Ellen Prince Aquilina
Ellen Prince Aquilina, 69, of Palmetto, died June 9.
She was born June 9, 1946, in Buffalo, New York.
She was active with the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, Island Players and Offstage Ladies, the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, the Anna Maria Island Community Center and the Women’s Resource Center.
Deb Wing, president of the chamber, recalled Aquilina as a leader and an active member of the chamber’s board of directors who was always willing to serve on committees and help others.
“Ellen worked for many local charities and organizations in Manatee County. She has been a dedicated, enthusiastic and energizing director of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce for more than nine years. In addition to the AMI Chamber of Commerce, Ellen served as a director for Island Players and the Women’s Resource Center.
“Her impact on our community is immeasurable. To so many, including myself, she was a loving friend. Words cannot convey our loss. Our prayers and condolences go to her loving husband of 40-plus years, Beau, and her devoted daughter, Pam.”
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 6312 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. Memorial donations may be made to the Lung Cancer Foundation or the American Heart Association.
Mrs. Aquilina is survived by her husband, Beau; daughter Pam Gillette; brother Bruce Prince and wife Judy; grandsons Nicholas and Anthony; and long-time friend Susie Kruse; as well as many other family members and friends.
Barbra Ann Ballentine
Barbra Ann Ballentine, 80, of Lake Wales, died March 17.
She was born Aug. 10, 1934, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
She had three children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
According to daughter Julie Keyes, everyone called her nana and she possessed an exceptional talent for playing with the little ones, encouraging them use their imagination and develop their intuition.
Jillene Marie Freed
Jillene Marie Freed died Feb. 6.
She was born to Jack and June Freed in Youngstown, Ohio, March 3, 1948.
She lived in Holmes Beach for 12 years and moved to Bradenton in 2013.
In her teens, she enjoyed taking part in horse shows. As a young adult, she took on modeling and worked on the movie set for “All the Presidents Men.” She later took up sailing and spent six years sailing around the world and learning about different cultures and languages.
She moved to Alaska and became a massage therapist.
She came to Florida to help with her parents and further her knowledge in alternative medicine. She went back to school and became a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
She was a triathlete and competed in several races in the Tampa Bay/Sarasota area. She also took part in scuba diving trips to the Caribbean and Mexico. She took up riding motorcycles and made three strips to Sturgis, South Dakota, from Anna Maria Island on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
She returned to school to get her bachelor’s of nursing degree at the age of 60.
A celebration of life will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28,at the Church of the Cross, 5051 26th St. W, Bradenton. Memorial donations may be made to Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.
She is survived by daughters Tiffany (Woolf) and husband Anthony Cowan of Phoenix and Heather and husband Gary Wheeler of Boise, Idaho; grandchildren Lexie and Zach Woolf and Cody and Brett Wheeler; granddaughter in-law Aubrey Woolf; brothers Todd of Bradenton and John of Colorado; two sisters-in-law, two nieces and two nephews.
Jon Peter Sachtjen
Jon Peter Sachtjen, 41, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and formerly of Holmes Beach, died June 10.
He was born Feb. 22, 1974, in Detroit, and was raised in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio University in 1996.
He was an editor, graphic designer, writer, artist, actor and musician. He worked on Anna Maria Island at The Islander, Beach Bistro and Ooh La La! He also worked for the Bradenton Herald in Bradenton and Harry’s Continental Kitchens on Longboat Key. He also operated “Smash Cat,” a graphic design business.
According to his good friend, Tony Luib, he was a loving, sincere and straight-forward husband, father and friend. His optimism and unique sense of humor sustained him and those around him through the most challenging of times. He was constantly discovering new ways to explore his creativity.
A memorial service planned for August in Raleigh will be announced at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to www.gofundme.com/team-sachtjen.
He is survived by wife Cynthia Elaine and their four-year-old daughter Nora Frances, parents Peter and Joan of Greenville, North Carolina; and sister-in-law Patricia Reese and her husband, Mike Neely, of Holmes Beach.
Thomas ‘Tom’ Turner
Thomas “Tom” Turner, 90, formerly of Anna Maria, died May 26.
He was born in Richmond, Indiana, Oct. 26, 1923. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and continued in service as a flight engineer and, at the time of his retirement, as chief master sergeant.
He worked as an insurance adjuster in the Bradenton area and he lived in Bradenton and later in Anna Maria, where he volunteered to serve on a number of boards and committees.
A memorial will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Westminster Manor, 1700 21st Ave. W., Bradenton. Memorial donations may be made to the Westminster Manor Foundation for Wounded Warriors.
He is survived by three sisters, Ruth Rohde of Venice, Sheila Reiner of Huntley, Illinois, and Emily Willcox of Redding, Connecticut; and many nieces and nephews.