The state lists the dead in a grim, and growing, table. Age, gender, county. A 28-year-old man in Sarasota County, a 101-year-old woman in Miami-Dade. But we don’t know all their names or how they lived.

The Tampa Bay Times is telling the stories of the Floridians we’ve lost. You’ll find a start below.

It’s not so much the future of humanity at risk, an infectious disease specialist in Tampa has said, but — as we lose many of our elders — our collective wisdom.

We need your help. Did you lose a loved one to coronavirus? Please help us share their story by filling out this form.

* * *

Judy C. Allen, 70, St. Petersburg

Judy Allen, a nurse for 40 years, loved any reason to celebrate. For birthdays, she cooked her friends their favorite dishes and made them wear yellow hats while everyone sang Happy Birthday. Her Thanksgivings were legendary, and she always decorated her Christmas tree with a different theme.

“We know heaven just got a little louder,” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Margaret “Muggy” Allison, 95, St. Petersburg

A lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, Muggy Hennessy Allison worked as a nurse at St. Anthony’s Hospital before leaving to raise her children. She volunteered at schools, including her alma mater, St. Petersburg High School, where she organized class reunions. Allison and her husband were among the first residents of Bayfront Tower Condominiums, where she lived for 39 years and served on the board. In her downtime, Allison loved crosswords, bridge and golf — and lauding her two holes-in-one over her husband, who taught her the game but hadn’t achieved the same score.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Anderson McQueen]

Mitchell Alvins, 73, Brooksville

During the Vietnam War, Mitchell Alvins enlisted in the Army and worked as a combat photographer. He stayed active with other veterans after coming home.

Mr. Alvins started a photography program at Baldwin High School and worked there while earning a master’s degree. He also worked as a wedding photographer for more than 30 years.

In Florida’s warm weather, Mr. Alvins became an avid softball player. He passed away at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.

[Hillsborough County medical examiner, Veteran’s Funeral Care]

Natverlal Amin, 90, Clearwater

Born in Kenya in 1929, Natverlal Amin was still young when he moved to India to live with his grandmother. He returned to teach chemistry before setting out for England to study pharmacy. Eventually, he bought his own business. In 1985, he was lured to the sunny, year-round golf haven of West Palm Beach.

When his beloved wife died in 1997, he moved again, this time to live with family in Clearwater. Three times a week, he could be seen on the links at Belleair Country Club, weather permitting.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Eunice Angelone, 95, St. Petersburg

Eunice Angelone was born in England and met her husband, an American soldier, during World War II. She came over to the United States on a boat when she was 19 and raised a family in Lawrence, Mass., her daughter said.

After her husband died, she settled in St. Petersburg, where the family had wintered. She lived in Long Bayou for more than 30 years. “She had a lot of friends and had dances and dinners, and she was very, very active until last year,” her daughter said.

Ms. Angelone was a resident of Seminole Pavilion at Freedom Square.

[Tampa Bay Times, Eagle-Tribune]

Harry Ardes, 71, Trinity

Born in Pennsylvania, Harry Ardes took his love of Philadelphia sports with him down to Florida, with family joking he was a “wannabe Penn Stater.” As a young man, Ardes served as a radio operator in the U.S. Navy and then went on to work as a sheet metal assembler and union representative. After retiring in 2013, he enjoyed being “Pop Pop” full-time to his three grandsons.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Pinecrest Funeral Chapel]

Nguyen Dinh Ap, 75, Pinellas Park

Born in Vietnam, he served as a lieutenant commander in the Vietnamese Navy. Father of three and grandfather of seven, Mr. Ap was anything but selfish. His obituary reads: “His passion for boating, fishing, friends and most of all family will be carried with him forever.”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Charles “C.I.” or “Charley” Babcock, III, 67, Clearwater

C.I. Babcock served as an elder and Bible study teacher at Harborside Christian Church. He worked in home building and, in 1981, founded Cornerstone Communities, Inc. He sat on boards of favorite causes, such as Family First, which advises people on parenting and marriage, and Vincent House, which helps those with mental illnesses find stable work.

“Charley had a heart to serve his community, and in particular, to help those who are frail and vulnerable,” his obituary says. His family asked that people donate to his favorite causes.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Valerie Baird, 62, Nokomis

Valerie Baird loved living off the water and everything that came with it — swimming, fishing, boating and surfing. She also enjoyed playing racquetball, pheasant hunting and had a passion for her sales job, where she was one of the top sellers. Family wrote that Baird was unapologetically herself and that “hopefully, wherever Val is now — she gets to be that version of herself.”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Zvonko Barisic, 64, St. Petersburg

He survived the Yugoslavian War, “saving many people that were injured,” fled from his native Bosnia to Croatia and eventually sought refuge in the U.S. in 1998. Even in his short obituary, Zvonko Barisic’s life looms large.

Car mechanic, electrician, crane operator, truck driver, sound and light engineer — he could fix and build anything by hand, including the homes of family and friends. To watch him work was a joy. He liked to travel to the Balkans to see family and had a long list of hobbies and loves, from rescuing animals to fishing to festivals. Above all, he loved his wife, Rada, with whom he fell in love at age 17, and his big family. Children often ran to him, seeing their innocence and playfulness reflected back to them.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Bob Barnum, 64, St. Petersburg

Robert E. Barnum’s real estate website called him a “moving force” in business, but his influence extended well beyond his work. After his death March 27, friends described him as “a pioneer among LGBT Realtors” and “a pusher” for the causes in which he believed, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Community Action Stops Abuse.

“I bought the first home I owned by myself through Bob,” wrote Equality Florida’s Executive Director Nadine Smith. “He had all the dirt on The Golden Girls, and he introduced me to circus art.”

[Tampa Bay Times, Facebook, Tribute Archive]

Ana Bautista, 86, Land O’ Lakes

Originally from New Jersey, Ana Bautista loved cooking and feeding her family, gardening and adult coloring books. She also loved celebrating birthdays and holidays with her large extended family.

Ms. Bautista was a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church. She and her husband were married for 64 years.

[obituary]

Dennis Bello, 74, Brandon

Dennis Bello said goodbye to his wife of 30 years over the phone, as he languished in the hospital.

Mr. Bello used to run a flower shop, and for more than two decades, he ran the Dennis Et Al beauty salon. As a hairdresser, his clients loved him, his son said.

[Fox 13]

Patricia Ann Bendel, 85, St. Petersburg

Patricia Ann Bendel [ Courtesy of family ]

Patricia Ann Bendel’s loved ones described her as a strong Irish lady and the life of the party — all without a drop of alcohol. Family members hardly had time to say goodbye. After a conversation at 2 p.m. where Bendel said she was fine, by 4 p.m., she was being taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Anne Bergeron, 91, St. Petersburg

Youngest of eight, mother of one son and one stepdaughter, Anne Bergeron called St. Petersburg home for the last two decades. She volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul and had her favorite haunts: the bingo hall, the Hard Rock Casino and Derby Lane.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Ronald Binns, 88, St. Petersburg

After graduating from the University of Georgia, in the state where he grew up, Ronald Binns enlisted in the Navy and joined Officer Candidate School. He worked as the state manager for Taylor Publishing and was married to his wife, Frances, for 67 years.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

John Birk, 89, Largo

John Birk was born in Indiana and moved to Florida in 1967. He worked as an advertising sales manager for the Tampa Bay Times from 1977 until his retirement in 1991, according to Times human resources records.

“We used to have lunch together until the COVID-19 virus came along,” said a tribute on his obituary, written by a woman who said she was a friend of Birk’s. “I am going to miss John very much.”

[Tampa Bay Times, obituary]

Norma Blanco, 99, Palm Harbor

Norma Blanco lived a life full of comfort and grief. At the end of World War II, her only brother was killed when his bomber plane was shot down over the Alps. After high school, she worked alongside her parents at their diner in Yonkers, N.Y., and on St. Patrick’s Day 1947, she got married. She and her husband, Anthony, moved through the Northeast for his work, while she raised two sons, cared for her parents — and later, cared for Anthony, who had a terminal illness and died in 1990, right after they moved to Florida.

Her family remembers her selflessness, her old-school Italian cooking, her independent streak and her generous heart.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Robert “Bob” Donald Bohen, 93, St. Petersburg

Bob Bohen [ Leonora LaPeter Anton ]

Playing stickball against a young Whitey Ford, who would go on to become one of the New York Yankees' greatest pitchers, Bob Bohen smacked a hit. He told that story the rest of his life.

A man of many abilities, he worked as an elevator inspector, a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman and English teacher in Greece. He served in the Army during World War II, arriving in Japan just after peace was declared.

For years, Bohen raised his daughter as a single father. He was forever quick to make friends.

[Obituary]

Jerome Joseph Boies, 77, Largo

A former United States postal worker and Pinellas County park ranger, Jerome Boies loved family and his country. Most of all, he loved westerns and all things cowboy, especially John Wayne. He loved to have cookouts and pool parties with family, where he’d always have maple baked beans.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Tribute Archive]

Garlynn Boyd, 54, St. Petersburg

Garlynn Boyd spent her career coaching athletes in St. Pete. [ Courtesy Ashton Taylor ]

Garlynn Boyd — “Coach G” to many — inspired generations of athletes who came through the Lightning Bolt Track Club she founded in 1992.

Her former athletes still remember her loud cheers from the sidelines, her motivating pep talks and her confidence in herself and those she trained. Among her star athletes are Olympic sprinter Trayvon Bromell and TJ Holmes, a former champion in hurdles for the Florida Gators.

“My mother was a revered and controversial figure in the line of track and field in the Tampa Bay area,” said her son, 21-year-old Ashton Taylor. “She broke barriers that people didn’t think were there.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Doris Branch, 87, Seminole

After a career as a registered nurse at some of New York City’s storied medical institutions — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital — Doris Branch settled into retired life in Seminole, but stayed true to her roots: At Oakhurst United Methodist Church, she was parish nurse.

Her family remembers her as being up for just about everything. “Doris was short in stature but a formidable presence, always game for another adventure with her grandchildren, Disney World, school graduations, weddings, college baseball doubleheaders, soccer games, and even Parris Island boot camp graduation ceremonies,” her obituary reads. She loved helping P.E.O. Sisterhood and the church thrift shop, as well as soaking in the sounds of the Florida Orchestra.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Norma Brashear, 82, St. Petersburg

She grew up in West Virginia, studied music education and art, and taught in Ohio, where she met her husband. After seven years of teaching, she switched to private lessons out of their home while she raised her boys. She loved to play the piano, solve puzzles and read.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Elizabeth Ann Campos, 83, Tampa

“Betty to some, Liz to others, she was happiest when family and friends gathered at her home,” her obituary reads. “There was always an occasion to celebrate, a reason to bake a pound cake, and room for one more at the table.” She shone as a host and was quick to laugh, retell old yarns and help a neighbor. She loved her Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rays. She made people feel seen and loved.

