Donald Stephen Bruneman
Donald Stephen Bruneman (Don) died on October 12, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. Don was born in Littleneck, Long Island, NY and attended Peekskill Military Academy. After graduating from Michigan State University, Don became a pilot in the Army. After marrying his wife, Joyce, of 54 years, he and his family spent 17 years in the Caribbean, South America and Central America, where Don worked as a territory sales manager for a chemical corporation. After retiring, he and Joyce moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where they played tennis, bridge and bocce and enjoyed their dear friends at PebbleCreek. Don was a competitive tennis player and a Senior Olympics silver medalist. Not satisfied with retirement, Don worked part time at a women’s prison as a literacy coach. After Joyce became ill with Alzheimer’s Disease, Don took impeccable and loving care of her at home until her death in 2011. Later in life, he enjoyed the stellar company of his dear friend Virginia and his Chihuahua, Feliz. He had recently moved to Tallahassee to live with his daughter and son-in-law. Don was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, uncle and grandpa. He will be greatly missed by his daughter Allison Bruneman, of Irving, TX; daughter and son-in-law Judy Alexander and Brian Corbin of Tallahassee; son and daughter-in-law Gene and Gail West of League City, TX; daughter and son-in-law Lupe Bruneman and Ono Salvador of Miami; granddaughters Whitney Alexander of The Colony, TX and Samantha Corbin of Tallahassee and grandson Max Corbin and his wife, Abbey, of Raleigh, NC; brother and sister-in-law Gil and Merle Bruneman of Addison, TX; nieces and nephews Carol and Sandy Dochen, Steve Bruneman, Bret and Pana Bruneman, Jill and Robert Fischer, and Keith and Kelly Bruneman and all of their children. A private family celebration of Don’s life will be held in Austin, TX in November. If desired, donations may be made in his honor to the Alzheimer’s Project in Tallahassee, FL, ttp://www.alzheimersproject.org/Give/ and Jewish Family Service of Dallas, TX http://www.jfsdallas.org/donate
Frederick Petrarca
Frederick Petrarca (96) died peacefully at home in Sun City, Arizona on October 3, 2016. He is survived by his wife of almost eight years, Marilyn Petrarca, son Bruce Petrarca of PebbleCreek (Goodyear), Arizona, one sister, Ergia Guarnieri (103) of Youngstown, Ohio and numerous nieces and nephews.
Fred was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio the youngest of 15 siblings. He married Adela Ryman of Denver, Colorado in 1943.
Fred worked for the U.S. Civil Service from high school graduation (1938) until 1974. Before and during WWII, he was with the aerial photographic laboratory, initially part of the Department of Agriculture and later the U.S. Army. After the war he was involved with procurement for the U.S. Air Force, teaching it in the 1950s and then working in contract administration. He retired as the Chief of Contract Administration at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. He then spent a decade as a contracting officer for Raytheon Corporation in Santa Barbara, California.
Fred earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Chapman College in 1968 and the Master of Aerospace Operations Management from the University of Southern California in 1970.
Folks remember Fred for his loving ways. He loved his family. He loved the outdoors. In his later years he loved ballroom dancing.
He hiked trails all over Colorado and California. He bicycled thousands of miles in coastal California. After retirement, he and a friend made two bicycling trips to Europe, riding from London to Amsterdam on one and from London to Scotland and back on the other. He rode well into his 80s.
After Adela’s death, he and a new-found companion, Helen Burke, moved to PebbleCreek in Goodyear, Arizona. He bicycled around the west valley and in the mountains near his summer place in Munds Park. One of the things they enjoyed together was ballroom dancing. Here he also participated in senior softball.
After Helen’s death, it was ballroom dancing that brought Fred and Marilyn together. Fred moved to Sun City so that they could participate with several dance groups in the northwest valley, dancing as often as four times a week. They traveled to Marilyn’s condo in Puerto Vallarta, as well as cruises to Hawaii and Alaska. They also made several trips to visit Fred’s family in Ohio and Marilyn’s in Colorado. They shared a love of mountains, good stories and music. She was an amazing companion for him in his waning years.
A short celebration of life service was held at Grace Bible Church on Saturday, October 8.
Donations to Hospice of the Valley (hov.org/donate) would be appreciated.
