JOHN B. SCHIFF, 59
Retired/Publix
Lake Gibson
LAKELAND - John Schiff, 59, passed away January 16, 2012 due to heart failure.
Mr. Schiff was born March 31, 1952 in Coral Gables, FL to William and Trudi Schiff. He moved to Lakeland in 1974 from Temple Terrace Tampa. He married Shirley Forshee in Lakeland, FL, on March 10, 1974.
At the age of 11 John wrote a letter to Mr. Durney of the Florida Marlins for an opportunity to be the bat boy and was accepted. When he was 16 he had a passion for weather. He got permission from the weather service to have a teletype installed in his room. He worked to pay for the running of the teletype. John would have the weather at his fingertips 24/7. John and his father would go out during hurricanes to aid and assist.
John worked at Wolco in the Lakeland Mall on Memorial Blvd. as the shoe department manager and met his wife Shirley there. John then went on to work at Maas Brothers and then Kmart in the shoe departments. The last 10 years he worked at Lake Gibson Publix, then retiring in April 2011.
John loved family, friends, sports, traveling and reading.
John was preceded in death by his father William on Dec. 27, 2011. He is survived by his wife Shirley; his mother Trudi; and sister Carol and her husband Bill, along with many cousins.
Memorial visitation will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.
In lieu flowers, donations to the USF swallowing center, for the 30 years of care given to John, would be appreciated; www.swallowingcenter@health.USF.edu
Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.
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