Blog Layout

Bert M. Soden

September 16, 1949 - December 4, 2022

Bert Mark Soden, known as “The Legend” in the lifeguard community, died at home in Hollywood, Florida, on Sunday December 4th, at the age of 73.


Bert is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 40 years, Patricia and by his son Justin, who followed his father’s steps, and became a Marine Safety Officer for the Hollywood Beach Patrol.


Bert was born in Broomall, PA to Bert Edward Soden and Geraldine Ursula Soden. He married Patricia in 1982 and the couple welcomed their only son Justin Bert in 1995. Bert attended grade school at Saint Aloysius Academy, high school at Marple Newtown Square and college at West Chester University where he played varsity soccer and swimming.


 Bert began his lifelong lifeguard career at the age of 16 in New Jersey and continued life guarding for 50 years. In 1975, while working for the Wildwood Beach Patrol, he swam around Wildwood, NJ and in 1977, he was the first person to swim around Sea Isle City. Bert relocated to Florida and worked for the Hollywood Beach Patrol as a Marine Safety Officer. He was the first person to swim from the Haulover inlet in Dade county to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. He retired in 2021 from Miami Beach Ocean Rescue, after 38 years of service with them, at the age of 71. While lifeguarding he competed every year at the National Lifeguard Championships. Bert was an accomplished runner, Ironman Triathlete and long distance swimmer. He competed in 10 Boston Marathons, his first triathlon was the Ironman in the big island of Hawaii, he has 4 Ironman World Championships under his belt.


Bert was a generous and loving husband, father and friend who always had a smile in his face and always willing to help others. During his lifeguard tenure, Bert saved hundreds of lives and prevented hundreds of drownings. He was an icon in the Triathlon community.

After being diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer in January of this year, Bert continued to lifeguard at the Triathlon events. He completed four 5k running races, two 1 mile ocean swim races and three events at the National Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach, CA. For his birthday in September he swam in Wildwood, NJ, with his old lifeguard buddies and ran the 5K in Philly the same weekend. Bert also set up a spectacular weekend for his wife for their 40 year wedding anniversary. His last event was in October, where he paddle the 5 mile Whiskey Creek race with his son Justin and he wore a Superman outfit.


Bert fought his illness to the end and did what he loved the most. Now he is swimming in the Ocean Heavens. He is at peace now and he is probably already a member of the HBP (HEAVEN BEACH PATROL). He will always say: *God and the Ocean are my life source*.


Visitation will be held Friday, December 9th, 2022 from 5:00pm-9:00pm with a Prayer service at 7:00pm. Burial will be held the following day, Saturday, December 10th, 2022 at Dania Memorial Park(East) at 11:00am:324 W Dixie Highway, Dania Beach, Fl.


PADDLE OUT-Wednesday, December 14, 2022-MIAMI BEACH OCEAN RESCUE ,1001 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139 at 4:00PM.


Send Flowers

Address: 4200 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, Florida 33021

