2019
Marian McCaslin, ___ 1920, March 19, 2019
​
McCASLIN, Marian B. of Island Estates, Clearwater, FL, said her last goodbyes on March 19, 2019 at the age of 99. She was born in Canajoharie, NY to Grace M. and Herbert S. Billington. After attending Syracuse University, working in the Canajoharie Public School System and for Lockheed Overseas (WWII) Marian became a flight attendant and Chief flight attendant for Eastern Airlines in Atlanta and New York 1943-48. She married Eastern Airlines Captain Edwin (Mac) McCaslin who after 52 happy years predeceased her in 1999. They
ived in Manhasset, NY. Marian was President, South Strathmore Women's Club, President, Flower Hill Garden Club, and served on the Board of the Manhasset Salvation Army Unit of Wayside Home for Girls. After moving to Clearwater from New Hampshire and Montserrat, B.W.I., Marian served on the Boards of the Island Estates Women's Club, Welcome Newcomers Club, and Island Estates Yacht Club. Bridge, reading, and tennis had been her pastimes. Her only brother, Herbert M. Billington, predeceased her in November 2015. Marian is survived by her sister-in-law, Elaine R. Billington, Texas, nieces Judy A. McMahan (Tom), of Texas, Deborah Billington, Connecticut; and her grandnephew Jeffrey McMahan (Heather), Texas. If you wish to acknowledge her passing, please donate to the Pinellas Humane Society, Suncoast Hospice, or to Metropolitan Ministries.
​
Published in the Tampa Bay Times on Mar. 24, 2019
2018
Joan Williams, July 15 1932 - August 4, 2018
​
WILLIAMS, Joan Maree 86, died at home in Belleair August 4, 2018. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota July 15, 1932 the daughter of William and Miriam Porter. She is survived by her husband, Dick Williams; brother, Bill Porter; daughters, Lori Gibbs, Lee Rivera, Sue Wilkes, and Rexie Lanier. She was the proud grandmother of six granddaughters and three great-grandsons. She had an extraordinary life and will be dearly missed by her family and friends. A memorial service will be held September 8 at 3 pm at the Hubbell Funeral Home, 499 N. Indian Rocks Rd., Belleair Bluffs, Florida. Remembrance in lieu of flowers may be made to RCS Pinellas, Inc. The Haven of RCS. 503 South Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Clearwater, FL 33756 or online at https://rcspinellas.org/donate/
Doreen Warren, xxx, 2018
​
xxxx
2017
Mildred (Midge) Vaughn, Janury 26, 1932 - October 31, 2017
​
Midge Vaughn born on January 26, 1934 in Pine Knot, Kentucky, passed away October 31, 2017. A heartfelt thank you from the family to all of Midge's friends and numerous caretakers. Services will be held on November 7, 2017 at 6:30 pm, Reese Funeral Home, 6767 Seminole Blvd., Seminole FL 33772. Midge joined Welcome Newcomer in October of 2001 and was elected WNC President in 2004. She remained a member until 2016 when her health required that she move into an assisted living facility.
xxxx
Sami Cornet, March 6, 1922 - October 13, 2017
Former owner of Welcome Newcomer, Sadie “Sami” Matko Jones Cornet, 95, died Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. She was born March 6, 1922, in Arcadia, and now joins all of her siblings and friends in heaven. Sami spent the last 50 years living on Florida's Gulf Coast. She moved to the Keystone, FL, area to be closer to her family.Sami graduated from the Indiana Hospital Nursing School in 1943. She worked as an RN for many years and was a business owner.
She is survived by her daughters, Alice Rae Deso (Bob), and Teresa Sapp (Eddie); five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Clyde Rae Jones, and Alphon Cornet. A memorial service for Sami will be held next summer in Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Seeds of Grace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families in the Keystone Heights, Fla., community.
​
​
​
Nell Raybun, January 15, 1933 - July 15, 2017
Nell Jane Raybun passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2017 at Largo Medical Center from complications due to a fall and broken ankle. Nell was 84. She was born on January 15, 1933 to George Sidney Greenwood and Nellie Sheffield Greenwood in Jacksonville, Florida.
She married Harry “Ray” Raymoth Raybun on August 15, 1954 and traveled the world as an air force wife. Harry was a Chief Warrant Officer 4 in the US Air Force. They adopted a baby girl in Germany on January 18, 1960 and named her Trudy Ann Raybun. Nell was
active in the Elks, Loyal Order of Moose, American Legion and The Red Hat Society. She was an avid card player and loved to travel.
Nell is predeceased by her husband, Harry Raybun and her daughter, Trudy Raybun. Also, predeceased by her sisters, Annett Latecia Greenwood Stark and Margaret Hester Greenwood Moore and her brother, George Sidney Greenwood, Jr. She is survived by her brother Andrew W. Greenwood and many nieces, nephews and their children’s children.
As per her wishes she was cremated and a wake to celebrate her life was held on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at the Clearwater Country Club. Her family extends their appreciation for everyone’s kind thoughts, words and shared memories. Donations can be made in Nell’s name to her favorite charity, The Humane Society.
​
​
Sara Jane (Sally) Farris, June 19, 1932 - July 8, 2017
​
Sally Farris passed away on July 8, 2017. Sally also had recently taken the position of VP for Luncheons and looked forward to coming up with interesting venues for our WNC luncheons. She will be missed by her many Welcome Newcomer friends. A Celebration of Life will be held in August.