[Obituary]

Alfonso Cardenas, 55, Tampa

Alfonso Cardenas with his children, Ivan, 14, Alejandra, 20, and Jhoana, 20 [ Courtesy of Jhoana Cardenas ]

Alfonso Cardenas would do anything for his three children, especially after their mother died years earlier. He coached all three in soccer, which was his passion. He was always the loudest one on the field and could bring his positive attitude to anything, his daughter said. “We could always talk to him,” Jhoana Cardenas said. “He was kind of like our shoulder to lean on.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Gloria Casbar, 88, St. Petersburg

Gloria Casbar was a resident at Apollo Health and Rehabilitation Center. According to family members, no one from the center called to discuss her coronavirus diagnosis. Family said Casbar was put in a bed with no rails, which she fell out of. Only after being taken to the hospital did family say they found out her full medical condition.

Casbar enjoyed playing bingo with friends and family and watching baseball.

[Tampa Bay Times, Echovita]

Doris Cesta, 90, Clearwater

Never without a smile or giggle, Doris Cesta was often whipping up cakes, bread and homemade jam to give to her friends and neighbors. “Still a generous person at 90 years old, she got her greatest joy from doing for others,” her family wrote.

She moved to Clearwater in 1959. She worked for more than 20 years in the city of Clearwater Engineering Department and later at the Pinellas County Printing Services Department.

[obituary]

Barry Chaiken, 81, Zephyrhills

Barry Chaiken was a certified public accountant and one of Intuit Inc.’s oldest active employee.

A cousin remembered growing up in the Bronx with him, “watching Howdy Doody, going to Yankee Stadium with Uncle Gershon, sneaking out for Chinese food with Grandpa Max!”

He is survived by three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

[obituary]

Susan Chauvin, 80, St. Petersburg

As a young girl in Massachusetts, Susan Chauvin sang on the radio with her childhood sweetheart Robert. The two married, had four children and traveled the world for different military postings. Chauvin also enjoyed other arts, like poetry, ballet and acting. She was a faithful volunteer at the Massachusetts Hospice Association and a member of Suncoast Cathedral.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Brett Funeral Home]

John Chitwood, 73, St. Petersburg

Educated as an electrical engineer, John Chitwood started as a work-study student at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in 1964. Nearly four decades later, he retired as head of the Microwave Systems Branch, having worked on communication systems for satellites and planetary probes.

His other love was ham radio. He had a license for 59 years, even serving as secretary and treasurer for the Foundation for Amateur Radio, where he also spent 46 years on the scholarship committee. He leaves behind his husband, Jake Eckardt.

[Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner, obituary]

Jennie Christian, 96, St. Petersburg

Growing up on a farm, Jennie Christian devoured books. Instead of doing her daily chores, she’d pick apples and hide in the hay loft, reading. She moved to St. Petersburg in 1952 and had been a resident of the city ever since. She loved football and baseball, gardening, dancing and shopping.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Vera Clark, 95, Clearwater

Vera Clark was a beautiful flautist, selected to the Pennsylvania High School All-State Band in 1943. After a stint as a nurse, she raised seven children with her husband, Jim. Her life filled with their schooling, scouting, Little League and high school sports and music. In 1980, the family moved to Clearwater. A skilled knitter, she left her family with treasured Christmas stockings and other gifts. Her family remembers her as patient and a role model.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Virginia Cline, 89, Pinellas Park

After her years of teaching in Pinellas County schools, Cline used her retirement to travel and volunteer. She went to Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer and went to Japan, Mexico and parts of Europe to study. In retirement, she was a snowbird, who split her time between her grandchildren in New York and her Florida home. She loved to golf and square dance.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Dignity Memorial]

William “Bill” Coleman, 91, Tampa

Bill Coleman graduated from Hillsborough High School, then served in the Korean War. A merchant marine, he traveled the world in his youth.

Later, he worked at Schlitz brewery for 30 years and became a realtor in retirement. “Sociable to the end, Bill never met a stranger,” his family wrote. He was interred with military honors at Florida National Cemetery.

[obituary]

Diane Elaine Collier, 76, Tampa

Diane Collier was a retired teacher’s aide at Robinson Elementary who loved Christmas, Elvis, reading, singing and her family.

She also loved dominoes — a member of her dominoes group remembered that Ms. Collier was the life of the party and always “full of ‘it.’” She loved laughing and wasn’t above spontaneously bursting into song during an outing when the mood struck.

[obituary]

Jack Crittenden, 91, Seminole

Married for more than 65 years, Jack Crittenden “taught his family what love looked like as he walked with (his wife) Bonnie through her 11-year battle with dementia,” his obituary reads.

A man of integrity and kindness, plus remarkable ping-pong skills, he loved to study God’s word, pull weeds and serve his community. After a career in marine construction, with proud contributions to the 7-mile bridge in Marathon and the Interstate 40 bridge over Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana, he liked to unwind in the yard and at church. Thirtieth Avenue Baptist Church was his second home for nearly 62 years, where, as a deacon, he taught Sunday School and led the music and choir. Much of his work was quiet, kept humbly behind the scenes.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Jeanette DeFrank, 102, Seminole

Jeanette DeFrank with son Albert, middle, and grandson Joseph. [ Courtesy of Joseph DeFrank ]

Jeanette DeFrank was born in 1918, the same year the Spanish Flu wreaked havoc on the world, said her grandson, Joseph DeFrank. So it’s particularly poignant that the next major pandemic is what killed her.

She was born in the Detroit area and did secretarial work, then became a stay-at-home mom when she married and had a son. The family bought a condo and moved to Seminole in 1973. A few years later, her husband died of Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Ms. DeFrank lived on her own from then on, playing cards and going out to dinner with a core group of friends, her grandson said. She stayed independent almost until the end, still shopping and carrying in her groceries at 98. She was “a very strong woman,” he said. “Very feisty.”

In 2016, as her health began to decline, she moved into Freedom Square of Seminole.

Renee Dermott, 51, New Port Richey

Renee Dermott and her husband, John. [ Courtesy of Nicole Dermott ]

A sixth-grade teacher at Seven Springs Middle School, Renee Dermott kept her circle of friends small. But when she was hospitalized with pneumonia, worried she would miss moments with her kids, her community stepped up. Students she’d had when she taught at the elementary level said she had made a difference for them. Donations and kind words poured in, proving Dermott’s circle was bigger than she’d given herself credit for.

“She was the first teacher there and the last teacher to leave,” one of her daughters said.

[Tampa Bay Times, Fox 13]

Genyte Dirse, 86, St. Pete Beach

Genyte Dirse [ Courtesy of Gedi Pakalnis ]

Before her death, Genyte Dirse’s life was the focus of a contentious court battle.

After she sold part of her St. Pete Beach property to her grandnephew for $50,000, when the property value was near $500,000, a realtor arranged to have Ms. Dirse put in the state guardianship program, saying her relative was exploiting her.

The two court cases about Ms. Dirse and her property will continue even after her death. It had been more than a year since her grandnephew was last able to speak with her.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Mary DiSalvo, 93, Lakeland

Her fun-loving personality and infectious smile will be how family and friends remember Mary DiSalvo. When she told a story, she laughed all the way through it. DiSalvo, who was born in Italy, was a retired seamstress who had worked at the West Point Military Academy Tailor Shop. DiSalvo also loved to sing, cook and was a dedicated member of All Saints Catholic Church.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy, Heath Funeral Chapel]

Gary Dorling, 59, Tampa

Gary Dorling was a machinist who liked golf and old cars.

He was married 34 years and had two daughters. His relatives recalled how he was “strong, healthy, active” before he got sick with the coronavirus. “He would want the world to know to take this terrible virus seriously and protect yourself and others,” they wrote.

[Obituary]

Russell Douton, 92, Seminole

Those who knew of Russell Douton may have known him by a different name: Windy, or perhaps the Balloonatic. Mr. Douton performed magic and balloon art for decades alongside his wife, Maryellen “Sunny” Douton. The two traveled up and down the east coast in an RV for more than 25 years and continued to perform after settling in Largo.

In 1975, the couple was featured in the Brevard County newspaper Florida Today — Sunny in a candy-striped jacket, presenting a young girl with a balloon swan; Windy wearing thick glasses and a handlebar mustache, blowing into a balloon with a mischievous look.

“It’s like the kids today say — we’re ‘doing our own thing,’ and we’re having a good time, and making a buck too,” Windy told the reporter.

Sunny died in 2015; the two had been married 65 years. Before his death, Windy was living at Seminole’s Freedom Square retirement community, which has become a COVID-19 hotspot.

[Tampa Bay Times archives, Legacy, Newspapers.com]

Dayana Echeverry, 38, Brandon

Dayana Echeverry was born in Colombia and grew up in Queens. She loved unicorns and all things pink. She met her future husband — who she called “my Tony” — in law school. The two married in Las Vegas in 2018.

She was a passionate attorney. In her valedictory speech in law school, she told classmates “We are fighters; dare I say, scrappy... Remember what we’ve been through and who we are, and remember our story. We may not know what is ahead, but we will persevere.”

[GoFundMe]

Concetta “Connie” Ennor, 101, St. Petersburg

Connie Ennor was loved by all, including her daughter, granddaughter and two great-grandchildren. In 1991, the Tampa Bay Times wrote about her and husband Al’s 50th anniversary, which they celebrated with a weekend trip to Naples. The couple had moved to Florida in 1977 from St. Louis and enjoyed activities at the Sunshine Center.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy, Tampa Bay Times]

Anthony Fabrizio, 93, Seminole

Anthony Fabrizio with his granddaughter, Noel. [ Courtesy of Daryle Fabrizio ]

“Even into his 10th decade of life," his obituary begins, "Anthony Fabrizio began each day by doing 100 sit-ups. That’s what he told his family, anyway, and nobody doubted him. Anthony’s obsession with staying strong and healthy was legendary.”

Mr. Fabrizio, a New York City native who moved to Florida in 1954, ran more than a dozen marathons, said his son, Daryle Fabrizio. He got into running and biking toward the end of his career and doubled down on the hobbies in retirement.

He kept running into his 70s, then biking into his 80s. When he moved into an apartment at Freedom Square, a retirement community, he kept fit on a stationary bike, his son said, until he had a heart attack late last year.

[Tampa Bay Times, Legacy]

Forest Farley, 73, Tampa

Forest Farley served as director of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa and later worked at Bay Pines in St. Petersburg. Previously, he ran the VA hospital in Lexington, Ky.

