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Obituaries
Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune Publication Date:15-NOV-05 Mr. Leo Wotitzky. Leo' was walking piece of city history; Leo Wotitzky, a former legislator, died Sunday at 93.. A member of a pioneer Punta Gorda family, Leo Wotitzky practiced law into his 80s. He spent 12 years in the Florida Legislature. Byline: ANN HENDERSON STAFF WRITER Staff writer Patrick Whittle contributed to this report. CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- It was not unusual to see Leo Wotitzky perched on a luncheon stool at Bud's Diner wearing his neatly pressed lawyer's suit alongside construction workers and ditch diggers. He liked the food at the diner on Baynard Street in Punta Gorda, and he liked people, all kinds of people. If the diner had not been destroyed by Hurricane Charley, that stool would be empty today. On Sunday, "Mr. Leo," as his many friends called him, died at Charlotte Regional Medical Center at the age of 93 following a lengthy illness. Wotitzky, a walking piece of Punta Gorda history and a member of one of its deepest-rooted families, was a teacher, lawyer and politician. He practiced law into his 80s after spending 12 years in the Florida Legislature. He played a role in many projects he believed could make Punta Gorda better or preserve its heritage. He showed his zeal most recently in his passion to save the old courthouse on Taylor Street. He told a crowd of more than 200:"You have the opportunity to participate in something worthwhile by getting behind the restoration of this old courthouse, just like the town got together to build this courthouse in 1928." His friend of 65 years, local historian Vernon Peeples, remembered Wotitzky as a man who was compassionate, someone who had a wonderful gift for communicating with people. Peeples was an 11-year-old page in the state House when he first met Wotitzky, who was then a 28-year-old legislator. "I consider it a rare privilege to have had him as a friend all these years," Peeples said. "No matter how much I could do to befriend him, I could never do enough for him. He always did more for me." Wotitzky was a third-generation Punta Gorda resident. His grandfather, Jacob Wotitzky, settled in Punta Gorda in 1866 when the city was still called Trabue. Born in the historic Sandlin home built in 1893 with a widow's walk on Retta Esplanade, Wotitzky quipped in an interview several years ago, "Ah, I remember it well." "Leo's sense of humor was one of the secrets of his success," Peeples said. "He didn't tell jokes, but in a tense situation he could lower the tension with his humor about the situation." The Wotitzky law firm was appropriately named. His brother Frank is an attorney. His sons Hal and Ed followed in his steps and became lawyers in the firm. Daughter Mary Monaco lives in Alpharetta, Ga. Wotitzky met his wife, Zena, when they were teachers at his alma mater, Charlotte High School. They were married 52 years. During an interview several years before his death, he commented: "We just sort of grew up and old with the community." In the same interview, his wife said, "I treasure all of our life together." Wotitzky winked and said, "Me, too." He practiced law from 1952 until illness forced his retirement last year. During his years in the Legislature, from 1938 to 1950, he battled on subjects ranging from financing better education to keeping cattle off public roads when Charlotte still had open-range laws in the 1940s Although his friends described him as a "non-joiner," he was so well-respected that he was tapped for numerous boards and chairmanships, including the board of Charlotte Regional, then Punta Gorda Hospital; Charlotte County Foundation; Florida Gulf Coast University foundation board; and Edison Community College Board of Trustees. He also was engaged in several local banking enterprises and was president of Murdock Bank. In addition to his wife, his children and his brother, Wotitzky is survived by his grandchildren, Jacob, Hannah, Davis, Zacharie and Rachel Wotitzky, all of Punta Gorda. Visitation will be 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Kays-Ponger Funeral Home, 635 Marion Ave. in Punta Gorda. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church of Punta Gorda, 459 Gill St. Following the service, "Mr. Leo" will be buried at Indian Springs Cemetery. Contributed by Norita Moss Robert R. Clavet, 77, of Port Charlotte, Fla., passed away Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. He was born Sept. 17, 1931, in Lewiston, Maine. Mr. Clavet moved to the Port Charlotte area in 1991 from Auburn, Maine. He retired from Beall's Department Store. Mr. Clavet served in the U.S. Army. Survivors include his wife, Claudia; daughter, Diane Ingrisano of North Port, Fla.; sister, Irene Pelletier of Lewiston; brother, Gerald Tanguay of Lewiston; grandchildren, Roland Ingrisano of Maine, and Melissa McCleod of Connecticut; and great-great-grandchild, Talia Ingrisano. A private gathering for family and friends will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care, 5955 Rand Blvd. Sarasota, Fla. 34238. Arrangements were made in Port Charlotte, Fla. Richard L. Inabnitt Jr., 51, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, at his residence. He was born Oct. 9, 1957, in Indianapolis, Ind., to Richard L. Inabnitt and Gail (nee Fitzpatrick) Collins. Mr. Inabnitt moved to Punta Gorda five years ago from Naples, Fla. He was a self-employed painting contractor, and was of the Catholic faith. He is survived by his stepson, Jake Stibs of Cape Coral, Fla.; brothers, Jeffrey (Tammy) Inabnitt of Jupiter, Fla., Tony (Rachael) Inabnitt of Port Charlotte, Fla., and Nicholas Inabnitt of Stuart, Fla.; and sister, Lisa (Bill) Hurley of Cicero, Ind. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until the time of the funeral Mass at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, 2009, at San Antonio Catholic Church, 24445 Rampart Blvd., Port Charlotte. Arrangements are entrusted to Paul Schelm Funeral Home, Port Charlotte. William B. LaPelle, 85, of Port Charlotte, Fla., died Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, in Fort Myers, Fla. He was born Aug. 5, 1923, in Long Lake, N.Y. William came to Port Charlotte from Clarendon Hills, Ill., in 1984. He was employed at North American Phillips as a regional director, retiring at the age of 61. William earned his B.B.A. from Syracuse University, graduating in 1951. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, serving in Africa, Sicily and Italy with the MP battalion Company B. William was a member of the Elks, Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree and the Lions, and was president of the Alzheimer's Association, Punta Gorda, Fla., Chapter. Survivors include his wife, June LaPelle of Port Charlotte; three daughters, Roni Marie of Richmond, Va., Lisa Ann (Art) Levine of Belmont, Mass., and Diane (Reg) Waddell of Holland Landing, Ontario, Canada; son, Ron (Wilma) Jelley of Manotick, Ontario, Canada; seven grandchildren, Rachel Page Wiedmann, James Donald Wiedmann, Jennifer Colleen Levine, Jared Martin Levine, Kristi Waddell, Laura Jelley and Andrea (Greg) Clark; and one great-grandson, Wyatt. William was preceded in death by his first wife, Colleen Ann LaPelle. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, at San Antonio Catholic Church. Donations in his memory may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. Arrangements are by Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Homes, Port Charlotte Chapel. ENGLEWOOD Contributed by Norita Shepherd Moss |
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