Stuart Brent Emanuel's Obituary
Stuart Brent Emanuel passed away peacefully in Brooksville Florida on January 30, 2025 at age 82, surrounded by his family. Stu was born on January 14,1943 in the Bronx, NY to Celia and Herbert Emanuel. He was an only child but grew up with the close companionship of his cousins Steve and Alice.
Stu served in the US Air Force from 1960 to 1963, serving in Greenland for part of that time. He met his future wife Fran, while both were working at the advertising agency Benton & Bowles, located in Manhattan. After a whirlwind courtship, the two married on February 14, 1965. The couple made the Bronx their first home and they soon welcomed their two daughters, Janis & Michelle, to complete their family. A move to Teaneck, in Northern NJ, was followed by a move further south on the Jersey shore to Brick Township in 1976. Stu served for many years with the community service organization The Jaycees, eventually becoming a Jaycee Senator. Stu was very active in local politics and served on local election boards, as well as the local housing board in Brick. He participated in endless softball leagues and partook in many bowling leagues with Fran. Janis and Michelle’s love of ice cream more than likely came from the special Sunday morning trips with their dad to an ice cream parlor in Creskill, NJ after his league softball games.
Stu and Fran decided to follow their daughter Michelle and her family down to Florida in 2009. The couple moved to Timber Pines in Spring Hill, where they enjoyed playing plentiful rounds of golf, as well as the retirement lifestyle. Together the couple helped to organize social events in Timber Pines, which they greatly enjoyed. Stu and Fran also had the good fortune to take up traveling, taking countless trips and cruises to so many interesting places around the world. These trips gave Stu ample material for many of the various stories he loved to tell anyone who would listen. One of his goals while on a cruise was to try to talk to every single person on the ship and he probably accomplished that goal on more than one occasion. Stu also had a serious passion for collecting and amassed huge numbers of elephants, first day covers, golf balls and various forms of artwork from all around the world. Additionally, he acquired quite an affection for cigars. This extended to not only smoking a fine cigar, but sharing said cigars with his friends, even offering a cigar to strangers during his travels, people passing by his porch as he was out enjoying his treat, as well as hospice team members who came to visit him.
Stu was predeceased by his wife Fran, who passed away in 2023. Stu leaves behind his daughters Janis (Kevin) Mencarelli of Thousand Oaks, CA and Michelle (Paul) Yeckley of Spring Hill, as well as his grandchildren Jason (Chrissy) Yeckley, Trevor Yeckley, Jenna Mencarelli and Haylee Mencarelli, as well as his great granddaughters Paige & Avery Yeckley.
Stu was laid to rest at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL on February 4, 2025. Stu’s family would like to profusely thank the HPH Hospice team who so kindly cared for Stu, his dear friends at Timber Pines, especially Jim, Bob, John and Andy, as well as Rose Heckman, who truly helped make it possible for Stu’s wish to live out his life at his home possible.
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