Obituaries
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ALEMAN GONZALEZ, Justa Maria, 77 of Tampa, FL, passed away December 1, 2024. She was born in She is survived by her daughter Sandra Estevez. Graveside services will be 10am, Saturday, December 21, 2024, at Garden of Memories Cemetery, Tampa, FL.
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CECIL, Jean Marie 73, of Vicksburg, MS, passed away, December 15 ,2024. She was born in California to Clayton and Alice Gilliam. Jean is survived byer her daughter, Sabrina Pigg; brother, Arthur Gilliam and other loving family members. Graveside services will be 12:00 noon, December 28, 2024, at Orange Hill Cemetery, Tampa where she will be interred next to her twin Jimmy Gilliam who predeceased her.
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PRICE, Mark Douglas, of Land O'Lakes, FL, born November 16, 1956, died at the age of 68 December 27, 2024. Mark is survived by his wife Wanda Price; 4 children, Dalton Price of Land O'Lakes, Rebecca Price (Dave), Tampa, Mark Price Jr, Texas and Patricia Price (Milton), Texas; 2 brothers Kenneth Price (Mary) and Jr Price (Danyle); sister, Cathy Barton, Lake Wales, FL; 11 grandchildren, Devon, Megan, Julisa, Ava, Kayla, Milton, Ethan, Charis, Jayden, Alina and Dominick; 4 great-grandchildren, Admirah, Lariah, Devin and Dominick Jr. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
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CRESCENZI, RoseMarie, 82, of Tampa went home to be with her Lord and Savior January 1, 2025. RoseMarie is survived by her husband Dave Booker; daughters, Leesa Crescenzi and Marlana Velasquez and her husband Diego; grandchildren, Robert, Jada, Nicholas and Tatyana. She was predeceased by her first husband Raymond Crescenzi Jr. A memorial celebration of the life of RoseMarie will be from 5:00-7:00pm, Saturday, January 4, 2025, at the funeral home 1602, W Waters Ave. 
A Celebration of Life will also be held at West Broad Street Baptist Church at a later date.
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MILLER, Katherine Sue, aged 69, went home to be with the Lord and Savior on December 14, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. Born on December 30, 1954, Katherine was known for her caring, loving, thoughtful, and giving nature, always striving to honor God in her actions. Katherine leaves behind a loving family, including her husband of 52 years, Clyde Miller; daughter and son-in-law, Kristina and Robert Warburton; son, and daughter-in-law, Brian and Kim Miller; eight grandchildren; and one great great-grandchild, with another on the way. She is also survived by her brother, Manual Hughes. Katherine was preceded in death by her oldest son David Miller, her mother Helen Jones, her father, Manuel Hughes, and two of her siblings, Danny Hughes and Carolyn (Di-Ann) Sims.
A long-time member of West Broad Street Baptist Church, Katherine was deeply involved in her church community, embodying the virtues of her faith in every aspect of her life.
A memorial service celebrating Katherine's life will be held at West Broad Street Baptist Church, 3809 W Broad, St, Tampa, FL 33614 on January 18, 2025, at 11:00am. The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be directed to her home church, West Broad Street Baptist Church.
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FU, Youling, 66, of Tampa, FL, passed away on January 5, 2025. She was born the youngest of seven children on September 10, 1958, in Hainan, China. Youling celebrated and lived her life to the fullest surrounded by family and friends. As a young entrepreneur, she started and successfully operated a food distribution business. In 2019, she moved to the U.S. and enjoyed her retirement in Tampa with her family. Youling always found joy in simple pleasures, like ballroom dancing, singing, gardening, cooking, or just relaxing with her beloved cats, Sebastian and Sumi. She never stopped seeking growth and adventures in life, demonstrated by her continuous learning and ventures in different areas. She is survived by her son, Guanghao (Xiangxing); daughter, Guangyu (Ronald); granddaughter, Yuexi; and extended family members, Zhen, Edward, Ying, Danna, Lin, Bruce, and two brothers and a sister in China. Graveside services will be held 3:00 pm, January 27, 2025, at Hillsborough Memorial Gardens in Brandon, FL.
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GRAY, Beth, 65, of Tampa, FL passed away January 8, 2025, at the age of 65. She is survived by her husband Michael; daughter, Sarah; son Mike aka Mikey and his wife Shamaria; granddaughter, Amanda. Beth was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She loved playing jokes on everyone and loved singing to Elvis Presley. Beth never met anyone who could not be called friend. She had an infectious smile and was always ready to lend a hand or give good advice. Beth had several losses in her life especially daughter April. Graveside services will be held 1:00 pm at Rose Hill Cemetery Monday, January 20, 2025. 
