Publishing obituaries is a critical public service that, in many communities, has died with the shuttering of the local newspapers. It’s important to highlight the stories of the people who lived, worked, raised families, started businesses and volunteered in our community because they helped to make the community what it is today.
That is why OCN publishes obituaries free of charge. Families can send their loved one’s story and photo to contact@oviedocommunitynews.org and we’ll publish it here. OCN’s hope is that this service helps in our mission to connect the community.
Robert (Bob) Arthur Herrmann
January 2, 1944 – February 29, 2024
Bob Herrmann passed away on February 29, 2024, at his home in Waynesville. Born in Illinois, Bob is the son of the late Robert and Virginia Stein Herrmann.
Bob had a successful career as an insurance agent, starting with John Hancock Mutual Life for 15 years and later opening his own State Farm agency in 1980. His dedication to his work earned him the CLU designation from the American College in 1981.
Bob was not only a successful businessman but also an active member of his community, engaging in various organizations and serving in leadership roles. He was committed to giving back to the community and believed in the importance of community involvement for the greater good. He was a Partner in Education with the University of Central Florida College of Education; President of the Oviedo Chamber of Commerce; President of Oviedo Rotary Club; served on both Oviedo’s Board of Adjustments and Land Planning Agency. He also served on the Orlando Jaycees Board of Directors, the Miss Florida Pageant Board of Directors and was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Oviedo.
He was once quoted as saying, “I believe that getting involved in the community is not for business gain but for the good of the community – which is ultimately good for business.”
He has received many awards and recognition for his active involvement with various organizations.
After retiring in 2010, Bob and his wife Jan moved to Waynesville, where he continued contributing to the community. His involvement in the Town of Waynesville Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Board volunteer work with the Waynesville Civilian Police Academy, Folkmoot U.S.A., and Architectural Review Board of Smoky Mountain Retreat HOA showcased his ongoing commitment to community service. Bob was also a dedicated Rotarian for 40 years, maintaining his membership with the Waynesville Rotary until his passing. His interests in traveling, sports, and driving his Porsche reflect a well-rounded and adventurous personality.
Survived by his wife Jan, brother-in-law Alyn Frabotta, sister Linda Sams, and brother Richard Herrmann, Bob leaves behind a legacy of community service, professional success, and a rich personal life.
A Celebration of Bob’s Life will be held at a future date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Waynesville Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 1590, Waynesville, NC 28786, or the Waynesville Police Department, 9 Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786. The care of Mr. Herrmann has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville, and an online memorial register is available at “Obituaries” at www.wellsfuneralhome.com
Obituary: Juanita Blumberg
Winter Springs resident Juanita Blumberg, whose family name graces the verdant boulevard on the northern border of the Winter Springs Town Center, died on Sept. 1. Her family submitted the following obituary:
With a very heavy heart, we announce the passing on Sept. 1 of a longtime Winter Springs resident, the very special Juanita Blumberg.
She lived a life filled with adventures, love and laughter. From being a successful
businesswoman, an award-winning private aviator, a loving wife, mother and grandmother to her family, a loyal friend to so many and a gardener who admired the beauty of flowers, she was an exceptional woman who will be missed beyond measure by very many.
And let’s not forget her love of animals. As a young woman, Juanita rode her horse up and down a dirt road called Tuskawilla when there were only cattle, trees and fields on each side. She bred German Shepherds and always had at least two cats.
Juanita is predeceased by her loving husband Lewis Blumberg and survived by her sons, Richard and Ronald Czebiniak, her stepchildren David Blumberg and Victoria Blumberg and her grandchildren Nadia, Myron and Bohdan Czebiniak.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Banfield Funeral Home in Winter Springs. A service
of remembrance will be held on a future date that is yet to be announced.
Juanita gave generously of herself and financially to a plethora of deserving causes. For those of you who care as she did and have the means, Juanita asked that you make a donation to Hope Helps in Oviedo.
May she rest in peace in a place of brightness, a place of verdure and a place of repose, whence all sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled away (this is an excerpt from a well-known prayer).
Vichnaya pamyat! (translated to English: eternal memory)
Obituary: David “Dave” Bruce Collins remembered.
Oct. 26, 2022
David “Dave” Bruce Collins, 80, died on Sept. 30 after a brief illness.
He was born Dec. 15, 1941, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan to the late Harry Joseph Collins and Fern LaValley Collins.
He was a U.S. Air Force veteran of 30 years. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam and worked in vehicle maintenance for Federal Express.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Sue Collins; his son, Drake David Collins, and his sister, Carol Rose.
Dave remarried after Sue died. He is survived by his wife, Donna Lee Collins; his daughter, Tamera Sue Moore, and her husband, David Lee Moore; his sister, Barbara Downing, and her husband, Bill Downing; his sister, Kathy Padgett, and her husband, Roy Padgett; his daughter-in-law, Kimberly Ann Collins; and his three grandchildren, Kaitlyn Ann (Collins) Johnson, Tiffany Layne Collins and Gabrielle Alexis Moore.
Dave enjoyed many years of motorcycle riding, with a highlight being the Harley event in Sturgis.
He and his first wife were both active members of the Christian MotorCycle Association and enjoyed many years of cruising the Caribbean. The couple found Christ while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Dave moved from Michigan to Florida with FedEx. In his work, he covered several states and was part of their negotiating team to acquire Flying Tigers.
