Longboat Key Obituaries

+ Laureano Caso

Laureano Caso, 85, of Longboat Key, died March 11.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ivy; three daughters, Zeida Rohrs, of Bayside, N.Y., Ivy Downey, of Atlanta, and Anna Shepherd, of Longboat Key; two sisters, Armantin Hernandez, of Utah, and Lucia Payne, of St. Louis; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

There will be no service.

+ Pearl Gurewitz

Pearl Gurewitz, 93, of Longboat Key, died March 10.

She was born Dec. 25, 1922.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo Gurewitz, and sister, Ethel Simons. She is survived by her children, Burton “Buddy,” and Glenn; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and siblings, Irving Naiditch and Shirley Kritzberg.

Services were held March 14, in North Riverside, Ill.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org.

+ Philip Monnig

Dr. Philip Justin Monnig, of Longboat Key and Sioux City, Iowa, died March 8.

Born Aug. 27, 1922 to Justin and Mary Monnig, in Anita, Iowa, he grew up in Anita and Ottumwa, Iowa, where he won several spelling bee championships. He received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Iowa, completed his internship at St. Mary’s Hospital, Detroit, his general surgery residency at the VA Hospital, Des Moines, and his thoracic surgery residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City. Academic honors include membership in Alpha Kappa Kappa medical fraternity and Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical society.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945 and from 1947 to 1949.

He married Ginny in 1945, and they shared 62 years before she died in 2007. He was a general and thoracic surgeon in private practice from 1955 to 1987. He served as chief of surgery and president of medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital, resident of Siouxland Surgical Associates and director of medical affairs for Marian Health Center. He was a past president of the Woodbury County Medical Society, the Iowa Academy of Surgery and the Iowa Clinical Surgical Society. He was affiliated with numerous professional and civic organizations and authored several surgical publications.

He retired to Longboat Key in 1987, where he and Ginny enjoyed their heaven on earth, including friends, golf, church, reading, pottery and painting.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Virginia Monnig, and his brother, John “Jack” Monnig. He is survived by his seven children, Ann Monnig, Christine Woodruff, James Monnig, Dennis Monnig, Erin Rice, Martha Monnig, and Susan Vicari, sister, Mary Modesta; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be held Friday, March 18 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Memorial Contributions may be made to St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive.