Longboat Key Obituaries: April 27, 2017

Mary Lou Robinson

Mary Lou Robinson, 88, of Rensselaer, Ind., died April 17.

She was born on Feb. 9, 1929, to the late John and Nellie Worland. Mary Lou graduated from Indiana University, where she was a member of Delta Gamma. She first attended St. Joseph College in Rensselaer where she was the first female student.

She married Edward J. Robinson on June 6, 1952. After teaching for 12 years, she opened the Mary Lou Shop, a boutique that was open for 25 years.

She was an avid bridge player, accomplished artist and knitter. She was a devout Catholic, and one of the highlights of her life was a private audience with Pope Pius XII. She wintered on Longboat Key for several years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward, and grandson Jonathan Neal Whitacre. She is survived by her daughters, Patricia Aubin, Nancy Elizabeth Whitacre and Melissa Ann Mossian; their spouses; five grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Delta Gamma Foundation, deltagamma.org, or Indiana University Scholarship Fund, 3250 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH, 43221

Alfred Bremble Jr.

Alfred “Ted” Bremble, 83, of Washington Crossing, Pa., died April 18.

He was born in Plainfield, N.J., to Alfred and Christine Bremble.

After schooling in Plainfield, he attended Dartmouth College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in English in 1956. As an undergraduate, Ted was a class officer, a member of Beta Theta Pi and played football and rugby.

After graduation, he served as a naval officer stationed in Washington, D.C., at the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. After military service, he returned to Dartmouth, beginning his career in alumni and public affairs as assistant secretary to the college. He also served as the managing editor of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. He left the academic world in 1962, and began a career in business-to-business marketing communications. First, he was a public relations writer with DuPont and then spent 18 years in marketing and advertising with Mettler. He worked briefly for Ohaus, then was a vice president for two advertising agencies before establishing his own marketing services firm, Bremble and Sewforth in 1988. He retired in 2001.

He was a longtime member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pennington, N.J., where he served in many roles, including warden of the vestry. He volunteered as a member of the Dartmouth Alumni Council and class newsletter editor and as an Eagle Scout, he served as Boy Scout leader. Ted was president of Hopewell Township, N.J., conservation commission and was the president of Cedars West of Longboat Key, where he wintered for a dozen years.

He enjoyed a variety of sports, including golf, canoeing and sailing. He was a watercolor painter, gardener, collector of all things, particularly antique doorknobs.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nancy; his children, Alfred “Rick” Bremble III and Susanne Bremble Johnson; their spouses; sister-in-law Nancy Doty; and four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Friends of the Delaware Canal at fodc.org.

Katherine Brooks

Katherine Brooks, 74, of Longboat Key, died April 17. 

She was born in Plainfield, N.J., to the late Walter and Francis Quinn.

She was married to Garry Brooks for 42 years.

She owned a retail business in Fair Haven, N.J., for 19 years. She supported Meals on Wheels, the local food bank and Temple Beth Israel, where she previously served as temple president. She was a lifelong learner and graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida. She loved to travel and was an avid reader. She was a devoted mother and grandmother and enjoyed visiting with her family whenever she could.

She is survived by her husband, Garry; daughters, Susan Billard and Elizabeth Sterling; stepson Jeff Brooks; stepdaughter Jill Brooks; their spouses; six grandchildren; and many close friends and family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL, 34228.

John Spalding

John Spalding, 87, died April 17. 

He was born in Marshfield, Wis., to Thomas and Helen Spalding. He was the youngest of eight children. He graduated from St. Mary’s Central High School. In 1951, he graduated from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in San Francisco in the Counter Intelligence Corps. John married Patricia Marie Killoren on Nov. 8, 1952, and they had nine children. They were longtime members of St. Patrick’s Church in their hometown of Menasha, Wis.

He was an active businessman and became partners with his brother-in-law, Don, in Killoren Electric Co. Later, they started and developed several businesses, including Midwest Telephone Supply, Midwest Mainline and Valley School Supply, now known as School Specialty. During his years of involvement in the telephone supply industry, John was president of the United States Telecommunications Suppliers Association. He was inducted into the Wisconsin State Telephone Association Hall of Fame.

As a result of their business success, John and Don Killoren were able to build K&S Game Farm in Shiocton, Wis. John was an avid hunter and was a Ducks Unlimited sponsor and founding member of Winnegamie Wetlands. As a Trout Unlimited sponsor, John and Don put on an annual fishing outing at the family game farm trout pond.

John was an active donor and fundraiser for Catholic Charities, the Twin Cities Catholic School system and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. He was a big sports fan and enjoyed watching college basketball, Brewer baseball and the Green Bay Packers. He was the Green Bay Packers’ team sideline statistician for home games from the early ’60s to the late ’80s.

His first wife, Patricia, died in 1993. In 1995, he married Peggy Kostelnik. Together, the couple lived in Greenleaf and Menasha, Wis., and spent winters on Longboat Key.

He was preceded in death by his son, Dan Spalding; son-in-law, Adam Miller; his parents’ brothers, Larry and the Rev. Bill and Dave Spalding; sisters, Marion Vanderhyden, Patricia Crockett, Dorothy Spalding and Helen Koloski; and brothers-in-law, Don and Ken Killoren.

He is survived by his daughters, Mary Johnson and Sue Miller; sons Steve, Bill, Tim, Tom and Terry Spalding; daughter-in-law Martha Spaulding; 10 grandchildren; five great grandchildren; sisters-in-law Carol and Joanna Killoren; brother-in-law Jack Crockett; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin at chw.org.