Services to celebrate his life will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday. Nov. 12 at Harvest Baptist Church in Dawsonville, Ga. with full military honors and Pastor Mark Biddy officiating.
The family requests that rather than black, that the colors of red, white and blue be worn in honor of Dave’s 30-year military career and to honor his love of his country.
Memorials may be made to Harvest Baptist Church, 123 John Perry Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534 and Tunnel to Towers 2361 Hylan Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10306.
Obituary: Phillip Edward Hampton remembered
March 23, 2022
Phillip Edward Hampton, age 74, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, January 15, 2022. He is survived by his son, Rick Hampton; daughters, Maryanne (Ric) Anderson and Jessica (Mike) Denardo; brother, Reggie (Marion) Hampton; four grandchildren and two nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Mittie Dianne Hampton; parents, Lloyd and Gertrude Hampton and sister Marie Theresa Hampton.
A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 3 p.m. in the Historic Sanctuary.
Phil was born on February 10, 1947 in Pikeville, Kentucky, the first child of Lloyd and Gertrude Hampton. His mother used to joke that the reason why he was named Phillip was because she had such severe morning sickness while she was pregnant with him that she had to take Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia often, usually numerous times each day to combat her symptoms. She said that it worked so well, she named a child after it! He and his family moved to the North Florida area in 1949, where he was raised. Phil graduated from Union County High School in Lake Butler in 1965 and attended Lake City Community College before joining the United States Air Force in 1966. He returned to Lake City Community College and received an associate’s degree in 1971.
He served his country proudly as an intelligence officer during the Vietnam War era, achieving the rank of staff sergeant, and was honorably discharged in 1970. By that time, his family had moved to Geneva, Fla., and he joined them there. Soon after returning home, he was introduced to Mittie Dianne Edwards and they were married in Geneva on April 28, 1973. They settled in Oviedo, and Phil began his land surveying career as an assistant to William “Hank” Heath in 1971. Mr. Heath soon discovered Phil had a knack for mathematical calculations and an understanding of computers, which had just started to emerge in the field of surveying, so he soon asked Phil to join him in the land surveying business and Phil became a licensed professional land surveyor in 1980. He owned his own land surveying firm for the majority of his career and worked as a legislative lobbyist for the land surveying industry.
Phil was active in his church, the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo, where he enjoyed singing in the choir, barbecuing chicken for fundraisers, playing on the softball team, and mission trips to Guatemala. Phil served in several roles for the church, including president of the Men’s Club, Trustee and Lay Speaker. He could always be counted on to assist in any way and he truly had a servant’s heart. Not only did he serve his church community, he served the community of Oviedo as a city councilman from 1992 through 1996, when he ran for State Representative for District 33. Phil was a member of the Rotary Club of Oviedo, serving as past president and Paul Harris Fellow, The Greater Oviedo Chamber of Commerce, serving as past president in 1985, The Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors as a past parliamentarian and member of the board of directors, the Central Florida Chapter of Professional Land Surveyors as a past president and member of the board of directors, the Florida Land Surveyors Council as vice president, and the Geneva Historical and Genealogical Society as a past president and member of the board of directors. In addition, he was able to share his knowledge of land surveying by teaching courses at Valencia Community College and Florida Technological University, better known now as the University of Central Florida.
Phil loved sports, particularly Florida Gator football, holding season tickets until moving to Georgia in 2012, and also enjoyed the Atlanta Braves. He could always be counted on to be at every sports event his son had, sometimes as a coach and sometimes as just a parent.
Phil encouraged his family to fight for what they wanted or thought was right. He never gave up and he rarely backed down. Phil was always proud of his family and he always stood by their sides, beaming with pride at their accomplishments. He enjoyed traveling, movies and almost any sporting event.
When Phil and Dianne retired, they moved to Dahlonega, Georgia to live in the mountains they had always dreamed of. They loved driving around and exploring little unknown areas. Phil was a dedicated member of the First Methodist Church of Dahlonega, serving in any way he could, usually leading the congregation in singing beloved hymns. Dianne passed away in 2018 and Phil moved back to Florida in 2019. By then, his battle with dementia was evident. In his last few years, he enjoyed spending time with his grandsons, Gavin and Grady. He absolutely adored them.
Phil was the father everyone looked up to and respected. He was a loving and devoted husband, an amazing father who made sure his daughters knew about sports (“to help their future husbands”) and were never afraid to challenge societal pressures, and he shared his vast knowledge of land surveying with his son. Phil was a wonderful grandfather, always so proud of each of his grandsons. He was a beloved uncle, cousin, brother, father-in-law and friend. Phil had several “adopted” grandsons and he encouraged all of them to excel in sports and life. He was a friendly man, never afraid to speak to a stranger, and he loved meeting new people. Phil always made everyone feel like family, from his children’s friends to friends that became family. If his family loved someone, he loved them as his own. He truly loved all and served all.
A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 3 p.m. He will be interred at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery with military honors in a private family service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Phil’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association by visiting http://www.alz.org or the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society’s scholarship fund by mail at the Community Foundation of North Florida, 3600 Maclay Blvd South, Suite 200, Tallahassee, FL 32312. Please be sure to note that the donation is for the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society.