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GARTNER, Deborah Grace, 70, of Spring Hill, FL, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on January 17, 2025. She was born on January 9, 1955, in Sumter, SC, to Emmett Heath and Marjorie Lawrence. Deborah spent her career as a Medical Provider Operations Manager, where she was admired for her leadership and dedication. After retiring, she found fulfillment working as a paraprofessional, where her compassion and patience touched the lives of many students. Above all, she was a devoted mother and grandmother who cherished her family. She is survived by her loving children; Stephanie and David Flint, James Allen Sellers and Katie Ely, Lydia Gartner, Misti and Chris Stevens, Arthur and Jilliam Gartner, Kloei Gartner, and Dominic Gartner; her niece, Jessica Hunt; and her nine grandchildren: Kenley, Kalob, Nikki, Jace, Kenny, Brantley, Sydney, Oliver and Owen. A service to celebrate Deborah's life will be held at a later date.
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DANSKIN, Pastor William G, 81, of Tampa, went home to meet his Lord and Savior January 27, 2025. Pastor Danskin is survived by his wife Ann; son, Michael; daughters, Alma Albritton (Lexton), Katy Overton (David), 15 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, his sister, and brother-in-law Aaron Pruitt. Visitation for family and friends will be Friday from 1-2pm with funeral service at 2pm. Services will take place at Sunlake Baptist Church, 18908 Sunlake Blvd, Lutz. Graveside services will be 12 noon Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Sunset Memory Gardens, Thonotosassa, FL
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POFF, Walter B. (Walt), 93, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family. on Friday, January 24, 2025, at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital Hospice in Tampa, Florida, Walt is preceded in death by his sister Jeanetta Fauth (Paul), his brother Paul Poff (Linda), and his daughter, Linda James (Kirk). He is survived by his wife Cecile, his children Thomas Poff (Olena), Stephen Poff (Bobbie), Deanna Poff Lanier (Chip), Michael Poff (Allison), Patrick Poff (Nicole), his sister Barbara Hall (Jerry), 16 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at 10:00 am Monday, February 3, 2025, at St. Timothy Catholic Church (17512 Lakeshore Rd, Lutz, FL 33558), followed immediately by a funeral Mass at 11:00 am and a reception in the Parish Hall. Walt will be interred with military honors in a private ceremony at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL. Instead of flowers, donations may be made in Walt's honor to St. Timothy Catholic Church or the Wounded Warrior Project. for full obituary please visit: https://www.legacy.com/link.asp?i=OB57389491&utm_source=copiedlink&utm_medium=
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SANCHEZ, Ernest Jr, 89, of Tampa, FL passed away peacefully January 23, 2025. He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Sarah Sanchez and his parents, Delia and Rogelio Trespalacios. He is survived by his children, son, David Sanchez and wife Odalis; daughters, Julia Sanchez-Sharabi husband Eran, Stephanie Sanchez, Michelle Vidal and husband Albert; grandchildren, David Sanchez Jr and wife Milah, Brian Sanchez and wife Melissa, Jakob Vidal and partner Daniel Walker, Miranda Vidal; great-grandchildren, Chloe and Ryker Sanchez. Ernest was a hard worker who always put his family first. He had an amazing sense of humor and never took himself or life too seriously. He valued honesty, integrity and education and loved music and creative writing. He also enjoyed playing cards and dominos with his children and grandchildren. He shared his many years of wisdom with his family which will live on for many years to come. He will be greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers, Ernest would have preferred that you donate to St. Jude's children's hospital. Graveside services will take place at Centro Espanol de Tampa Memorial Park (4601 E Lake Ave, Tampa, FL 33610) at 10:30am, Monday, February 17th with a celebration of life to follow at Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, 2117 E. 7th Ave., Tampa, FL 33605
RIDGEWAY, Daniel, 84, passed away peacefully January 22, 2025, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Linda; sons, Mark (Boni), Paul (Candy), Charlie (Allison), and Michael (Jessica); 12 grandchildren; 14 great- grandchildren and a wealth of family and friends. Born on March 18, 1940, he was a lifelong resident of Tampa. Danny loved motorcycling and was the owner of Cahills of North Tampa and Cahills Motorsports for more than 50 years. He was a proud member of the Egypt Temple Shrine and enjoyed helping other through the Provost Guard and Jester units. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to his caregivers, Yami and Valerie. Visitation at 9:30am and a Celebration of Life will be held 10am, Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Bay Hope Church, 17030 Lakeshore Dr., Lutz, FL with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children. View guestbook www.tampabay.com/obi.