A University of South Florida graduate, Farley served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and received three Purple Hearts. He is survived by his wife, three children, 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

[Tampa Bay Times, obituary]

Joseph “Chuck” Fernandez, 53, Lakeland

A Plant City High School graduate and former Boy Scout, Chuck Fernandez rooted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and enjoyed cruise vacations.

Sometimes, he delighted in a rum and coke. His mother was at his side when he died.

[Obituary]

Colene Flannigan, 92, Palm Harbor

Born and raised in Charlotte, N.C., Colene Flannigan was a long-time member of the Durham Memorial Baptist Church. She worked as a payroll specialist and in her free time, she loved to travel with her husband of 56 years, Jack.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Belle Wade Frame, 96, Pinellas Park

Valedictorian and homecoming queen of her Mississippi High School, Wade Frame graduated from Delta State University, got married and became a mother. She launched a kindergarten in her own home, then founded a kindergarten at two Episcopal churches. She kept going, becoming an elementary school teacher, then a junior high English teacher.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Obituary]

Rosemarie Gabriele, 71, Dade City

Rosemarie Gabriele, pictured with her grandson in 2016. [ DIRK SHADD ]

Rosemarie Gabriele was the only person her granddaughter knew who could get a discount at any store, sale or not. She loved opera, European travel and mashing the buttons of the Hard Rock’s mega machine. A stubborn Sicilian-American family woman, she was equally devoted and independent, making as many birthdays and recitals as she could.

Until the end, she resisted relatives’ worries. Then she said: “We never know when God is going to call us back."

[Tampa Bay Times]

Robert Gaines, 81, Tampa

Robert Gaines got his love of cooking from his mother. A member of the Local 1207 Union, he worked as a foreman in high-rise construction until retirement. Before making a life for himself in Tampa, and long before Citrus County schools were desegregated, he was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, class of 1957.

He was buried in Inverness, where he was born.

[Medical examiner, obituary]

John Giancola, 76, Tampa

John Giancola founded the communications department at the University of Tampa in 1984 and taught video there for more than 20 years. During his career, he wrote for network television and served as director of media arts for the New York State Council of the Arts, and some of his work was archived at the Smithsonian Institution. He was particularly fond of independent film.

[obituary]

Richard Goetze, 84, Pinellas Park

Before his retirement, Richard Goetze served in the Navy but also as a chief engineer in the Merchant Marines and as a lieutenant commander in the Coast Guard. He had seven great-grandchildren.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Donald V. Graham Sr., 93, Treasure Island

Donald V. Graham Sr. was big on numbers. He was a former Internal Revenue Service agent and Air Force reservist who had a knack for picking stocks.

Graham and his wife eventually settled in Florida, where they created a condo management, accounting and real estate firm. He worked until he was 82.

[Obituary]

Vincent Greco, 80, Largo

Vincent Greco’s obituary is short, but the tributes alongside it tell his story: “He helped me through one of the worst times of my life.” “My memories often include his blue Harley.” “He had a hearty laugh and a crooked smile.” “Vinny had gentle, swift and skillful hands with his barber scissors and gave the best bear hug ever!” “I loved him very much since 1988 and I have many memories, both good and bad.” “By watching Vinny, I learned how to be a good bike rider because he was the best! Hard-headed, big-hearted, old-school Sicilian Vinny.”

[Medical examiner, obituary]

Stephanie Louise Hancock, 51, St. Petersburg

Stephanie Hancock moved to St. Petersburg from Key West, where she worked in graphic design, wrote organizational newsletters and volunteered for the American Lung Association.

She “never met a stranger” and loved to sing and dance, her family wrote. She had underlying health conditions but never let that hold her back. In her last week of life, her siblings called and told her how much they loved her and how proud they were of her.

[Key West Citizen, obituary]

Donald Lewis Hand, 78, Clearwater

Donald Hand was a pipe organ design engineer and an accomplished organist and carillonneur, leading choirs at many churches in Connecticut and Florida.

He was proud of his over 100 organ installations, particularly at the Inter-American University Chapel in Puerto Rico, The Shiroishi White Cube Concert Hall in Japan and his final project, First Baptist in Washington, D.C.

He loved music, reading and history and was a descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims.

[obituary]

Willie Haywood Sr., 94, Brandon

Willie Haywood Sr. served in the U.S. Army during World War II, then worked as an industrial worker and truck driver in New Jersey.

He retired to Florida in 1994 and was a member of Beulah MB Church in Ft. Meade. He is survived by six children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

[obituary]

Robert “Bob” Hepp, 83, Pinellas County

Bob Hepp hailed from Ohio but spent much of his adult life in Florida. He owned and was an architectural hardware consultant for Format Ten Inc. in Pinellas Park, then worked at Taylor Contract Hardware in Tampa for 25 years until his retirement.

Mr. Hepp kept busy in retirement: member and Stephen Minister at St. Paul United Methodist Church, president of the Clearwater chapter of the Kiwanis Club, district president of the Methodist Men of St. Petersburg, chairman of the Upper Pinellas County March of Dimes.

But he also had his hobbies, including wood working and maintaining saltwater fish tanks, and enjoyed spending time with his family. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Sandy; three daughters; two brothers; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Adam Hergenreder, 32, Clearwater

Adam Hergenreder was a huge sports fan — especially for Tampa Bay teams. He watched them play on TV and had a collection of jerseys and hats to show his support.

His health prevented him from playing the sports he loved. He had diabetes, lifelong asthma and lung issues. Those issues contributed to Hergenreder’s early death, making him among Florida’s younger coronavirus victims.

He was loved by so many people, his family said, a testament to his kindness. Even while he was struggling with the virus, he was checking on friends and giving them words of encouragement.

“It’s really hard. Really, really hard, to deal with this virus,” his mother said. “It causes so much heartache.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Hal Hevel, 86, Belleair

Married 66 years to his love, Betty, Hal Hevel was a father of five, grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 15. His family came first, and he worked to provide for them, first as a butcher, and then in Florida, as a meat manager at Publix.

He retired to North Carolina, where he liked to carve wood, hike and listen to jazz — as a dancer, he had a groove. His family loved his laugh.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Lillian Hives, 68, Dade City

A Christian, mother and homemaker, Lillian Hives liked to cook, fish and, as was her talent, find creative ways to fix things. She found Christ at an early age and considered herself totally devoted, preaching her love for the Lord and speaking in tongues. She often shared her conviction.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Ernest Ihrig, 89, Seminole

After living in Massapequa Park, N.Y., Ernest Ihrig moved down to Seminole. Ihrig was a proud Air Force veteran and served in the Korean War. He leaves behind a daughter.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Janet Israel, 66, Largo

Janet Israel loved to spend time around friends and family, and she had a number of birthday parties, family gatherings and other celebrations to bring people together. After graduating high school, she studied cosmetology and met the man she’d marry. The two liked to travel in their motor home together. She also enjoyed softball and cooking.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Brewer & Sons]

Donald Jack, 75, Seminole

Donald Jack [ Courtesy of Michael Jack ]

Donald Jack was born and raised in Chicago but moved to Florida in 1976. He worked in construction and maintenance and rose to the top of his field, as the global construction and facilities manager for Jabil Circuits, said his son, Michael Jack.

Mr. Jack’s work took him all over the world: Malaysia, Hungary, his father’s birthplace in Scotland. Back home, he was a member of the Seminole Jaycees, a volunteer organization.

His two favorite things were golfing and the Chicago Cubs, his son said. He was such a Cubs fan that he wants his ashes spread at Wrigley Field.

“I don’t think it’s legal,” his son said, "but some of them are going on that field.”

Mr. Jack caught COVID-19 at Freedom Square of Seminole.

[Tampa Bay Times; Grasso Funeral, Memorial and Cremation Services]

Tango Jessee, 92, Largo

Tango Jessee [ Courtesy of Robbie Jessee ]

Tango Jessee grew up in one-stoplight town in the Appalachian Mountains, her daughters said. At first a homemaker, Ms. Jessee became a widow at 37. She went to community college in her 40s and joined the workforce. She never remarried, instead filling her life with friends, civic clubs and crossword puzzles.

She came to the Sunshine State late in life to be closer to her daughters. She loved sand sculptures and fireworks on the beach. But soon, she was diagnosed with vascular dementia and moved into Freedom Square, a retirement community in Seminole that has become a hot spot for COVID-19.

She died about two weeks after testing positive for the virus.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Josias Jocelyn, 79, St. Petersburg

Josias Jocelyn was the pastor of Sanctification Haitian Baptist Church, which congregated inside the Christ United Methodist Church off 1st Avenue North. In 2016, he helped organize relief efforts after Hurricane Matthew decimated his home church in Haiti.

A parishioner remembered Mr. Jocelyn as having “a servant’s heart” and displaying “the epitome of strength, tenacity and intelligence.”

[obituary, GoFundMe and ABC News]

Marion King, 62, Pinellas Park

She had a sprawling family, and to her 16 nieces and nephews, plus their spouses and children, Marion King was beloved, generous “Aunt Betty.”

On cruises and trips to Sanibel Island, Cape Cod and the Outer Banks, she relied on her favorite recipe for fun: Sun, water, family and friends. A property manager at the Castle Group, she was a lifelong learner, building business and management expertise through continuing education programs, including at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She fought cancer three times, demonstrating over and over her courage and grace. At every appointment, she brought a smile, compliments and good spirits.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Mike Konrad, 64, Brooksville

Mike Konrad [ Times file ]

A Tampa Bay Times editor for nearly 30 years, Mike Konrad was known for the little things: Birthday cards, airport rides and generous advice dispatched over long Friday lunches. Growing up, his family had started each day with the local newspaper and ended it with the evening dispatch, and by mid-high school, he had decided on a career in journalism. Several newspapers later, he arrived at the St. Petersburg Times. The Hernando bureau became his domain.

His pants and shirts were always pressed. His office, neat. His relationships with locals were, for a journalist who oversaw hard-hitting stories, remarkably rosy. His calm, fair sensibility earned him respect from both his Brooksville community and his Times team. With gentle writing guidance, in soft-spoken phone calls, he mentored a long line of reporters.

He toured baseball stadiums, still favoring his St. Louis Cardinals, and played clarinet for the Hernando Symphony Orchestra. He wanted to be remembered as a musician and baseball fan. He wrote, in advance of his own obituary: “He was a journalist who believed in the power of journalism to promote a fair democracy that works for everyone.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Jose Huertas La Rosa, 71, Tampa

Born in Lima, Peru in 1948, Jose Huertas La Rosa worked as an accountant for years before moving to Tampa with his family. In Florida, he found his new path: Christianity, and a degree in theology. He went on to become pastor of the Jesus Amigo Fiel church, his obituary says, and served his Hispanic community through charity work.