Add Comment

By Kevin Rieth April 10, 2025
Albina M. Kahn, 97 of Hollywood, passed away at home on April 6th, 2025. She was born in Akron, Ohio and moved to North Miami, Dade in 1946. Albina and her mother Angeline Martinelli (Lena) owned and operated a motel, bar (Lena’s) and restaurant (Cannonball Steakhouse) in North Miami Beach, which they sold in 1981. Albina had a love for bird watching, making stained glass art, her dog Jack, and her many neighbors. She was predeceased by her husband Harold F. Kahn. Survived by her son Harold “Frank” Kahn, and her daughter Albina “Angela” Dickenson and her forever son- in- law Carroll Dickenson. Her grandchildren, Jessica Obenauf (Tyler), Harold “Frank” Kahn Jr. (Jill), Jaime Whaley (Todd), Rachel Goris (Javier), Stephen Eric Dickenson (Casey), Alan D. Dickenson(Shea) and her great grandchildren, Grant Obenauf, Annabelle Kahn, Savannah Kahn, Harold “Frank” Kahn III, Robbie Doss, Nate Whaley, Gavin Roach, Alexa Entringer. Ella Joy Dickenson, Stephen Eric Dickenson Jr., Caleb Dickenson, Emory Dickenson, Owen Dickenson, Theo Dickenson. Visitation will be Saturday, April 12, 12:00pm to 2:00pm, at Landmark Funeral Home located at 4200 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Florida.
By Kevin Rieth April 9, 2025
October 16, 1985 - April 6, 2025
By Kevin Rieth April 7, 2025
Jimmy Kleinrichert found life’s greatest reward in giving, especially to children who benefited from the millions he raised for pediatric cancer care and research in memory of his son. Running restaurants and nightclubs was his life’s work, and also his calling. His outgoing personality was as endearing to customers as the food and drink. His cheerful nature made friends and influenced people. From his native Indiana to South Florida, Jimmy’s bottom line was brightening people’s lives from drinks to dessert, and in so doing paying forward his blessings. James Edward Kleinrichert passed away on April 2, 2025, after an extended illness. He filled his 85 years with meaning, his colorful ways touching all who were fortunate to have known him. Jimmy, as everyone called him, was born on Aug. 30, 1939, in Fort Wayne, Ind., the fifth of Paul and Marie Kleinrichert’s 10 children. From an early age, his faith shaped him. Bishop Joseph Crowley of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend became a mentor. St. Peter’s Catholic Church was his church home. When he was 19, he set out on the path to the priesthood. But then the restaurant bug took hold – he was 15 when he started washing dishes for 68 cents an hour – he got into the business with his four brothers. It became a way of life he loved, even if it meant getting home at 3 in the morning. Among the Kleinrichert brothers’ five Fort Wayne establishments was The Cat’s Meow nightclub. Such iconic entertainers as Fat’s Domino, Little Richard and The Platters performed during the glory days of the 1960s and ‘70s. After work, Jimmy would grab a hotdog at Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island Hot Dogs. He “borrowed” the recipe for their chili sauce, which became a fixture in the family freezer. Jimmy found more than chili sauce in his hometown. He and his wife, MaryAnn, were married on Feb. 16, 1963. That first date at Captain’s Cabin on Lake James was a winner. To mark their silver wedding anniversary in 1988, Jimmy wrote his bride a letter in longhand. “Thank you for the most beautiful twenty-five years of my life…I’ll never let you down.” The letter rests in a frame in her bedroom. The second chapter of Jimmy’s life began in 1977 when he and his family followed two of his brothers to South Florida. He was 38. There he took up where they left off, confident the burgeoning region would provide a better climate for their establishments. Jimmy helped open Tiffany’s, the first disco on Miami Beach. The Lobster Shack on the ocean was another popular spot. In 1978, the Kleinricherts opened The Ark in Davie, Fla. The family restaurant grew to become a landmark. Its dishes were named for Noah’s passengers. Its prime rib and salad deck were staples, including with the snowbirds who came for the early bird specials. Jimmy’s kids worked there on summer breaks from college and two followed him into the business. Wooden plaques graced the premises. Customers paid $100 to put their names on the plaques, proceeds going to the James Jr. Fund, the nonprofit foundation he ran for 38 years. Few escape life’s sorrows. Jimmy and Mary Ann lost James Jr., the third of their four children, to leukemia in 1982 after an eight-year struggle. He was 15. Out of their grief came a determination to help other pediatric cancer patients. They supported the Children’s Cancer Caring Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where James Jr. was a patient. From an annual barbecue to benefit golf tournaments, Jimmy’s gift for getting the best out of people reaped charitable rewards. In all, the family raised $7½ million for the cause. Because of his good deeds, the University of Miami School of Medicine named him Man of the Year in 1988. He was also honored by the Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood, Fla., for his contributions. The four Kleinrichert children attended there. Jimmy