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WOMBLE, Stevie (Steve) D., Jr. passed away February 9, 2025, in Lutz, Fl. He was born in Claxton, GA on October 12, 1943, the son of Stevie Duane Womble Sr. and his wife Mary Lucille. At age 3, he moved with his mother to Tampa, Florida while his father fought in the European theatre defending the world from tyranny. Steve grew up attending Glad Tidings Assembly of God, where he met Glenda Harrison, and they were married in 1972. They enjoyed 53 years together raising their three lovely daughters. After graduating from Hillsborough High School in 1961, he soon joined the State Road Department doing engineering & Survey work on the interchange that would connect I-4 and I-275 near downtown Tampa. The then moved to Bridge Inspection for the Florida Department of Transportation where he managed maintenance of roads and bridges in and around west central Florida, and in 1989, he studied and achieved the status of Professional Engineer. In 2000, Steve was the driving force behind the Skyway Bridge Maintenance committee for which he masterfully wrote, "The Declaration of Interdependence", and which he and other founding members eagerly signed. He will always be recognized and remembered for his detailed knowledge about the structural condition of the bridge and related activities. During his tenure at the FDOT bridge office as staff of consultant. Steve managed the maintenance, and rehabilitation plans as well as studies for the Skyway. At work, and especially about the bridge, Steve was meticulously detailed, resilient, reliable, visionary, passionate, inspirational, and always willing to share information. He communicated and collaborated with state and other national and international experts. When it came to that iconic bridge, questions came directly to 1-800-SWOMBLE, and for that, Steve is and will forever be "Mr. Skyway". His tenacity in engineering, as in everything he did, was an outworking of his strong personal Christian faith which guided all of his relationships and pursuits. In addition to achieving his bachelor's in history and biblical studies from USF in 1979, and his Masters in History in 1955, he studied and taught Koine Greek, in order to more precisely understand Biblical texts. Because of his deep understanding in areas of Biblical history, he was invited to join archeological teams completing surveys of The Holy Land, making geographical and topographical maps for the nation of Israel. Steve was a faithful deacon, Sunday School teacher, and mentor to countless young men during his decades in service to his local church. Ever a faithful provider and loving protector for his wife and girls; a dependable, never-wavering rock of strength. Steve's desire to honor his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was the driving motivation of his life, and he woke each day looking expectantly for HIs return! In his final days, he spoke the words, "Finish Line," and we assured him that he had Run the race, he had finished his course, he had kept the faith, 2 Timothy 4:7. Steve, you will be greatly missed by all who love you, and we hold fast to the hope of reuniting in eternity with you, and all those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He is survived by his wife Glenda, his three daughters, Evangel (Timothy) Hernandez, S. Jerusha (William) Santiago and Bethany (Robert) Caruso and his twelve grandchildren.
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MURPHY, Aida V, born November 11, 1925, in Tampa Florida passed away February 18, 2025, in Tampa. She is survived by her son Stephen W Fast; daughters Maria Glass (Charles) numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Patrick Joseph Murphy. Funeral Mass will be celebrated, 10am, Friday, February 28, 2025 at St. Paul's Catholic Church, 12708 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. The family will receive friends from 9-10am at the Church. 
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CORE, Delmar Ray, 96 of Tampa, FL passed away peacefully, February 19, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughter, Joy (Joe) Jennings, son, Charles Core, and daughter, Judy Core; grandchildren, Joshua (Tabby) Jennings, Joe (Alex) Jennings Jr., and Maddy Core; great-grandson Geralt Jennings; sister Patricia (Lawrence) Rensberger, and many nieces and nephews. Delmar graduated from Defiance College and Ohio State University. He followed in the footsteps of his parents and became a teacher before joining the US Marines. The Marines sent Delmar to radio school and then he attended Indiana Tech where he earned his degrees in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. He went on to become a Professional Engineer, earning his PE license. He worked for GTE for 33 years before retiring. Delmar was an avid HAM radio operator and was a life member of the American Radio Relay League. He was an enthusiastic marathoner who ran the Gasparilla Distance Classic many times throughout his life, as well as hiked the Appalachian Trail. Additionally, he was very involved in the Florida Genealogical Association as well as the Florida Woodworkers Club, Boy Scouts of American, GTE Pioneers club, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a lifelong Methodist. Memorial donations may be made to Oak Grove UMC, 2707 W. Waters Ave, Tampa, FL 33614. The service will be Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Oak Grove United Methodist Church at 12:00 p.m. with reception to follow service.
