By Ron Hayes
BOCA RATON — Her family called her “Mary Detail,” and during the final years of her life, the Boca Raton Historical Society benefited from Mary McKenzie’s love of detailed work.
A resident for 30 years, Mrs. McKenzie died April 1
By Ron Hayes
BOCA RATON — Her family called her “Mary Detail,” and during the final years of her life, the Boca Raton Historical Society benefited from Mary McKenzie’s love of detailed work.
A resident for 30 years, Mrs. McKenzie died April 1
Mary Bush addresses the 350 who attended the March 6 memorial service held for her husband and their pastor Ted Bush. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Tim Pallesen
DELRAY BEACH — First Presbyterian is Delray Beach’s church near the sea.
But
Casto Benson
DELRAY BEACH — Nancy Casto Benson, 88, a native of Columbus and resident of Delray Beach, died at home Feb. 12, with her loving family and kitties at her side.
Mrs. Benson was born Jan. 21, 1925, in Columbus, Ohio, to Don Monroe Sr. a
Roup
Briny Breezes — Joan A. Ruopp of Briny Breezes and Bricktown, N.J., died Feb. 2. She was 80.
Born on Jan. 3, 1933, to Fred and Hazel Anderson in Elizabeth, N.J., she was a great source of comfort to many through her crisp sense of humor and lo
Virginia Tishman Meyerson and her late husband, George
By Jane Smith
BOCA RATON — Arts lover and avid reader of British literature, Virginia Tishman Meyerson died Jan. 26 at her home.
She was 89 and died from complications of cancer, her passi
Writing an obituary is, simultaneously, among the easiest and the hardest assignments any reporter receives.
Telling the story of a life involves the basic who-what-where-when-and-how that most journalists know is required for news stories. A
By Jane Smith
HIGHLAND BEACH — Joseph A. Sarubbi, who cherished his IBM role as part of the self-described “wild ducks,” died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Dec. 29.
He was 84, dying from complications of diabetes, said Linda Campb
John Holger Westerback
By Jane Smith
SOUTH PALM BEACH — John Holger Westerback, a founder of the Nordic Heritage Society of South Florida, died Jan. 19.
He was 86 and died from complications of Parkinson’s disease, his wife, Sonya, said.
Mr. Weste
George Howard ‘Jake’ Jacobus
By Emily J. Minor
GULF STREAM — George Howard “Jake” Jacobus, described as a brilliant businessman and outdoor adventurer who would much rather have talked about family and philanthropy rather than the successful d
By Ron Hayes
DELRAY BEACH — An area resident for more than 30 years, Margaret Sheffler died on Dec. 17 at Harbor’s Edge retirement community after battling Alzheimer’s disease and other ailments. She was 79.
“It was a shock, but she didn’t suffer a
By Emily J. Minor
HYPOLUXO ISLAND — Lillian Martucci, a native of New York who loved travel, nature and the classic style of Grace Kelly, died Jan. 21 after a three-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A beloved wife and mother, she was 83.
“She wa
Butts, Bobby Dean age 84 of Fenton died Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at Avalon Hospice. Funeral service will be held 1 pm, Saturday January 26 at Tyrone Memory Gardens Mausoleum, 10260 White Lake Rd. Fenton, MI. Family will receive visitors from 1-4 a
By Ron Hayes
BRINY BREEZES — Gertrude Dombroski started spending her winters here in 1953 and became a permanent resident in the early 1980s.
She left, from her own bed, at 6:35 p.m. on Nov. 28, holding her daughter’s hand as I’ll Be Home For Chris
By Emily J. Minor
OCEAN RIDGE — Henry “Hank” Gribensk, 60, a veteran of the U.S. Army who many years ago used his opportunities in the military to get off drugs and turn his life around, died Dec. 5.
Mr. Gribensk was a well-known and well-loved pro
By Cheryl Blackerby
DELRAY BEACH — Carl Smith spent most of his life putting smiles on the faces of those around him.
At Miramar Gardens in Delray Beach, he was known as the easygoing golfer and tennis player whom everyone called “Doc” — the guy with
Lula Thomas
By Ron Hayes
BOCA RATON — When she was named its 2011 Woman Volunteer of the Year by the Junior League of Boca Raton, Lula Thomas told The Coastal Star what she thought about growing old.
“Your age is just two numbers put together,” sh
By Cheryl Blackerby
DELRAY BEACH — Elaine Prentice Hapgood found her mission in life more than a half-century ago when she attended an International Planned Parenthood conference in Pakistan. She witnessed firsthand the consequences of unbridled p
By Ron Hayes
GULF STREAM — John E. Searle Jr., a president of The St. Andrew’s Club from 1991 to ’93, died Oct. 30. He was 88 and had owned a villa at the club since 1973.
“He was very active until six months before his death,” said his daughter, K
By Ron Hayes
BRINY BREEZES — On a Monday morning more than a decade ago, David Blonda was sharing a golf cart with a new resident, collecting aluminum cans for the town’s recycling club.
“I asked him where he was from,” Blonda recalled, “and he sa
By Emily J. Minor
DELRAY BEACH — Jack Hake didn’t have any family. No sisters, no brothers. No aunts and uncles.
His parents, Paul and Louise, had been dead for years.
And so, when Mr. Hake died on Oct. 9 — taken to the hospital for the recu