Florence Recklein

Florence was born in Chicago, Illinois, the third child of Harry and Annette Milling. She passed away on August 8th, 2019 and did a whole lot of living in between. She was the last of the “Greatest Generation” in the family, although her older brother just passed away recently. She married Chief Petty Officer Bud Recklein on July 1, 1944. They had two children - Linda Harkness nee Recklein and Janice Recklein, both of whom survive her. Bud passed away suddenly in 1960 and Flo raised her two girls by herself with the help of her parents and other family members. She is also survived by several nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces.

Flo grew up in Chicago and moved around after she was married following her Bud’s Navy assignments. When they started their family, they settled in Lake Villa, Illinois – a northern Chicago suburb where she lived for over forty years. For over twenty-five years, Flo worked first as a bookkeeper and eventually took over the accounting department at a children’s home in Lake Villa, Illinois. When she retired, she and her mother became snowbirds in Punta Gorda and eventually made the commitment to live here full time in 1994. She found Windmill Village through her girlfriend, Grace Arnold, who had retired here several years before. She, like so many others, lost her home to Hurricane Charlie in 2004. She then moved in with Jan in Weston, Florida until Jan retired and they both came to Punta Gorda to live full time. For the last several years she lived with both daughters in Windmill Village.

She was what was called an active senior until her mid-eighties when a serious illness slowed her down. She had been a water skier when she was young and went skiing as late as her early seventies. Even after her illness, she signed up for every therapy that was available. She was trying hard to and believing that she would walk again and she was sometimes successful until a new health challenge arose. She loved flowers, gardening, game playing, travel (almost all of the United States, the Caribbean, England, Scotland, Holland, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, Australia and the Amazon River), reading (newspapers, books, package labels, anything and all without glasses), crafting, shopping, live theater, Christmas and April Fool’s Day. She also loved her beloved son-in-law Lou who predeceased her.

She had a ready wit and some great one-liners. One day her oxygen levels were quite low and the therapist and Jan were measuring her it with (an oximeter on each hand), she calmly looked at them and said, “So, am I dead yet?”. She always had a warm smile and a “Yes!” answer to the question “Do you want to go…?”

She had an unquestioning faith in God and loved reading the stories of His work in people’s everyday lives.

A visitation and funeral service will be Thursday, August 15th from 5 to 8PM at the Larry Taylor Funeral Home, 1515 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda. Burial will be at Ridgewood Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.

To express condolences to the family, and share in celebrating the life of Florence, please visit www.LTaylorfuneral.com and sign the online guestbook. Arrangements are by Larry Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services.