He was a father, a husband and a huge fan of the Peruvian national soccer team — which he finally got to watch in the 2018 World Cup, breaking a 35-year drought.

[Hillsborough medical examiner, obituary]

Jean Lasner, 90, Largo

Jean Lasner [ Courtesy of Robert Lasner ]

Originally from New Jersey, Jean Lasner moved to Florida with her family in 1976, one of her sons, Robert Lasner, told the Tampa Bay Times. She worked at a doctor’s office in downtown St. Petersburg for years until she retired.

As she got older, she moved into Cabot Cove, an assisted living facility in Largo. Robert took her to get her nails done or hair cut. They went out to eat once a week. She loved Cracker Barrel, where she usually ordered the daily special, except on fried fish Fridays. She didn’t care for fish.

Over the last few months, she needed a higher level of care than assisted living, her son said. She moved into Freedom Square at the end of March, just as the coronavirus was starting to spread across the state.

Daniel Lewis, 66, St. Petersburg

Daniel Paul Lewis [ Jonathan Lewis ]

“No one was safe from becoming Dan’s new friend,” said Daniel Lewis’ son, Jonathan Lewis. The former ambulance driver was kind to everyone he met and a rock for his family, even offering them advice and words of support as his health declined from the virus.

Mr. Lewis had been at Freedom Square of Seminole, a retirement community, for a two-week rehabilitation program ordered by his doctors. He was starting to turn a corner, his family said, until the virus hit.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Melissa Lindsay, 65, Pinellas Park

A free spirit, a flower child and a beauty queen is how Melissa Lindsay’s family remembers her. The oldest of seven, she embraced the Summer of Love, yet was still tradition-bound, entering beauty pageants: “She was such a raven-haired beauty like her mother that she earned the title of Miss Watervliet, even though her talent was starting a campfire with only a flint rock, leaves and sticks in order to burn all her bras on stage,” her obituary reads. “This is not actually the talent Missy performed, simply the one she wanted to perform.”

She had a near-encyclopedic recall of books and trivia and had read seemingly every author. After becoming a mother, she graduated as a registered nurse at age 35, focusing on geriatrics, as she was drawn to the vulnerable and lonely. She liked to put people at ease and listen to their stories. If she loved you, she was an unabashed fan, screaming to cheer you on from the stands — or creatively berating your opponent.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Sterling Magee, 84, Gulfport

Sterling Magee performs in 2005. [ Times (2005) ]

As a blues musician, he was known as Satan.

Sterling Magee played with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Etta James and James Brown. He took the stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, part of the duo Satan and Adam. In between, he busked in Harlem, honing his own distinctive style.

Mr. Magee did not see despair in the blues, once saying: “Blue is one of the most beautiful colors in the world. The sky is blue, you got a clear day, people go out to the beach, the water’s blue. How do you associate blue with such a sad, slumped down state of unhappiness? That’s not the blues. Those are the clouds.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

John Alfred Marsh Jr., 90, Palm Harbor

John Marsh, known as “Doc” to his family for his concern for their health and safety, grew up in the Ocala National Forest. He served in the U.S. Army, then became a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol, mostly in the Tampa Bay region.

He loved nature and the outdoors and making others laugh with his stories. For many years, he had a hunting camp in the Ocala National Forest.

[obituary]

Cheryl Massey, 56, St. Petersburg

Every year, Cheryl Massey started counting down to Christmas, at 364 days to go. She was the glue of the family, and every birthday party, vacation and sleepover with her grandkids was owed to her planning. Her faith in Jesus Christ was her most abiding passion, and she played an active role at St. Petersburg Presbyterian Church.

She was such a good listener that she made it her career, as a family counselor. Last year, she studied online at Liberty University, earning a master’s degree in human services, counseling, marriage and family. In September, the college will honor her by presenting her diploma to her husband, David, two children and six grandchildren.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Helen Jeaneve Fite McClendon, 90, St. Petersburg

Helen McClendon loved cultivating beauty. She tended carefully to her garden. Her true passion, though, was for antiques. She restored antique furniture and founded a chapter of The Questers, which helps to preserve historical buildings. Her pride was a 200-year-old log cabin that she restored with her husband until moving to Florida in 2017.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Geraldine “Gerry” McCloskey, 86, Pinellas Park

Gerry McCloskey excelled at bowling, played softball and then took up golf. She moved to Tampa Bay in 1962, where she eventually became an assistant financial manager for Graybar Electric and met her life partner. Together, they raised two children.

She survived colon cancer 30 years ago and esophageal cancer five years ago. “Through it all, she kept her sense of humor and kept Sally in line,” her family writes.

[obituary]

Patricia Elizabeth McCracken, 85, Temple Terrace

A former state social worker, Patricia McCracken lived by a “pay it forward” credo. A longtime member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, she held a psychology degree from Barnard College and had come to Florida from New York.

McCracken enjoyed traveling and reading. She listened to jazz and liked fine art.

“She was always available to anyone in need,” her family recalled. “All she asked in return was to do something for someone else who needed help.”

[Obituary]

Edna Pearl McKinney, 76, Largo

Edna McKinney was a Largo native who grew up to become a nursing assistant and a military wife.

Her job took her from classrooms to hospitals, and she won many awards for her work ethic. Ms. McKinney also served as a deaconess of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and participated in the church’s Senior Women Ministry and Mass Choir.

[obituary]

Thomas Minichillo, 74, Clearwater Beach

Thomas Minichillo [ Courtesy of Terri Terzini-Minichillo ]

Terri Terzini-Minichillo was married to Thomas Minichillo for more than 50 years. She said he was the kindest person she’d ever known.

Their evening routine for many years involved visiting the beach and watching the sunset. He had longed to leave rehab and get back home. He’d tell his wife: "I just want to go for a walk with you.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Dorothy Hanson Moore, 70, Dade City

Dorothy Moore knew the name of almost every butterfly and flower found in Florida. She was a mother, teacher and eventually a volunteer Pasco Master Gardener, trained by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Friends remembered her as passionate about sharing her love for gardening and always excited to show kids caterpillars and chrysalis at the butterfly exhibit at the annual fair. The University of Florida Foundation launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a scholarship in her name, to support Pasco Master Gardener continuing education opportunities.

[obituary, GoFundMe]

Sharon Jo “Mort” Morten, 75, Largo

Originally from Illinois, Sharon Morten was a teacher who considered students and clients part of her extended family. She began her career teaching at Largo High School and eventually served as a counselor and a child advocacy coordinator with the guardian ad litem program.

“Love describes my philosophy,” she wrote. “The most beautiful experience for us is the acceptance that we extend to each other.”

[obituary]

Donna Mortensen, 98, St. Petersburg

Donna Mortensen [ Courtesy of Rick Mortensen ]

In Washington, Donna Mortensen ran the kitchen at the Wesley Foundation and was considered a mother to the student residents. In Florida, she volunteered at a number of hospitals. St. Petersburg General Hospital gave her the Frist Humanitarian award.

She also raised money for Southeastern Guide Dogs through the hospital gift shop. Each holiday, she’d make a tray of favors for the patients in the hospital.

[Legacy]

Georgia “Rita” Mosely, 73, Dade City

Rita Mosely was a cook and housekeeper at a Dade City nursing home and later studied to be a registered nurse. Her family wrote in her obituary that she marched with Martin Luther King Jr. She loved her big family, all the way down to her great-grandchildren.

She was a straight shooter, her relatives said, who told it like it was. They wrote: “Georgia’s favorite color was blue and favorite foods were field peas and cornbread.”

[Medical examiner, obituary, Tampa Bay Times]

Hildegarde “Mae” Mutimer, 81, Dunedin

Mae Mutimer married Bob, her high school sweetheart, in 1958. She was an animal lover, a bookkeeper for her husband’s family business and a mother of three. She liked to be part of the community, as a member of many groups, and was an outgoing face behind the concession stand at Dunedin Little League baseball games. She liked to walk the local beaches, paint watercolor landscapes and escape to the Smoky Mountains in the fall.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Craig Nakashian, 75, Gulfport

In Massachusetts, Craig Nakashian taught middle-schoolers math for more than three decades. In his spare time, he loved to water ski, garden and root on the New York Giants. He and his wife retired to Gulfport in 2018.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Vincent Narcisi, 91, Seminole

Once an Army medic in the Korean War, Vincent Narcisi went on to run an electronics business in St. Pete Beach for decades. TV & Music Center sold Sony products, with Mr. Narcisi and one of his sons, Bruce, at the healm.

Another son, Todd Brusko, described a gentle but firm father, one who never spanked or yelled but instilled the importance of school and work ethic.

After testing positive for COVID-19, Mr. Narcisi hung on for weeks in the hospital, a testament to his grit, Brusko said. After his death, Brusko took to Twitter.

“If you think you are being tough for not wearing a mask and continue to go out into large crowds, I can assure you that you are not. If you keep it up, chances are good that you will survive, but someone like my father will not.

“When that happens, I can assure you that if there is an afterlife, some day you will have to meet my father, and when you do, I can see him punching you square in the face.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Harry Nash, 75, Madeira Beach

Harry Nash owned DoraLynn Books in Madeira Beach, where he sold used paperbacks to tourists and locals looking for a beach read. Before that, he was a fixture at book fairs for years and kept two storage units full of books.

As a child, he spent most of his time outdoors and loved to hunt for snakes, his sister said. Mr. Nash’s father was a hotel manager, and the family split the year between St. Pete Beach and Massachusetts — which meant an endless summer.

“They called him Happy Harry,” his sister said.

Mr. Nash was discharged from a hospital to Seminole Pavilion at Freedom Square in late March. Weeks later, the facility was hit with a major coronavirus outbreak.

[Tampa Bay Times]

George “Moose” Near, 72, Zephyrhills

George Near, “Moose” as he was known to friends, died on June 28. His friends and family plan to have a “drive-thru” memorial. Near leaves behind his wife, Poppy, and two sons.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Hodges Funeral Home]

Pamela Nickell, 78, St. Petersburg

Pamela Nickell “bled University of Kentucky blue,” family said. Throughout her life, she was active in Sarasota County and served as the chief legislative aide to a number of state representatives.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Donald Noyes, 90, St. Petersburg

Donald Noyes joined the Merchant Marines at 17, at least until his mother found out and put a stop to it. After high school, he served in the Army for two years. He spent 30 years at Hallmark Cards, traveled abroad and married three times, always to an independent woman. He had a salesman’s knack for gab and was a renowned storyteller, poker player and bookworm who often loaned out his books.