Thomas Dale Collins
Thomas Dale Collins, 78, of Goodyear, Arizona and Pine, Idaho passed away on October 1, 2016 at Hospice of the Valley in Glendale, Arizona. He was born in Boise, Idaho and attended the University of Idaho Engineering Program in Moscow, Idaho. Tom was retired from General Electric after 36 years, having worked and lived in Plainville, Connecticut and Puerto Rico for most of his career. He was preceded in death by his father, William Allan Collins and his mother, Gladus Mardel (Slater) Collins. He met and married his wife Karen Phyllis (Lipe) Collins in Tucson, Arizona in February, 1962. He is survived by his wife Karen, daughter Liesl Anne Ebenholtz (Keith), son Tom Collins II (Veronica), two grandsons, Tommy 15 and Eddie 10, his sister, Wilma Jean (Slater) Scott (Ron), nieces and nephew.
A Celebration of Life will be held later in the fall at the Goodyear home for all family, friends and to thank all those who were such a tremendous help during his illness.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the South Fork Boise River Senior Center, 350 N. Pine/Featherville Road, Pine, Idaho, 83647 or to PebbleCreek Kare Bears, Kare-ing Neighbors, Inc., 15383 W. Cheery Lynn Road, Goodyear, Arizona 85395.
Paul White
Paul was born on December 18, 1910 in Bournemouth, England. He passed away on October 5, 2016 at the age of 105.
During the Second World War he joined the Territorial Army and was involved in the evacuation at Dunkirk.
After the war, Paul immigrated to Canada landing in Toronto in 1947 and soon was hired by the Continental Can Corporation with assignments throughout Canada and the United States. After establishing permanent residence in New York in 1950, he was assigned to work in Burma under the U.S. Government Point 4 Program. Upon returning to the states, be became an American citizen in 1955. Then he joined ITT, where his assignments included Mexico City, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Next, he assumed senior management positions in Japan, India, Sri-Lanka and Bangladesh. His last assignment abroad was with the World Bank in Katmandu, Nepal. In his leisure time he also visited Spain, Portugal, China and Tibet.
Upon returning to the U.S. he joined TOSCO (The Oil Shale Corporation), in Los Angeles, California, as Director of Corporate Development where, among other projects, he worked on a joint project with Goodyear Tire to extract oil from used tires at a plant in Rocky Flats outside Denver, Colorado.
Paul moved to PebbleCreek from Los Angeles, California in 2005. He loved his time in Arizona. After the age of 100 Paul had a birthday party every year attended by his closest friends in PebbleCreek.
During his stay in PebbleCreek, he joined various clubs. The latest club he was part of was the Over 80 Wise Old Men. They meet once a week and discussed current world events.
He also enjoyed exercising at the PebbleCreek Fitness Center. Paul used the bicycle three times a week, faithfully, until just a few months ago.
On his 104th birthday, Paul was sworn in as a Special Deputy by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Paul was invited to go to the Sheriff’s Office to receive this honor.
Paul is survived by his wife Maria, his daughter Erika and grandchildren, Danny, Kenny and Allen.
Marjorie Alice Neumann
Marjorie Alice Neumann, 82, passed away peacefully at home on September 30, 2016 surrounded by her family after a short illness. She was the loving wife of Colonel Nyle C. Neumann (retired) for nearly 60 years, mother of Kurt and Erik Neumann, mother-in-law of Susan Neumann and Mary Dougherty and grandmother of Kaitlin, Luke, Nyle, Alexander and Ryan Neumann. She was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1934, graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in 1952 and attended Ohio State University. She was predeceased by her parents Mildred and Arthur Morris and brother Arthur Morris. Margie was a valued partner during her husband’s 29 year career in the U.S. Air Force through different assignments in Berlin, Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, Germany as well as Washington D.C. and Dayton, Ohio. They retired to Beavercreek, Ohio where she could take care of her father. Margie and Nyle moved to Goodyear, Arizona in 2000 where she was active at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church. She enjoyed golfing, skiing, bowling, traveling, bocce ball and was an avid reader. As a homemaker, Margie always liked spending time with her family and friends, particularly her grandchildren. A prayer session with close family and clergy was held on October 1 and a Celebration of Life ceremony will be conducted at a later date. She will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to support the Seasons Hospice organization (www.seasonsfoundation.org).