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BURNES, Dueane Lee, 78 of Tampa, passed away March 30, 2025. Dueane was born in Tampa, FL July 14, 1946, to his late parents, Cleatus and Mildred Burnes. He is survived by his brother; Stephen Burnes and Patricia Ann Fleis. Dueane was a generous man as well as a source of strength, and comfort to everyone who knew him. He loved being with his family and friends. Dueane may not be physically with us, but his spirit and legacy of kindness and selflessness will continue to live on in all those who knew loved him. He will be missed but will never be forgotten. The family will receive friends at Swilley Funeral Home, 1602 W Waters Ave, Tampa, FL, Sunday, March 23, 2025, from 2-3pm with funeral service at 3pm. Graveside services will take place, 10am Monday, March 24, 2025, at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Chimes Terrace. 
SANCHEZ, ELIZABETH, 75, of Tampa, FL went home to meet Jesus and her family who went before her April 8, 2025. Elizabeth was born in Brooklyn, New York to the late, Francisco Sanchez Lamberty and Haydee Fonceca Garcia. She is survived by her daughters, Melissa Cancel and husband Frankie Cancel, Deserie Diaz Rodriguez and her husband Orlando Rodriguez, and Destiney Lynn Diaz; sons, Frankie Diaz; grandchildren, Johnny Diaz, Jordan Diaz, Julie Montijo, twins, Jasmine and Joseph Lopez, Jaeden Cancel, Jariah Cancel, Jonah Cancel and Isabella Delgado; great grandchildren, Jace Roquemore, Avery Diaz, Harlow Rae Diaz, Roy Diaz, Isabel Lynn Sorensen and DeeJay Sorense. Funeral Services for Elizabeth will be Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 12:00 noon with visitation from 11:30 am until service time. Services will be at City Life Church, 8411 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33614. Apostle Dr. Deserie Diaz Rodriguez and Pastor John Maglott will be officiating. Graveside services will follow services at Rest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery, 4615 E Hanna Ave,Tampa, FL 33610.
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FERNANDEZ, Cheryle Ann (Carter), passed away peacefully on April 10, 2025, at the age of 57. Cheryle was preceded in death by her father Benjamin Franklin Carter and mother Virginia Lee (Perry) Carter, her older brother Victor Wesley Carter and grandparents. She is survived by her husband, Raymond Fernandez; daughter, Gabriela Marie Fernandez, brother, David Franklin Carter and many nieces, nephews, cousins to include her cousin Diane Blankenship from Oceana West Virginia. Cheryle graduated in 1985 from Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Cheryle was involved for a short time with the Coast Guard as a secretary and then moved to Tampa, FL shortly thereafter. Cheryle worked at a thrift store in South Tampa before joining Sherwin William Automotive Paint Division in 1990 where she was employed for 35 years, Cheryle met her Raymond, her husband while bowling at Brandon Crossroads and married on September 5, 1998. They were married for 25 years. In 2005, she had Gabriela, and her daughter was her pride and joy. She was a very dedicated mother to Gaby. In 2013 Cheryle and her family started attending Northgate Baptist Church and then she and Gaby became baptized shortly after. Cheryle became very involved with the Shurch, to include food pantry, nursery, event setups and many other functions as needed. She was even involved helping with the tasks of lighting upgrades alongside Steve Haag. Cheryle always touched people in warm ways. She put a smile on so many members at church. Regardless of what she may have been involved with, she always was positive and engaged with the Lord. Cheryle dearly loved hearing the 5th Sunday sings, the Kings Messengers and 3 plus quartet. She also loved going to concerts in particular Franklin Graham and Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin and many other artists; however, what Cheryle really treasured was her family time with Gaby and extended family. She treasured her trips that she was able to take to go home and to see other family and friends, one particular trip, she reunited with her best friend of which she hadn't seen since leaving Cleveland. Visitation for family and friends will be from 6-8 pm Wednesday, April 16th at the funeral home, 1602 W Waters Ave, Tampa. Her celebration of life will be 10am April 17th at Northgate Baptist Church, 1301 W Linebaugh Ave, Tampa, FL. Her final interment will be in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 2 pm.
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HODGE, William Larry, 79, of Tampa passed away April 13, 2025, surrounded by his wife and family. He was born in Lewisburg, Tennesse to his late parents, Herbert and Anni Hodge. He enjoyed many ventures and his last was real estate investor. He was a man of faith attending the Church of Christ. Mr. Hodge was an Airforce veteran serving from 1968 until 1971. He is survived by his wife Gayle Hodge, daughters, Aprile and Crystal. William will be interred in Florida National Cemetery at a later date.
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