Richey; her paternal grandmother, Mary Louise Holland, New Port Richey; her maternal grandfather, William E. Null, Milwaukee; her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Gardner, Mauston, Wis.; a paternal great-grandmother, Lorraine Stewart, New Port Richey; maternal great-grandparents, Dan and Flora Stees, Necedah, Wis.; and another maternal great-grandmother, Wanda Null, Punta Gorda. Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Home, Bartelt Road Chapel, Holiday. Pinellas Park

WHITTEMORE, Mr. ROBERT WALTER. Age 42. July 7, 2009. Beloved husband of Kristin, sharing 15 years together. Loving father of Christian 11, Alyssa 9, and Taylor 5. Survived by his parents, Robert and Sherron Whittemore; brothers, Charlie and Curt; and sister, Lee Ann (Zubillaga). Rob was a coach, teacher, and small business owner who loved Jesus and dedicated his life to serving others. Pre-service fellowship Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 10 a.m., followed by a Memorial service at 11 a.m., at Grace Center, 2420 Bethlehem Loop Road, Franklin, TN. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made toward the children’s education at: Whittemore Children’s Education Fund, 2020 Fieldstone Pkwy., Suite 900-155, Franklin, TN 37069. WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, (615) 794-2289. [GHS Class of 1985 and son of GHS art teacher Robert Whittemore]

WILLEY, TROY G., 37, of New Port Richey and formerly of Palm Harbor, died Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at his residence. Troy was born April 26, 1968, in Bethpage, N.Y. He moved to Florida several years ago from Virginia. Troy was a financial planner and Catholic by faith. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Willey; son, Jack Willey; both of Palm Harbor, Fla.; two brothers, Adam and Brett; a sister, Kristan Galassi; and his father, James; all of New Port Richey, Fla. A memorial service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, June 25, 2005, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 3200 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater, Fla. National Cremation Society New Port Richey.

WILSON, ROBERT S., 82, of Largo passed away April 11, 2013. Son of the late Albert and Mildred Wilson, and preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Siggens Wilson. He graduated from Largo High School in 1948, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Miami. He was a musician in the United States Navy from 1948 to 1952, and a member of numerous big bands in the 1950's. He was the band director at Gulf Middle and High Schools in New Port Richey from 1965 [probably 1967] to 1992. In retirement, he was active in the Largo Historical Society, Anona United Methodist Church, and as a 60 year Master Mason at Star Lodge 78 F&AM. Survivors include a son, Clay Wilson (Christine); sisters, Marilyn Mattson, Peg Dixon, Julie Mann and Emily McCoy, and granddaughters Katie and Caroline, and close friend, Dottie Sutcliff. A Memorial Service is planned for Thursday April 18th at 6:30 pm at Anona United Methodist Church 13233 Indian Rocks Road Largo FL 33774. A Masonic Service and military honors will also be conducted at the church. Friends will be received at the church from 6 pm until service time. A gathering celebration will be held at the church following the service. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Moss Feaster Funeral Home Serenity Gardens Chapel in Largo. For photos, and condolences visit www.mossfeasterlargo.com

WITHROW, SAMUEL J. BIG OTTER - Samuel J. Withrow, 68, of Big Otter, Clay County, died Aug. 6, 1998, in Laurel Nursing & Rehabilitation Center after a long illness. He was a Navy veteran of the Korean War, a graduate of Gulf High School, New Port Richey, Fla., and an Eagle Scout. Surviving: daughters, Diane O'Dell of Frametown, Catherine Withrow of Lodi, Calif., Teresa Withrow of Cordele, Ga.; son, Timothy P. Withrow of Gassaway; sisters, Faye, Patty and Phyllis, all of Cincinnati; brother, Johnnie Withrow of Cincinnati; six grandchildren. Memorial service will be at a later date. The body was cremated. Richard M. Roach Funeral Home, Gassaway, is in charge of arrangements.

WITT, DAWN died on Feb. 14, 1982, following an automobile accident in Holiday.

WOOLEY, DUANE C., Class of 1968, died on March 12, 2012.

YORK, Patricia A. "Patty," 44, of New Port Richey, died March 22, 2008. She was born in Brooksville and was a lifelong resident of this area. She was a customer service representative for Barnett Banks and co-owner of York Pool Service, and was a member of River Road Church of Christ. Survivors include her husband, Jamey; 2 daughters, Kayla and Kimberly York, all of New Port Richey; 1 brother, Gary DeCiucies, Holiday; 1 sister, Lisa Bade and her mother, Shirley DeCicies, both of New Port Richey. Visitation will be Tuesday, March 25 from 5-8 pm at Faupel Funeral Home with services at River Road Church of Christ Wednesday at 10 am. Interment will follow at East Elfers Cemetery. Faupel Funeral Home 727-849-9964 [GHS ’82]

ZEONE, DAWN, class of 2000, died on Feb. 10, 2005.

ZOLTON, JOSEPH WILLIAM, 27, passed away on Wednesday March 31, 2010. Joe grew up in New Port Richey, where he graduated with honors from Gulf High School. He worked as a dementia nursing assistant throughout high school. Joe attended the University of South Florida where he graduated with honors receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science and a minor in Psychology. He began working on a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Epidemiology. Joe worked at the Roskamp Institute on clinical research of Alzheimer’s disease at USF. Joe was a volunteer firefighter/ERT for over 10 years with the City of Port Richey. He taught CPR and first aid, and volunteered many hours with the Fire Department, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Hospice and Assisted Living Facilities in the area. For the past several years, Joe was an entrepreneur in the field of cosmetic surgery and was instrumental in bringing new technologies to the area. He was currently working on opening new clinics throughout the state. Joe was IFR/VFR certified as a private pilot. He loved scuba diving and boating. Joe is survived by his parents, Joseph and Linda Zolton; his sister Heather; grandparents, Joseph and Janice Zolton, William and Catherine Loiacano; aunts and uncles, Sheryll (Zolton) & Todd Reinhardt; Robert & Amy Zolton, Mary Kay (Loiacano) & Jim Bensley, Joe & Gayle Loiacano, Dean & Jolain Loiacano; cousins, Jessica, Justin, Joseph, Emily, Jamie, Lauren, Naomi, Dino, Abigail, Rachel, Nicole, Mariah, Anthony; fiance Maegan Fader. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Port Richey Fire Dept., 7824 Grand Blvd. Port Richey 34668. Visitation hours are 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm, Monday, April 5. Service is Tuesday, April 6 at 1 pm at Trinity Memorial Gardens New Port Richey. Trinity Memorial Gardens 727-376-7824 [Class of 2000]