After a massive stroke affected his ability to speak in 1998, he figured out other ways to communicate. He was a founding member of the Treasure Island Curling Team and never stopped bragging about the fact that Bette Davis babysat him when she was in high school.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Frances “Francey” Margaret Oliva, 73, Madeira Beach

Francey Oliva was a woman of many talents. She moved to Tampa in 1964 and over the years, she worked as a dental assistant, bookkeeper, secretary and hairdresser — and finally opened her own salon, Francey Hair Design.

“As a wife she possessed all the qualities a man could have ever fantasized or hoped for,” her husband wrote. She also made sure the couple never went to bed angry.

[obituary]

Marion “Red” Ostdiek, 88, Sun City Center

The fourth of 13 children from a tiny town in Nebraska, Red Ostdiek served 29 years as a U.S. Air Force officer, earning a Bronze Star. According to his obituary, his work touched three aircraft used by a former president, the cruise missile program — even the space shuttle Columbia. In retirement, he became president of the local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He loved to dig deep into his family’s genealogy and relaxed by playing golf and bridge. He and his wife were married 64 years.

[Obituary]

Paul Page, 86, Clearwater

Paul Page loved living in the Rocky Mountains and as a longtime Colorado resident, his favorite song was Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. For years, Page worked as a copy editor for different area newspapers, including The Denver Post for more than two decades. Born on a farm, Page put himself through college in Detroit by working at an automobile plant. Family said he’d help anyone who needed it, whether it was a ride somewhere, some money or a home-cooked meal. He was a Jeopardy wiz and loved the Broncos.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Franca Panettone, 46, Spring Hill

Franca Panettone [ Courtesy Maria Cain ]

One day, Franca Panettone would have her own home. It would be painted purple, her favorite, and filled with furniture she picked herself. She liked going to church and coffee and Gilligan’s Island. She loved her family.

They were never apart, not until she went into the hospital. Before she died, her family video chatted with her. “She looked like an angel, she really did,” her sister said.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Sandra Panopoulos, 92, Palm Harbor

Family reminisced about Sandra Panopoulous’ hosted Christmases, how she was the life of the party and how glamorous she was. Her son wrote that she was the best mother he could ask for and stood up for him no matter what. She also loved to craft and read, friends said.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, MossFeaster Funeral Home]

Nicholas Pape III, 52, St. Petersburg

Nicholas Pape grew up moving from place to place, bounced by his dad’s military job. He went to the University of Connecticut, fell in love with the Huskies men’s basketball team, pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon. He fell in love, married Charisse and, a few cities later, found St. Petersburg. He was “loved by everybody,” his obituary says, kind and gentle.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Dioscora Parido, 90, Pinellas Park

In her native Philippines, Dioscora Parido’s education halted after sixth grade, cut short by World War II. She had an ear for languages, though, and when her husband, Julio, died early, she took over his grocery with ease. At “Parido’s Store,” she employed her family, sent her daughters to college and supplied college-age employees with tuition, uniforms, room and board.

Her taste in fashion and jewelry was elegant, but she didn’t forget where she had come from. She poured money into Calbayog City, sponsoring the hometown fiesta and, as a faithful Catholic, building a rural community chapel. She kept running the grocery even as she moved to the United States to help raise her grandchildren. They often heard her singing — a recent favorite was You Are My Sunshine — and anticipated her requests for a ride to Taco Bell for Nachos Supreme. She loved karate thrillers and gardened fruits and vegetables, orchids and roses.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Darla Perry, 56, Tampa

She poured her creativity into scrapbooks, sewing projects and her famous pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies. She was a generous friend and mother, up for early-morning phone calls. On beach trips and Disney cruises to Castaway Cay, she loved most of all to see the water.

[Hillsborough medical examiner, obituary and virtual visitation]

Deo Persaud, 80, St. Petersburg

Deo Persaud was a well-known businessman and member of the Lions Club in his native Guyana. He later brought his family to New Jersey, where he became a real estate investor before moving down to Florida.

His family remembers him as a role model for many in his community and “a caring and devoted family man.”

[obituary, Tampa Bay Times]

Carlos Policarpio, 80, Tampa

In the Philippines, Carlos Policarpio found God when he was young. He became deeply involved in the Catholic Church, joining groups like the Brotherhood of Christian Businessman and Oasis of Love Community. He studied banking and finance, and when he moved to the U.S. in 1998, he kept up both his career and his faith, becoming a fixture of St. Paul Catholic Church. His greatest love was his family, whose members know that Mr. Policarpio spent most of his time praying for others. They believe his prayers surround them still.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Obituary]

Christopher Pugh, 84, Seminole

Christopher Pugh was a longtime member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church. He also loved golf, maps and singing and dancing.

Mr. Pugh was a resident at the Seminole nursing home with an outbreak of the coronavirus. His family asked that donations, in lieu of flowers, be made to Parkinson’s research.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Alice JoAnn Hooper Reck, 86, Lakeland

JoAnn Reck was a former nurse who loved bluegrass. She and her husband of nearly 30 years traveled the country to attend music festivals, where she loved to sing.

“She will be forever remembered by her beautiful voice, and her selfless, giving attitude,” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Evelyn Reed, 93, Palm Harbor

Evelyn Reed graduated from nursing school in 1948 and, two years later, married the man who would become her partner in business, too. At first, she helped Thomas with his dental practice, store and family farm in Tennessee. After moving to Florida in 1970, they launched a dental practice in Tarpon Springs, then Dunedin.

At home with family, she was revered for her Southern cooking. Her life was full of activity, from the Lions Club to the George Young United Methodist Church to the Tarpon Springs Yacht Club. She loved dancing and playing the piano and organ. She volunteered at St. Mark Village, where she eventually moved.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Blanche Reedy, 69, St. Petersburg

Blanche Lee Jordan Reedy was a minister and 1968 graduate of Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg. She is survived by a son and daughter, three brothers, five sisters, two grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

“Blanche will forever be remembered and missed by the many lives she touched and changed with her testimony and spiritual walk,” a woman who said she was a friend wrote in a comment on Ms. Reedy’s obituary. “She was real.”

“She loved the Lord so much,” wrote another. “Thank God she never gave up on me.”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Obituary]

Dorothy Reichert, 81, Plant City

Dorothy Reichert was a down to-earth homemaker, originally from Mount Kisko, N.Y. With a large family in the Plant City area, she was constantly at a relative’s house or playing cards and bingo with her friends. “Her whole gist was just being around family and friends,” her daughter-in-law said.

One granddaughter said she’ll miss Ms. Reichert’s natural humor and sarcasm. “Going on our day trips, long phone calls, playing rummy all day together while you made me ramen...and of course...playing bingo together,” she wrote.

After suffering a fall in February, Ms. Reichert was placed in Community Convalescent Center in Plant City to recover. Instead, she contracted COVID-19 during a major outbreak at the facility.

[The Tampa Bay Times, Obituary]

Justine Reish, 102, Largo

Born in 1918 in Ohio, she became an executive secretary for 40 years. It was at the M. O’Neil Co. that she met the love of her life, Don. They were married in 1944. She loved God and her family, her obituary reads: “She was a model for us of how to live with kindness, respect, and dignity.”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Sheila Remley, 83, and Jim Ayotte, 85, Largo

Sheila Remley [ Remley family ]

Sheila Remley died at Morton Plant Hospital with a nurse holding her hand. She was popular at her mobile home park community, hosting parties and dinners. According to her daughter, she had just started dating a fellow resident, Jim Ayotte. He, too, died after contracting the virus.

Ms. Remley loved to travel. In May, she had planned a cruise to Amsterdam.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Lois Renz, 73, Tampa

Lois Renz moved to Tampa in the late 1960s after serving in the U.S. Air Force, and quickly made it her home. Her kids called her “Mez,” and her grandkids called her Grammy. She stayed close with her friends, better known as “The Group.” Every month, all 14 of them got together, knowing they could look forward to Ms. Renz’s funny stories and her laugh.

She was a Girl Scout leader, a Straz Performing Arts Center volunteer and a breast cancer survivor. She loved books, goats, The Beatles, English soccer and English TV shows — Poldark, especially.

Her family noted in her obituary: “We would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff on the COVID unit at Advent Health Tampa on Fletcher Ave. for their loving care of Lois in her final days.”

[Hillsborough County medical examiner, obituary, WFLA]

Astrid Reyes, 6, Tampa

Astrid Reyes [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]

Astrid Reyes died days before her seventh birthday.

Less than a year earlier, she had finished a long and perilous trip from Honduras to America, seeking asylum.

Astrid liked to draw and to paint. She was picking up a new language.

“We wanted to send her to school, for her to start first grade,” her mother said.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Robert Robinson, 73, Pinellas Park

When Bob Robinson’s daughter Teri Sue died, he became an ordained minister. He wanted to be a source of comfort, performing wedding ceremonies, counseling people and being a generous presence at a loved one’s end-of-life celebration.

An Ohio native, he and his wife of 55 years, Susan, moved to Florida in 2017. He took to playing euchre with friends and loved doing a crossword while roasting in the sun. “He was funny, and his straightforward candor drew people to him,” his obituary said. He had a lot of loves, including the Yankees and Ohio State football, but most of all spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Pierre Roche, 74, Riverview

If he heard a song that moved him, Pierre Roche was known to get up and dance. He loved music, singing and playing the drums. He also liked soccer and wrestling.

His family said what they remember most fondly about Mr. Roche was his devotion to Christ.

[Hillsborough County medical examiner, Serenity Meadows]

William Schell, 103, Pinellas County

William Schell was born in New York and died June 25 at C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center.

Commenters on his obituary call him “Bud” and describe a man who was always smiling and loved to host cookouts.

“The world has lost a great man,” wrote a man who said he worked for Schell. “Bud was a wonderful person. He would help anyone who needed it.”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Vilma Joyce Toledo Seber, 84, Tampa

Vilma Toledo Seber loved old western romance stories, evenings with friends at the original Seminole Bingo Hall and savoring a good meal. “No Golden Corral was safe when Vilma drove there with grandchildren in tow,” her family wrote..

The family matriarch spent her life in Tampa, graduating from Jefferson High School, working at the Ybor City Kress department store and volunteering at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. She enjoyed weekends at the beach or pool and could be known to bust out a few dance moves after a margarita. “She was a pistol!” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Ed F. Serra, 91, Lithia

Born Eduardo Francisco Serra in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mr. Serra came to the U.S. in 1947 to study mechanical engineering at New York University. Working in the pharmaceutical industry, he and his wife lived in New Jersey, Mexico and Puerto Rico and visited at least 70 countries before moving to Florida.

Mr. Serra’s family remembers him as a great storyteller who loved to play chess, collect coins and stamps, and create family albums in his free time.

[obituary]

Eleanor June Schueneman, 94, Seminole

Eleanor June Schueneman [ Sandra McKinley ]

In her 60s, she was riding a motorcycle to work. In her 90s, she was crocheting lap robes and shawls for Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Eleanor June Schueneman was “quiet and strong,” said daughter Sandra McKinley. She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary and the MOC Auxiliary.

