JAMES EDWARD KIRCHNER, 80, of Vero Beach passed away peacefully with his family and priest at his bedside Sunday, March 23, 2014 at Indian River Medical Center. Jim was born in Miami, Florida and lived in Dayton, Ohio before returning to Florida in 1984, first living on South Beach, Fort Pierce then moving to Vero Beach.
Jim co-owned Kirchner’s Unfinished Furniture and Finishing Shop on Old Dixie Highway in Vero Beach. He was very active in the RV-Mobile Home Industry. Jim owned Diamond Jim’s Warehouse Distributors in Dayton and Edinburg, OH for 28 years. He was one of the founders of the Warehouse Distribution Association, a role he was proud of, and was voted WDA Man of th Year in 1982. He was a faithful member of St. Helen Catholic Church where he served as a Eucharistic Minister and Jail Minister. Jim was a member of the Vero Beach Masonic Lodge #250; Scottish Rite, Shriners, Opitmist Club in Ohio and Kiwanis Club in Vero Beach and the Newport Club. Jim was the love of Linda’s life and she to him, and together they traveled to many different countries. He enjoyed any activitiy on the water including scuba diving, boating and fishing.
Survivors include his wife Linda; children Rudy, Mame, Katie, Jim Jr., Karl, John, Leasa and Stacey; 21 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary and Rudolph, son Walter and three brothers.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Chrildrens Research Hospital, PO Box 1000 Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. The family will receive friends 6-8 PM, Thursday, March 27, at the Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach with a prayer service at 7 PM. Mass will be celebrated 12 Noon, Friday, March 28 at St. Helen Catholic Church. Interment with military honors will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. http://www.strunkfuneralhome.com (3/24/14)
LINDA STROUSE TAYLOR, 61, of Vero Beach, Florida passed away Friday, March 21, 2014 at Indian River Medical Center. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and became a resident of Vero Beach in 1969. Mrs. Taylor will be missed by so many, including her husband, Ed, of over 27 years.
Linda was a very good, kind woman and a strong person who believed in “family first.” She was a devoted mother who was a 100% giver. The love she had for her daughters knew no bounds. Out of her many pleasures, caregiving, especially of her elderly in-laws was a delight to her which consumed a great deal of her time prior to her untimely death.
Some of her many joys were displayed through her love of the theatre. She was a devout Christian and for numerous years was the Minister of Drama and Performing Arts for the First Church of God in Vero Beach and directed many productions of Broadway caliber. She was active for many years in the Vero Beach Theatre Guild and won awards for both her acting abilities and hard work behind the scenes. She had also been a licensed Florida Real Estate Broker since the early 1980’s.
She had a love for raising butterflies and helping animals in distress until they could fend for themselves. Her various butterfly gardens, scattered throughout the yard, along with the care and attention she gave to all of her many Monarch butterflies that she raised from caterpillars, indicate the passion that she had for them. Linda was often asked to speak at various elementary schools about how butterflies were created. Her love for gardening will be remembered by many who have been able to see the stunning creation of her butterfly gardens.
Mrs. Taylor leaves her husband, Ed Taylor; her daughters, Duska Fedick and Delta Harris; brother, Richard Strouse; father-in-law, Harvey Taylor; mother-in-law, Juanita Taylor, brother-in-law, David Taylor; and her beloved golden retriever, Maxwell.
Linda was predeceased by her father, Fred Bennett and mother, Dorothy Bennett.
A gathering will be held at the Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home, 1655 27th Street, Vero Beach, on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 11 a.m. with a memorial service to follow at noon.
She will be missed greatly by her family and the many close friends she made in Vero Beach. http://www.lowtherfuneralhome.com (3/25/14)
RONALD STEPHEN WALCZAK, 84, died March 21, 2014 at Atlantic Healthcare Center in Vero Beach. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and lived in Sebastian coming from Raleigh, NC in 2010 . Ron was an Army veteran and served during the Korean War. He retired from Griffith Laboratories after 15 years as an accountant.
Survivors include his daughter Elizabeth Lawrence of Sebastian, sons David Walczak of Newport, NC, Thomas Walczak of Minneapolis, MN and Christopher Walczak of Montpelier, VT. He was preceded in death by a brother, Norbert Walczak.
Memorial contributions may be made to Humane Society Of Vero Beach, P.O. Box 644, Vero Beach, FL 32961 in memory of Ronald S. Walczak. SERVICES: A Celebration of Life will be held in Chicago at a later date. http://www.strunkfuneralhome.com (3/24/14)
Indian River Guardian 