Angela Casamo, December 22, 19___ - April 30, 2017
CASAMO, Angela, 91, of Largo, FL passed away surrounded by loved ones April 30, 2017. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and her many friends. Services at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Clearwater, FL Thursday, May 4. Visitation 11 followed by Funeral Mass at 12.
​
​
​
2016
Frances Kempner, October 24, 1920 - October 10, 2016 - It is with the greatest sadness that we share news of the passing of a most beloved member. Frances Kempner, mother of WNC member Linda Rosenfeld, a grandmother and great grandmother, left this life on October 10, 2016, just two weeks short of her 96th birthday. An incredibly vibrant lady - Frances, you will be missed.
Marjorie Orr, June 19, 1932 - August 5, 2016
Marjorie Orr, passed away in August. A member since 1988 she left WNC 2016 due to health issues. Her son, Tom Orr, was Chairman of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium when he presented our luncheon program on two occasions in the past, in 2011 and 2014. A Celebration of Life was held for the family in September in Michigan. Click on the image below to link to the full obituary notice from the Tampa Bay Times.
2015
Carolyn Anne Green (Cookie), November 5, 1949 - June 25, 2015
Carolyn, better known as Cookie, was an active and well-loved member of WNC for many years. Soon after joining in 2001, she began producing our newsletter, which position she held until leaving the area in 2012, when her husband retired and they bought a house in Georgia, where she delighted in turning the house into their dream home, including the repainting all of the garden animal statues throughout the property. Although her health had been an issue for some time, it was a shock to learn of her passing in June from pneumonia and other complications. She will be missed. Click on the picture of Cookie and Scott to link to the Georgia newspaper obituary.
Jeanne B. Frymire, January 6, 1914 - April 19, 2015
Unable to locate public obituary information. If anyone can provide a link, I will gladly add it to this page. If anyone would like to write a personal remembrance of Jeanne, please email it to me and I will add it to the page.
Here is a link to a Tampa Bay Times article, published in January 2014, about our "Safety Harbor centenarian," with a really cute picture of her and a nice story of her life history.
Rina Sperandeo, January 18, 19__ - April 16, 2015
Unable to locate public obituary information. If anyone can provide a link, I will gladly add it to this page. If anyone would like to write a personal remembrance of Rina, please email it to me and I will add it to the page.
Marie Micheel writes, "She was born in Trieste, Italy, and moved to America by herself around the age of 26. She went to school for cosmetolegy in New York. She eventually opened her own business and was very successful. Karen Botsford says Rina's friends and family will remember and miss her vivacious personality and love of life and all things Italian. From Dorothy Ferrentino, coordinator of the Couples Dining out group, "A dear member of Welcome Newcomers and Couples Dining Out, ... Rina will be missed at our gatherings."
Eileen Blossom, February 24, 1926 - March 4, 2015
Eileen was born in London, England. She met and married Bob Blossom, an American Air Force Specialist in 1945, thus coming to America as a "War Bride." They raised their four children in Madison, Wisconsin. Bob and Eileen were married 54 years when they retired to Clearwater Beach, Florida, in 1986. Bob passed away in 1999. Eileen has six grandchildren and seven great grand children. She will be remembered for her wicked sense of humor and sharing stories of her vast experiences. She was noted amongst her many friends as having a very positive attitude, great smile and, even when the chips were down, she would always say, "doesn't pay to complain." She will be missed by many, especially her twice weekly bridge group.
<-- Click on picture to link to newspaper obituary.
Patricia Ann Wolters, August 6, 1933 - January 29, 2015
Pat is remembered by several members of Welcome Newcomer; she was a founding member of the Rascal Readers Book Group.
Norma Jean Ruessman, December 22, 1927 - January 29, 2014
Norma Jean Ruessman, a long-time member, was President of WNC in 1986. She had just recently rejoined our club, after an absence of some years due to ill health. If anyone has a photograph or a personal rembrance of Norma Jean to share, please email it to me for inclusion here.
Grace L. Clegg, January 24, 1926 - January 13, 2015
Grace was was a member of Welcome Newcomer for more than 20 years and served as President of Welcome Newcomers Alumni 1990-1991. Thank you to member Marge Leesemann for contributing this information.
2014
Veronica M. Hazucha, September 16, 1925 - December 17, 2014
Veronica was a current member when she passed in September of 2014.
Elsa Audrey Whalen, June 11, 1932 - September 16, 2014
Born in Ontario, and lived in Illinois, New York, England, and Largo, Florida. She joined the Welcome Newcomer Club in 1995 and was elected President of the club in 1998. She remained a member until about 2012 and was unable to continue in the club because of health issues. Services by Curlew Hills Memory Gardens Funeral Home. Click on the picture to the left to link to the full Tampa Bay Times obituary, published on 9/21/14.
Janet Gayle Tombow, Feb. 24, 1947 - June 29, 2014
Janet joined the Welcome Newcomer Club in June of 2010. Many members' first introduction to Janet was from the luncheon at which she was our program speaker. She spoke to us about her abduction as a child by her biological father, and about her search for and loving reunion with her birthmother as an adult. Her book about the experience, Stolen But Not Lost, published in 2012, was followed by two other inspirational volumes. She was an active member of Lakeview Baptist Church.
<-- Click on picture to link to newspaper obituary.