Just before she got really sick, doctors helped her FaceTime with her family. “She was thrilled that she could see us,” McKinley said.

[Tampa Bay Times, James Funeral Home]

Sam Scolaro, 75, Tampa

Sam Scolaro was born in Ybor City and spent his life in the Tampa Bay medical community. Aside from running a busy medical practice in the Valrico-Brandon area for 48 years, he was one of the longest continuing staff members at Tampa General Hospital, the chief of staff of Tampa Osteopathic Hospital and a founding member of Brandon Hospital.

He also took great pride in teaching future physicians and advocating for aspiring nursing and medical students. He helped establish post-graduate intern and resident training and always had a student shadowing him to learn the ropes.

Scolaro enjoyed sports, especially the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Rays — he loved baseball so much he sponsored his local Little League team and could hear them play from his back porch.

[obituary]

Robert “Bob” Sempert, 90, Tampa

Bob Sempert spent four years in the U.S. Air Force, then worked for Tampa Electric Co. for more than 30 years.

“Bob was one of the guys who always seemed to have a great attitude toward life as well as work,” a co-worker wrote. He retired in 1988 and loved traveling and tinkering in his workshop. He contracted COVID-19 in his nursing home.

[obituary]

Lynann Seymour, 68, Tampa

Lyn Seymour got her start at WEDU in Tampa. She never stopped working in public media, her career taking her from Gainesville to Dallas. At PBS, she worked on shows like Zoboomafoo and Calliou.

At work, she was a mentor to other women, many of whom say they owe her a debt. She and her husband loved to travel. Seymour fell sick after the two returned from a trip to Egypt.

[Current]

Carole Jean Shortz, 86, Seminole

Carole Shortz loved to dance and was an avid bowler. Her favorite pastime was traveling the country by RV.

“Carole was a dedicated mother who was always there for her family,” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Richard Slazas, 77, Clearwater

“His red Corvette was his pride and joy, a lifelong dream achieved,” Rich Slazas’ obituary reads. An Army veteran who served in Vietnam, who moved on to a career in pharmaceuticals, he loved any and all Chicago sports, betting the horses — and of course, that car. Money came and went thanks to those horses and the casinos, but every now and then, he’d win big.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Obituary]

Clayton Snare, 95, Palm Harbor

Clayton Snare with one of his great-granddaughters. [ Courtesy of Clayton Snare II ]

A meteorologist in the Navy during World War II. President of two banks. An avid golfer and churchgoer. A family man who once held his great-granddaughter with a smile so bright it was as if he’d won the lottery.

Clayton Snare “led a very good life, very successful life," said one of his sons, Clayton Snare Jr. “For him to go not of natural causes but because of what’s going on — it just doesn’t seem fair. It really doesn’t.”

[Tampa Bay Times]

Stefan Solohub Jr., 73, North Port

Stefan Solohub wanted to be a country musician. He wrote songs and entertained with his guitar, going by “Stevie J.R.” when he made music.

Solohub was a proud Ukrainian American and was actively involved with cultural organizations. He worked most of his life as an electronics engineer and moved to Florida when he retired to live closer to his parents. Family remembers his favorite prayer: “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and Wisdom to know the difference.”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, A Life Tribute Funeral Care]

Richard “Dick” Spires, 82, Largo

He grew up building models, so it was perhaps no surprise that Dick Spires became a successful electrical engineer. In three decades with Bell Labs, he even led key developments in long-haul telephone systems.

He had plenty of other loves, too, from photography to rock climbing to the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity (of which he was president in his final year at Ohio University). In his obituary, his family writes that he loved playing Bridge and Euchre. After retiring, he found joy in traveling the American West and France, serving as usher at his Largo parish, and spending time with family.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Dennis Spoto, 77, Tarpon Springs

After moving to Florida, Dennis Spoto fell in love with fishing. He participated in the Suncoast Tarpon Roundup and took third place on his first try. He built custom fishing rods for himself and friends, and eventually started building his own fishing boats. He also was a lifelong baseball fan, and as a kid, he collected candy wrappers to trade for tickets to Brooklyn Dodgers games.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, MossFeaster]

Michael Stephanofsky, 61, St. Petersburg

His mother helped him enlist in the Marines at age 17. Once honorably discharged, he tried on jobs until landing a career as an industrial plumber. He was brilliant with his hands, quick to help, “rough around the edges” but pure-hearted. To his wife of 32 years, Kristen, he was a rock.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Sue Stephenson, 80, Seminole

Sue Stephenson was a stay-at-home mother who loved to make her family smile with treats like apple pie, her daughter said. She grew up in Charleston, W.Va., and moved down to Seminole after she got married.

Ms. Stephenson enjoyed camping and visiting islands to hunt for seashells. At 50, she suffered an aneurysm and went through two brain surgeries but recovered and traveled to national parks all around the country with her husband. “Mom was always a smiling, happy person,” her daughter said. “I think cooking and taking care of us made her happy.”

Ms. Stephenson was a resident of Seminole Pavilion at Freedom Square.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Wayne Sternberg, 71, Lakeland

Wayne Sternberg spent his career in banking but was a woodworker at heart. At 9, he built his first rabbit hutch and a dog house. Later, he progressed to model sailboats. When his two grandsons came along, he shared his passion for building with LEGO boat model projects.

In retirement, he loved to golf, visit car and plane shows with his wife, or spend time riding bikes and hanging out by the pool with his grandsons. A Disney enthusiast since the 1980s, Disney World was the go-to vacation spot for celebrations over the years. He and his wife took the entire family on a three-day trip there earlier this year.

“Wayne had a beautiful and loving smile, twinkling eyes, and one of the kindest souls,” his family wrote.

[Obituary]

Verne Strible, 99, Seminole

Verne Strible [ Sandy Curry ]

In recent years, if you asked Verne Strible how he was, he always responded the same way: “hanging in there and hoping the ropes don’t break.”

Baltimore-born, Mr. Strible served in the U.S Army in France during World War II, then studied engineering at Johns Hopkins University on the G.I. Bill. Afterward, he spent his career at Union Carbide in Buffalo, N.Y., and continued his engineer’s habit of wearing a pocket protector with a pen and pencil throughout his life, his daughter said.

Retired in Florida, he and his wife lived at Freedom Square in Seminole for many years, where they had a large social circle and loved to go out to eat. Mr. Strible was always after a good crab cake — but never could find any that rivaled Maryland’s.

He was most proud of his large family — four children, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren — and was particularly looking forward to celebrating his 100th birthday next year with all of them. On the day of his death, a nurse helped organize a video call. Each family member told him they loved him.

[The Tampa Bay Times, Obituary]

Emil Sudol, 91, St. Petersburg

Emil Sudol in January 2020 [ Courtesy of Mike Magur ]

Emil Sudol, a Korean War veteran, loved nothing more than spending time with friends at his favorite St. Petersburg haunts, like the Casual Clam.

Mr. Sudol was born in New Jersey and moved to Florida in 1971, where he worked over the years for Val-Pak and as a cook. He was an avid reader, piling up magazines and newspapers at his house, and especially enjoyed military history, his nephew said. “He was kind of free and independent,” he said. “He liked being himself, being with friends, and going out at night.”

Mr. Sudol was discharged to rehab at Seminole Pavilion at Freedom Square in early April after a fall sent him to the hospital. The facility has had a major coronavirus outbreak.

[Tampa Bay Times]

Ingrid Lübkemann Swartz, 91, Sun City Center

Ingrid Lübkemann Swartz liked music, silly jokes and tennis. She was born in Germany, a child when World War II began.

Later, she became a translator and typist for a bank, able to speak five languages.

She strummed guitar for her children and played with them in tidal pools.

[Obituary]

Theresa Szubartowski, 99, Seminole

Theresa Szubartwoski came from a big Polish family that had settled in Marinette, Wis., but farm life wasn’t for her. She and her three stylish sisters moved to Chicago and started working as soon as they could. During World War II, she got a job selling war bonds at Western Electric and stayed there for the rest of her career.

She and her husband retired to Florida about 40 years ago. They traveled the world and filled their house with souvenirs: brass plates from Egypt and golden statuettes from India. Relatives loved to come visit, to catch up on her stories, play card games or swim in her pool.

” If you came over to her house, she was bound and determined to make you eat something,” her son said. “She was a generous, good person.”

She moved into Freedom Square, a retirement community in Seminole, earlier this year to recover from a surgery and caught COVID-19 when the facility had an outbreak.

[Tampa Bay Times, Obituary]

Alice Tweedy, 94, New Port Richey

If Alice Tweedy heard music, she was prone to start dancing.

She loved to swim in the Gulf of Mexico and to read. She was born in Boston and later moved to Florida. Her family remembers her as a caring mother.

[Obituary]

Birdie Eileen Williams Underwood, 71, Tampa

Birdie Eileen Williams Underwood, a Tampa native, spent 40 years teaching children at J.R. Booker Elementary School. She was a proud graduate of Bethune-Cookman University and an active member in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Even after retiring from the Hillsborough County school district, Ms. Underwood still wanted to help children and worked as a part-time reading tutor.

[Hillsborough County medical examiner, Aikens Funeral Home]

Michael “Mickey” Villano, 83, St. Petersburg

Mickey Villano was born and raised in Fort Lee, N.J. He met his wife of 57 years, Barbara, in high school there. He started a plumbing business in his home state, then moved it to St. Petersburg in 1979.

“This world was much better with him in it,” reads his obituary. “Never was there a stranger known to him. He was a kind, giving soul to anyone who was in need. A great provider to his family, a loving husband and father, son and brother.”

Since his wife, a child care worker, died in 2016, Villano had lived in a nursing home, where he was known as “an independent, resilient person, one of their favorites.”

“That was Mickey!”

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, obituary]

Douglas Werth, 73, St. Petersburg

Douglas Werth worked as a Pinellas County schoolteacher for 35 years, including as a social studies teacher at Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, according to the Pinellas school district. He retired in 2004.

Tributes from former students poured in on a post in a Northeast High alumni Facebook group: “Love Mr. Werth. He was a wonderful and challenging teacher.”

“I remember when he dressed up like Abe Lincoln. His humor kept my attention in class, and he was responsible for my love of world history.”

“We used to play basketball together. He let me drive his ’64 ‘vette convertible for prom my senior year. What was he thinking? He was a good man.”

[Facebook, Pinellas County Schools, Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner]

Ruby Whiddon, 84, Brandon

Ruby Whiddon’s obituary defines her foremost by her family: “Ruby was a loving and faithful wife, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, mee-maw, grandma and friend.” She also was a softball coach, a camper, a boater and a woman who loved to fish alongside friends whenever she could.

