Ruth Irene McKinney, 91, Sebastian
Ruth Irene McKinney, 91, of Sebastian, passed away peacefully on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. She was born to the late Courtney Joseph and Carolyn Maxwell (Henne) on Feb. 18, 1926.
Ruth graduated from High School in Astoria, Queens, and went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Brooklyn College.
Ruth married the late Richard Bruce McKinney in 1958 and they lived happily together in Rockland County, N.Y., before retiring to Sebastian.
Ruth was devoted to her husband, Bruce, and they built a beautiful life together. They loved to antique and Ruth enjoyed creating miniature furniture for dollhouses and jewelry making. Ruth’s organizational skills were a marvel and we all loved to see how she organized facet of her life.
After Bruce’s death in 2010, Ruth volunteered at Squidly’s Books in Sebastian. She initially volunteered to stay busy but was thrilled to meet so many wonderful people through her volunteering efforts. Tom and Donna Haynes were the owners of the bookstore and quickly welcomed Ruth into their family.
In addition to Tom and Donna, Ruth was blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends; Karen Joeckle, Dorothy and Jake Seeman, Marge Scaramuzzi, Alex Rabais and many others. Ruth and Bruce’s favorite restaurant was Country Ham and Eggs on US 1 in Sebastian. They were the first customers on the day the restaurant opened and knew everyone who worked there.
Ruth is survived by her sister in law, Faye Maxwell of Tucson, Ariz., and her nieces and nephews; Susan Maxwell and Diane Krieger, Gary and Cathy Ward, Robert and Angela Maxwell and Donald and Darlene Maxwell and many great- and great-great-nieces and -nephews.
Ruth was a feisty woman and in typical style, she communicated in writing her wishes; no viewing, no memorial service, just like Bruce. All who knew her will miss Ruth’s kindness, quick wit and presence.
In lieu of flowers, if you desire, donations made be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Sebastian.
John “Jack” Newe, 85, Vero Beach
John “Jack” Newe, 85, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully at 6:10 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29, at home. “Jack” (as he was known) was born to the late Mary (nee McMahon) and Christopher Newe on April 3, 1932.
A proud man who hailed from the Bronx, N.Y., Jack put himself through college by working as a food vendor at the Polo Grounds and then Yankee Stadium. He was a lifelong, diehard NY Yankees and NY Giants fan.
Jack graduated from City University of New York and went on to become a Sr. Vice President at E.F. Hutton. He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving as a submarine Quartermaster from 1951 to 1955.
One thing Jack was passionate about was cooking. When he retired at the age of 55, he pursued this passion, studying at Peter Kump Cooking School in New York City. He got great pleasure cooking for both family and friends regularly.
Another thing he was equally passionate about was horse racing. So passionate, in fact he went out and bought a few for himself! He loved to gamble, and was pretty good at that, too, which was no surprise because Jack was pretty good at most everything he set his mind to.
In the late 1960s when his boys were playing little league baseball, Jack managed to find the time to raise enough money to not only resurface all the fields with dirt and turf, he also fundraised enough money to build a refreshment stand for the local little league community.
He took great pride in being a Knight of St. Patrick, serving as an aide to actress Maureen O’Hara in the 1999 St. Patrick’s Day parade. An active member of The Elks, The Eagles, and The American Legion, Jack was also active in his resident community, Poinciana Village Green. Most afternoons you could find Jack holding court at the community pool.
Survivors include his wife, Lorraine Newe; his children, (from a prior marriage) Christopher (Barbra), John Jr., Kevin, and Susan (David); and one grandchild, Haley.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday Nov. 1st from 2-5 p.m. at Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home located at 1950 20th Street in Vero Beach. A Mass service will take place on Thursday Nov. 2 at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church on 20th Street (74th Avenue) at 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Disable American Veterans, website: www.dav.org.
Anyone wishing to send the family a message or share a personal story is asked to visit John “Jack” Newe’s memorial page at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com
Let’s honor Jack’s memory as a life well-lived– well-lived until the day he died. God Bless you Jack.
Emilia O. Ramirez, 86, Vero Beach
Emilia O. Ramirez, 86, of Vero Beach, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, at the Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach.
A graveside service will take place beginning at 1 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30, at Crestlawn Cemetery in Vero Beach.