Obituaries 10.10.19
Clarice M. Stewart
Clarice M. Stewart, 98, born in Stonega, Virginia, on July 9, 1921, passed away peacefully at her home in Plant City on Oct. 7, 2019.
In her youth, she was a singer, a tomboy and she dreamed of being a lady aviator like Amelia Earhart.
In Virginia, she attended East Stone Gap High School, married and started her family in Big Stone Gap, where she and her husband managed and owned businesses — Stewart’s Men Shop, Matz Department Store and the Stewart Apartments. Clarice’s dream of flying came to reality when she and her husband bought their first airplane and he became the pilot, flying them on business trips and vacations.
In 1957, they moved to Plant City. For the next 22 years, Clarice managed over 13 different Stewart’s Stores in Florida. As owners of the Plant City Shopping Center, Inc. (on Alexander Street), she served as Secretary and Treasurer of this business, as well as, W. Edward Stewart Inc.
The last 30-plus years, Clarice was known in the community as Instructor for “Clarice Stewart’s” Exercise Class, at the Planteen, then at the Winter Visitors Center as part of the Recreation & Parks Department of Plant City. The class provided line dancing entertainment and clogging at community events, at local nursing homes, and always wearing their red and white outfits at patriotic events.
In Virginia, Clarice was a member of the Eastern Star, active in the Veterans of Foreign War, and founded a couple’s group at the Methodist Church. In Florida, she was active in the Young at Heart of the Methodist Church, and a regular volunteer at the Florida Strawberry Festival.
She clogged at the Senior Olympics in Tampa and received a Gold Medal and clogged numerous times on stage at the Florida Strawberry Festival. In 2017, at the age of 95, she gave her last public performance at the Festival on stage with Dennis Lee clogging to the Orange Blossom Special.
Clarice enjoyed flying, taking road trips, being a grandmother, playing golf, going to the beach, hiking in the mountains, going to Disney, talking on the CB radio as “Lady Calvert,” exercising, roller skating, clogging, being the family historian and attending family reunions.
She is survived by children Janice A. Stewart, Charlene J. Mixa (Richard), William (Bill) Edward Stewart, Jr. (Suzanne), James (Jim) F. Stewart (Donna) and Cynthia Krosky; grandchildren William (Eddie/Ed) Stewart III (Emillee), Josh Lukasik, Jason Lukasik (Melissa), Brook Lyons (Eddy) and Justin Stewart; great-grandchildren Sydney Farmer, Ava and Jaxson Stewart, Aaron & Madilyn Lukasik, Keaton and Kaia Lyons. Clarice is survived by sisters Ruth Morris, Marguerite Bolden and Mary Ellen Outen, and brother John Matz (Ann).
She is predeceased by her husband William Edward (Ed) Stewart; siblings Josephine Wells, Dorothy Larsen, Gay Lynch, Dan Matz, Regina Cury, Joe Matz and Barbara Decker, and son-in-law Ed Krosky.
The Celebration of Life Service will be Sunday, October 13, at the Planteen Recreation Center, 3202 W. Reynolds Street, Plant City, FL 33563. Doors open at 2 PM and the service begins at 2:30 PM. Wear your red, white, and blue.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions may be made to Methodist Children’s Home at https://www.fumch.org/, Shriners Children’s Hospital at https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/tampa, or St. Jude’s Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Syble Delores Little
Syble Delores Little, 71, of Dover, passed away on Oct. 5, 2019.
The family will receive friends Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at New Hope @ The Cornerstone, 315 N. Collins St., Plant City. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 a.m.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught.care.
Larry Ray Collins
Larry Ray Collins, 60, of Plant City, passed away on Oct. 1, 2019.
A Memorial Service was held Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 at Sharon Baptist Purity Church, 3506 Young Road, Plant City.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught.care.
Marie Bailey
Marie Bailey, 69, of Plant City, passed away on October 7, 2019. The family will receive friends Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W Dr MLK Jr Blvd, Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 AM.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught.care.
Shirley F. Brown
Shirley F. Brown, 79, passed away on Oct. 5, 2019. She was born on March 5, 1940 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WellsMemorial.com for the Brown family.
Ralph Day Graham Jr.
Ralph Day Graham Jr., 91, of Plant City, passed away on Monday Sept. 30, 2019. Ralph was born April 28, 1928 in Portageville Missouri.
He was a WWII Navy Veteran.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WellsMemorial.com for the Graham family.
Elizabeth Ann Owens
Elizabeth Ann Owens, 85, of Plant City, passed away on Thursday Oct. 3, 2019. Elizabeth was born March 6, 1934 in Island Grove, Florida.
Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Lloyd W. Owens.
Survivors include her daughters, Karen Owens Romero and Candace “Candy” L. Owens; grandsons, Anthony Michael Herold and Nicholas Owen Herold; great-grandchildren Mia Herold, Avery Crouse and Jayden Cruz.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to service at Wells Memorial Funeral Home.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WellsMemorial.com for the Owens family.
Andrew ‘Andy’ Lee Welch
Andrew “Andy” Lee Welch, 35, of Valrico, born in Elgin, Illinois on Oct. 31, 1983, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 5, 2019.
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Cheryl Ann Veasey
Cheryl Ann Veasey, 62, of Plant City, entered into eternal rest on October 1, 2019.
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Christopher Andrew Whitlock ‘Bat’
Christopher Andrew Whitlock “Bat,” 29, of Valrico, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 1, 2019. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Ron F. Reno
Ron F. Reno, 80, of Plant City, born in Detroit, Michigan on March 15, 1939, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 3, 2019.
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Antonio Reyes-Villasana
Antonio Reyes-Villasana, 54, of Plant City, born in Mier y Noriega, Nuevo Leon, Mexico on March 12, 1965, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 2, 2019.
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Sergio Omar Vallin Hernandez
Sergio Omar Vallin Hernandez, 26, of Lakeland, born in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico on May 15, 1993, entered into eternal rest on Oct.1, 2019.
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Donna Marie Meehan Kay McDougall
Donna Marie Meehan Kay McDougall, 85, of Lithia, born in Gary, Indiana on Nov. 3, 1933, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 1, 2019.
Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