Her family held a service over Facebook Live. Her casket was piled with yellow roses.

[Hillsborough County medical examiner, obituary, Facebook]

Douglas Wolfe, 81, Port Richey

As a Poughkeepsie police officer, Douglas Wolfe was known for handing out speeding tickets and for serving as the safety director of a bus company. In Florida, he was a school bus driver for Pasco and Pinellas counties. He also served in the United States Army.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy]

Sherman Andre Wright Sr., 48, St. Petersburg

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Sherman Wright was a high school football player for the Dixie Hollins Rebels. Even after not playing, Wright loved football and rooted for his favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks. He also worked as a chef for Dan Marino. His love of cooking tied into his love of family, and he loved to host family cookouts.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Tribute Archive]

Doris Yost, 97, Seminole

Doris Yost had turned 97 just a few weeks before she died on July 3. After growing up in Lebanon, Penn., Ms. Yost became a longtime resident of Cocoa Beach and moved to Seminole in 2011.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy.com]

Nikolaos Zaharopoulos, 66, Holiday

Nikolaos Zaharopoulos was born in Greece in the mid-1950s. His family said he always made sure the family stuck together and knew their bond could get them through anything. They said he also was strong enough to brush things off, and he always provided for his family. “It was the world to us,” they wrote.

He leaves behind his wife, three daughters, two sons, three brothers and a sister.

[Pinellas-Pasco medical examiner, Legacy, Obituary Manager]

Sheila Aaronson, 93, Delray Beach

Sheila Aaronson held a lot of power in Palm Beach County politics but was unelected.

She was, according to one political operative, the “compass” for her husband, Burt, a county commissioner. The Aaronsons had met on the Jersey Shore. Sheila outlived Burt by a couple of years, but at his funeral, her grandson recalled for the Palm Beach Post how she talked about their next life: “I know what I want to come back as,” she said, “Burt Aaronson’s wife.”

[Palm Beach Post]

Adalberto Alfonso Jr., 76, Jupiter

Born in Cuba, Adalberto Alfonso Jr.‘s life became an example of the American Dream, his family wrote.

He was an accomplished engineer over his 40-year career at Florida Power and Light and NextEra Energy Resources. He also was an avid reader and tried to keep learning throughout his life.

But his family and friends will remember him most for his sense of humor, love of travel and good food, especially Spanish food.

[obituary]

Luis Alpiste, 79, Miami

Luis Alpiste, 79, pictured holding one of his grandchildren. [ Miami Herald ]

Luis Alpiste, a father of four, used to wake up his kids at midnight with a cake to celebrate their birthdays.

Born in Peru as one of 18 children, Mr. Alpiste settled in Miami with his wife, Jenny, and worked as a construction worker.

“I just remember driving around with him and he’d say, ‘See that building? I helped build it’,” said his daughter, Erika Alpiste. “He was so proud.”

[Miami Herald]

Bruce Elder Anderson, 84, Bradenton

He grew up in the cold, but after moving to Bradenton nearly half a century ago, Bruce Elder Anderson didn’t look back. Mr. Anderson had just celebrated his birthday on a video chat with family.

Come summer, his sister will bury him alongside the rest of his family in Minnesota.

[Bradenton Herald]

Alexander and Glorivi Andujar, 41 and 39, West Palm Beach

Among the tight-knit Andujar family — parents, five siblings, in-laws — brother and sister Alex and Glorivi were best friends. They planned backyard barbecues and holiday parties, Alex’s quiet seriousness balanced with Glorivi’s high energy and passion for arts and crafts.

After Alex got sick in March, six other family members, including both parents, followed. The others recovered, but Alex died on April 4. Glorivi died 10 days later.

Not long before he died, Alex had a bad fall in the hospital when he weakly stood, trying to get the attention of his sister, who was unconscious in the room across from his. He’d needed to see her one last time.

[Palm Beach Post]

Donald Ellsworth Applegate, 92, Pensacola

Donald Applegate was the “embodiment of traditional Midwestern values,” his family wrote.

He served as a dentist in the U.S. Navy for much of his career, including during the Vietnam War. In retirement, he immersed himself in hobbies: photography, jazz music, horticulture and local history. His family said he favored romantic ballads like Cole Porter’s Every Time We Say Goodbye and could readily be coaxed into singing for a group. He also liked to film family events with 16 mm film, “including backyard, Midwestern summer badminton games, as well as staged antics like incongruous multitudes emerging from his 1959 VW Beetle.”

After his wife’s death, he spent his last years in a long-term care center where the nurses taught him how to use an e-reader to enlarge the text. Thanks to that innovation, he enjoyed reading until the last week of his life.

[obituary]

Sandra Aprilah, 64, West Palm Beach

Not long after they met on a dating app three or four years ago, Sandra Aprilah asked John Cole Jr. to move in with her. Both were looking for companionship, and they developed a quick bond. They fished off a bridge — Cole doing the baiting, Ms. Aprilah the reeling — and took their catch home to clean and cook. They went to church and the movies together, and he brought her bagels and sausage sandwiches.

Earlier this year, Ms. Aprilah told an old friend to look after Cole if anything happened to her, and in March, she came down with a fever. She died April 5, with Cole caring for her until the end.

[Palm Beach Post]

Jane K. Araguel, 69, Destin

Jane Araguel was an award-winning realtor in the Destin area for over 30 years, someone who “radiated a passion for exploration and discovery of new adventures,” her family wrote.

She loved being active and cultivated many outdoor hobbies, including deep-sea fishing, scuba diving and snow skiing. She also was a licensed pilot.

[obituary]

Christine Armour, 88, West Palm Beach

Even after retiring from the post office, Christine Armour kept busy. She started her own business sewing African clothes, volunteered at a food pantry, spent time at church and ushered at movie nights in a senior living community.

Her granddaughter said Ms. Armour helped to raise her while her mother worked. She said Ms. Armour had a heart of gold.

[Sun-Sentinel]

Jeannette Beatty Asbed, 88, Naples

When Jeannette Beatty Asbed attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Mass., undergraduate women were not allowed to study at Harvard’s Lamont Library. Fifty years later, she planned her class reunion and made a point to stage the big group photo there.

Her family remembers Ms. Asbed building a life around “tolerance, active volunteering, lifelong learning and a love of travel.” A pharmacist and frequent mentor, she hosted foreign exchange students and occasionally wrote letters, even to strangers, celebrating when she saw they had succeeded at work.

[Obituary, Fuller Funeral Home-Cremation Service]

Jose Diaz Ayala, 38, West Palm Beach

Sgt. Jose Diaz Ayala worked with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and had been battling health issues before contracting COVID-19. He was a corrections deputy before being promoted in 2016.

He had three children, who his ex-wife said were his everything.

[Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Sun-Sentinel]

Yansi Ayala, 11, Fort Lauderdale

Yansi Ayala became the second 11-year-old to die from coronavirus in the state. She had cerebral palsy, epilepsy, asthma and heart disease.

[NBC Miami 6]

Earl Bailey, 56, Sunrise

Earl Bailey was a nurse who used to play worship songs and bring co-workers to the gym. He visited multiple hospitals in South Florida and had five children and five grandchildren.

His daughter, Sashia, said Mr. Bailey was sure he’d recover from COVID-19. But his breathing faltered quickly. “He loved to take care of people,” she said.

[Sun-Sentinel]

Doris Baker, 94, Fort Lauderdale

For years, Doris Baker traveled around the country in her RV. She had been planning to go to Costa Rica and see the rainforest.

For the last seven years, Ms. Baker lived at Atria Willow Wood, an assisted living facility in Broward County. There, she helped with a number of activities, but was most famous for calling bingo. She was the seventh resident of the facility to die from COVID-19.

[Sun-Sentinel]

Stuart and Adrian Baker, 74 and 72, Boynton Beach

Their son said they died six minutes apart. They had been married 51 years.

After their deaths, relatives set up an online fundraiser in their honor, to support a scholarship for students from a public housing project in Queens where Stuart Baker had lived as a child.

[Palm Beach Post, CNN]

Peter and Eleanor Baker, 85 and 84, Webster

Peter and Eleanor Baker, married 62 years, died a day apart. The couple loved golf parades, holiday celebrations, bake sales and country drives. They raised five children in New Jersey, then bought a motor home in retirement and split their time between Pennsylvania and Florida.

Peter was a former police captain famous for his blueberry pancakes, and Eleanor was a legendary hostess who loved gardening. Their children believe the two might have contracted COVID-19 at the annual reunion of retired New Jersey State Police in Melbourne, Fla., in early March.

At the hospital, Peter was put on a ventilator. The children gathered outside Eleanor’s window, waving and telling her they loved her on the phone. A nurse helped the couple have a last reunion in the ICU, where Eleanor held Peter’s hand.

[Orlando Sentinel]

Bennett Bakst, 88, Boynton Beach

For many years, if you were in Manhattan and needed a drugstore at an odd hour, Bennett Bakst was your guy. His Kaufman Pharmacy — one of many New York City drugstores he owned — was for a time the only 24-hour drugstore in Manhattan, open around the clock even during the city’s 1977 blackout.

Mr. Bakst retired to Florida, where he served as a Citizen On Patrol on Palm Isles every week for two decades and cared for his wife of nearly 50 years, Shari, through a long illness.

[Sun-Sentinel]

Irwin and Theodora Balaban, 87 and 88, Boynton Beach

The Balabans were so in sync, they seemed like “one person” to their kids.

Irwin Balaban was a big-thinking entrepreneur from Brooklyn who had tremendous Jewish pride, his family said. He was an engineer for defense contracts for years, then founded a company in 1982 that uses robots and computers to help streamline warehouses for clients like Boeing and NASA.

Theodora Balaban, originally from Queens, was a scarf and accessory buyer at Macy’s when she met Irwin at a party. She loved cooking meals for family gatherings and was famous for a matzoh-ball soup recipe once published in the New York Daily News, family said.

The Balabans died a week apart. The family had to conduct a funeral on Zoom. With limited people at graveside, “it felt like we gave eulogies to the wind,” their daughter said.

[Palm Beach Post]

Nancy Stauber Ballas, 59, Jacksonville

Nancy Ballas worked for State Farm Insurance for more than 30 years, then devoted her time to working at the Beaches Historical Museum and Gardens and tending her herb garden. She also loved beading, Bunko and spending time with friends and family.

“It will be hard to imagine we will only have her smile and laughter in our memories and our hearts,” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Bettye Withers Barnes, 100, Jacksonville

Bettye Barnes faced tragedy young, when her first husband died in World War II, leaving her with two young daughters. But she found happiness again and remarried in 1948. Eventually, she had two more daughters, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Ms. Barnes and her husband were married over 67 years and became deeply involved in community service in their hometown, Savannah, Ga. A shelter for homeless women is named after them, in recognition of their long-term service.

