Donald Charles STAPLES

STAPLES, Donald Charles, 73, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family and

loved ones December 25, 2009. Don, of Baptist faith, was originally from New Jersey and moved to Florida in 1977. He traveled through Europe, where he was able to enjoy his love of baseball while serving proudly in the U.S. Air Force. He also enjoyed playing semi-pro baseball with the Pittsburg Pirates. Don was an avid sports fan. His most recent activities included collecting firearms and competing in local sharp shooting tournaments. Don retired as a sub-contractor for Sprint. He later went back to work at Bill Jarrett Ford and most recently worked part-time for Walmart. He was predeceased by his parents, Chester B. and Florence (Waldron) Staples, and older brothers, Chester and Douglass Grant Staples. Left to mourn with fond and loving memories are his wife, Debbie of Avon Park, Fla.; two daughters, Jamie Goggans and her husband, Cal, of Tampa, and Jennifer Lundgren and her husband, Jonathan, and son, Elijah, of Browns Mills, N.J.; sons, Kenneth and Jeff Staples of New Jersey; sister-in-law, Donna Staples of Fernandino Beach; nephews, Todd Jones of Charlotte, N.C., and Doug Staples of Port Charlotte; and nieces, Robin Sadler of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Cindy Ward of Tucson, Ariz.; mother-in-law, Dorothy Cofield of Avon Park, Fla.; with special mention of his extended family in Newfoundland; sisters-in-law, Donna Younger and her husband, Steven, and children, Kelle, Jenna, Doug and Alex of La Plata, Md., Kathy Shoemaker and her husband, Jack, and children, Tessa, Emily and Ben, of Sebring, Fla., and Betsy Layhew and her husband, Bill, and children, Mandy, Mike, Dani and Josh of Palmetto, Fla.; and brother-in-law, Darryl Cofield and his wife, Debbie, and children, Christi and Becca of Dover, Del. A memorial service in celebration of Don' s life will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 2, at Stephenson-Nelson

Funeral Home

Avon Park