[obituary]

Carol “Gabby” Barrett, 73, Pensacola

Carol Barrett — known as “Gabby” to friends — crisscrossed the skies as a flight attendant for Delta for more than 40 years. Whether working transport flights to shuttle troops to the Middle East or finding new friends in a foreign country, she was comfortable in any situation.

“She flew some of the most grueling international trips, and it barely affected her,” said a friend. “She’d get home from a trip and want to know, right away, what was planned for that evening.”

Passionate about exploring other cultures, her condo became more of a museum than an apartment, filled with treasures she collected from around the world.

Shortly before she came down with COVID-19, Ms. Barrett had spent two weeks in Egypt, texting friends photos of her camel ride and hot air balloon trip over the Valley of the Kings.

[ABC, Gulf Breeze News]

Nancy Bryant Barry, 82, West Palm Beach

A third-generation Floridian, Nancy Barry “was as unconventional as they come,” her family said. A nudist, a poet, an activist and a letter-writer extraordinaire, she always saw the best in people and made them feel welcome at her table, sending guests home “with baked goods, seeds and smiles.”

For years, she hosted a talk show on a local radio station, WPBR. With her soulmate, she later traveled across the Southwest in an RV nicknamed “Sluggo,” with a small zoo of animals: Cats, dogs and a flock of quails.

[obituary]

Judy Marie Barton, 72, Baker

She loved her career as a school crossing guard, and in her free time, she loved listening to Conway Twitty, playing bingo and coloring pictures to give to her family. Judy Barton was quick to make people laugh and was known for both her kindness and feistiness. She was a mother of five, a grandmother of 15 and a great-grandmother of 17.

[District 8 medical examiner, obituary]

Herb Baum, 83, Jupiter

Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch was set to open April 15. Herb Baum, who stewarded the construction, delayed it because of the coronavirus. Baum felt passionate about protecting animals and also built a 28-acre property as a sanctuary for unadoptable dogs.

In business, Mr. Baum headed several large corporations like Campbell Soup North and South America, Hasboro Inc., the Dial Corp. and others.

He died on April 20.

[Sun-Sentinel]

Cynthia “Cindy” Bean, 65, Palm Beach Gardens

Originally from Michigan, Cindy Bean moved to Florida to work for IBM and never left.

Her love for nature began young, her family remembers, when she “adopted” a raccoon family as a child (her father had to convince her they were not pets and helped her release them back into the wild.) “She always looked for the good,” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Richard Eugene Bell, 70, Daytona Beach

Richard Bell — known as B.B. — grew up in Volusia County and played football, basketball and baseball at Campbell Senior High School, then studied at Lane College in Tennessee.

For many years, he worked for the Daytona Beach and Orlando airports, and he was the primary caregiver for his mother before her passing in 2013.

[obituary]

Richard Beltram, 75, West Palm Beach

Before sleeping and after he woke up, Richard Beltram kissed his wife, Mona. He had two children and used to work as an accountant.

The couple bought a place in Florida earlier this year, excited to be snowbirds before he fell ill.

[Palm Beach Post]

Shannon Bennett, 39, South Florida

[ Miami Herald ]

Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Shannon Bennett was Florida’s first law enforcement officer to die from COVID-19. He worked as a school resource deputy at Deerfield Beach Elementary, just south of Boca Raton.

The 12-year officer contracted the virus in the line of duty, Sheriff Gregory Tony said.

Mr. Bennett was planning a wedding for December with his fiancé, Jonathan Frey. The two got engaged last year at Disney World.

“He just wanted to be remembered as a fun-loving guy and somebody that was always here for people,” Frey told People magazine.

[Miami Herald, People]

Evelyn M. Beozubiak, 88, Wellington

Evelyn Beozubiak graduated from college “at a time when having an immigrant parent and being a woman made that difficult,” her family wrote. She taught generations of fourth-graders in Aliquippa, Pa., the town where she grew up, and moved to Florida in 1997.

She loved the Pittsburgh Pirates and her dogs, Peeki, Peppy and Sparky.

[obituary]

Julian “Dick” Bernstein, 88, Boca Raton

Dick Bernstein traveled a lot for work, and in retirement, he kept moving, touching six continents. An Army veteran who worked on disposal of explosive ordinances, then later an exporter, he enjoyed food, wine and golf.

On their latest trip, shortly before his death, he and his wife traveled to New Zealand and Australia.

[Palm Beach Post, Legacy]

Amy Joyce Berger, 55, Bradenton

An independent spirit surrounded by a big family, Amy Joyce Berger tried to make her own way. She had Down’s syndrome, and when her health issues became too pressing in recent years, she moved into a nursing home. Her family remembers her as crafty, opinionated and giggly, with joy that spread. She loved puzzles, music and sports, and on Christmas, couldn’t wait to put on a stocking cap and light-up sweater to hand out presents.

[Obituary]

Claretha Boatman, 86, Carver Shores

Claretha Boatman was like a grandmother to all the kids at her in-home after-school program and to those she helped at the Boys & Girls Club.

Along with her volunteer work, Ms. Boatman coached sports teams, was a scout leader and taught Sunday school. She also was an appointed “church mother” who mentored other women in her congregation.

[Orlando Sentinel]

Herman Boehm, 86, Mount Dora

Herman Boehm’s travels marked the seasons of his life — the chance meeting at an airline ticket office 50 years ago with the woman who’d become his wife, their regular trips to Europe, a year spent sailing around the Bahamas.

In January, a few months after the 86-year-old with the clear blue eyes declined to have heart surgery, he told his wife he had a “last wish”: a cruise to Venice, Italy, followed by a stay at their condo near the Germany-Austria-Switzerland border. But the March cruise was cut short as the coronavirus spread aboard. Mr. Boehm fell sick and died in his bed several days after the couple returned home.

“I miss him very much,” Katica Susec-Boehm said. “I loved him very much. He was everything to me."

[Orlando Sentinel]

Reno Boffice, 61, West Palm Beach

Reno Boffice got a plasma transfusion from a COVID-19 survivor, but it didn’t come soon enough.

The principal of the Palm Beach Maritime Academy died 12 hours after getting the treatment. His sister said she felt bureaucratic hold ups delayed the potentially life-saving effort. The plasma donor saw a call for help on Facebook and decided to do what she could for Mr. Boffice.

“He has a nice face,” she said.

[Palm Beach Post]

Mary Frances Bond, 82, Panama City

Originally from Mississippi, Mary Frances Bond “was the epitome of a great southern lady,” her family wrote.

She was involved in her Baptist church and co-chaired Children of the American Revolution for many years. “She loved her family fiercely and made everything she did beautiful and special,” her family wrote.

[obituary]

Melissa Boyce, 87, Boca Raton

Loving but firm, after raising her own children, Melissa Boyce became a teacher at a Christian academy in Massachusetts.

A native and longtime resident of Rhode Island, she doted on family members with letters, apple pies and chocolate chip cookies. She traveled to keep close to them, even after she moved to Florida.

In an obituary, they remembered the way she delighted in little joys, like a steaming cup of clam chowder or the sound of a child laughing.

[Palm Beach Post, Legacy]

Kathryn Louise Bozeman, 78, Hawthorne

A Pentacostal believer and homemaker, Kathryn Bozeman loved cooking, church and her grandchildren, who affectionately dubbed her “Tea Pee.”

[District 8 medical examiner, obituary]

Karen Bradwell, 53, Tallahassee

Students knew her as Ms. Karen, mentor and provider of popcorn, pancakes, movies and a safe place to go after school. She managed the “Pioneers After-school Mentoring Program” at Fort Braden Elementary School outside of Tallahassee. She had worked there more than 25 years, a “solid rock.”

[WTXL, WFSU]

Zara Arthur “Moe” Brannen, 89, Perry

A Korean War veteran and master mechanic, a welder who helped build nuclear power plants, Moe Brannen spent his free time in quieter ways. He liked to fish and garden and found pleasure in mowing the lawn and trimming trees. “He loved to help other folks, within his means; he would see that they were taken care of,” his obituary says.

[District 8 medical examiner, obituary]

Alfred Brennan, III, 79, St. Augustine

Alfred Brennan was a well-known voice on radio stations WFOY, WAOC and WSOS, a big personality on air who was also a common sight (and sound, as DJ or announcer) at community events.

Historic City News puts it this way: “Jetting around St. Augustine and St. Johns County, rolling up to the scene of a story in his compact car marked with magnetic signs and occasionally an emergency light, was how Al Brennan will be remembered by the scores of people who were the subjects of his often brief, impromptu interviews.” He sought stories with local flair and wrapped his newscasts the same way every time. “This is . . . Al Brennan, reporting.”

[District 8 medical examiner, obituary, Historic City News]

Gwendolyn Brown, 69, Palmetto

She was the first African-American commissioner of Manatee County. It was at an emergency meeting that commissioners announced her death.

Gwendolyn Brown was elected in 1994 and held office until 2010. A high point came when she shared a walk with Lawton Chiles, Florida’s 41st governor. As son Ed Chiles remembered the scene: “It was a walk we were doing north of the river, and we were in some of the neighborhoods where she had done a lot of work. I just remember her side-by-side with Dad, and the way that people reacted to that and seeing the two of them be together and big smiles on their face.”

[WUSF]

Perry Buchalter, 64, Jupiter

Perry Buchalter retired in mid-March, only about a week before he got sick. He had been a veteran healthcare executive at Quest Diagnostics.

A son called him a “quiet hero” who cherished time with family.

[Palm Beach Post]

Conrad Buchanan, 39, Fort Myers

Conrad Buchanan was working right up until he got sick, stage name DJ Griff Gotti, performing at clubs in Miami and Fort Myers. It was spring break season. His wife, Nicole, called him a “social butterfly.”

He used to sing Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds to his 12-year-old daughter, Skye. When he was sick, she sang to him. “He brightened up anyone’s tough day,” she said.

[Fort Myers News-Press, Medium, Facebook]

Conrad Buckley, 52, Clermont

One of his first gigs was as a newspaper delivery boy. It instilled a love of community, one that he sought to carry on in a career of police work.

A patrol officer for a dozen years in Boston, Conrad Buckley moved to Clermont two years ago with his family. They described him in his obituary as a humble man who reflected often on the time a woman asked him if she could pray for him and for the safety of his fellow officers.

“He took tremendous pride in being a police officer and carried himself with confidence and integrity,” the Clermont police chief said.

[Orlando Sentinel, obituary]

James “Jim” Charles Bullock Jr., 81, Naples

Jim Bullock always had a reputation for har