poo-pooed attention, calling himself a bald-headed man from Davie (Fla.) But in an article about him in The Miami Herald, a board member of the Children’s Cancer Caring Center said his goodness was rooted in optimism. If we were on a plane about to crash, she told the newspaper, Jimmy would say “Yeah, but the takeoff was smooth.” Jimmy is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Kleinrichert, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; three children – Denise Gordon (John) of Miami, Danielle Kleinrichert (Guillermo Villar) of Charlotte, N.C., and Robert Kleinrichert of Fort Lauderdale; five siblings – Jerry Kleinrichert of Boynton Beach, Fla., Rose Kleinrichert, Ken Kleinrichert and Angie Grove, all of Traverse City, Mich., and Cecilia Kleinrichert of Fort Lauderdale. He is also survived by two grandchildren, June and Michael Gordon of New York City, and numerous nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. He adored them, and the feeling was mutual. Jimmy was preceded in death by his parents, his son, James Jr., and four of his nine siblings – Theresa Granahan, Don Kleinrichert, Paula Stephanis and Joe Kleinrichert. As pets do for so many late in life, the Kleinricherts’ Yorkshire Terriers, Indi and Ana, were dear companions. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at Landmark Funeral Home, 4200 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Fla. A Mass to celebrate Jimmy’s life will be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 14, at St. Malachy Catholic Church, 6200 N. University Drive, Tamarac, Fla. Viewing will precede the service from 10 to 11 a.m. Rather than flowers, a gift in Jimmy’s memory can be made to St. Malachy Catholic Church, 6200 N. University Drive, Tamarac, Fla. 33321 or online donation at www.stmalachy.church. Jimmy had a heart for the underdog, whatever their challenge. He loved telling jokes, doing magic tricks, dancing and 1950s rock ‘n roll. He looked forward to the annual fishing trip to Canada with his son, Robert, and his brothers and nephews. Another tradition: Each summer, Jimmy and Mary Ann returned to their native Indiana to visit friends and family. They'd return home to Florida with Indiana tomatoes that they shared with patrons at his restaurant, The Ark. He could be stubborn and, at times, complicated. But his soft side is what rose above. He left his mark, which is the most anyone can ask out of life. When a conversation with one of his kids came to a close, they’d say, “I love you.” Jimmy would respond, “I love you more.” Landmark Funeral Home is taking care of the family. You can share condolences at www.landmarkfuneralhome.com.
By Kevin Rieth April 7, 2025
Memorial Gathering Wednesday, April 9th 7:00pm – 9:00pm Landmark Funeral Home
By Kevin Rieth April 3, 2025
Irma Da Silva, 94, of Pembroke Pines, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2025. She was a skilled seamstress who mended and created many beautiful garments throughout her life. Irma was also an expectational cook, with several of her recipes published over the years. She took great pleasure in preparing delicious dishes for family and friends, always making sure everyone felt loved and cared for. Irma was a faithful servant of God, dedicated to helping her church and sharing His word with everyone she knew. Her devotion to her faith was evident in everything she did, and her presence brought light and encouragement to those around her. She was deeply committed to God, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know her. She is survived by daughter, Vivian Miller; son, Julio Alves Da Silva, Jr., daughter-in-law, Teodolinda Da Silva; grandchildren, Michael Boyer and wife Georgia Boyer, Rebeca Da Silva, Sofia Da Silva Salgueiro and husband, Adolfo Salgueiro III, Anastasia Da Silva and great-grandchildren, Matthew, Benjamin, and Charles Boyer. She was predeceased by her husband, Julio Alves Da Silva, Sr. and her son, Edward Alves Da Silva. Visitation will be Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Landmark Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be held for immediate family only on Wednesday, April 9th, 12:00 noon at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn West Cemetery.
March 29, 2025
Visitation Monday March 31, 2025 6:00pm -9:00pm Landmark Funeral Home Prayer Service Tuesday April 1, 2025 11:00am-12:30pm Landmark Funeral Home Burial Tuesday April 1, 2025 1:30pm South Florida National Cemetery Diane H. Jenkins age 89 from Hallandale Beach, Florida, passed away March 28, 2025. She is now reunited with her husband Bernard B. Jenkins in heaven. Survived by children Denise Reed, Craig (Nancy), Lori Ayers and resting eternally with her son Jeff Jenkins; grandchildren Melissa, Nicol, Casey (Bruna), Jamie (Garret), Taylor, Hunter; great grandchild Melanie; step-grandchildren Nicolle (Brian), Michael (Ella), Austin, Mitchel; step-great grandchildren Blake, Kayla, Aiden, Grayson, Gavin and a large extended family and friends. Visitation Monday March 31, 2025 from 6-9 PM, followed by funeral mass on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 11:30 AM at Landmark Funeral Home. Interment Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 1:30 PM at South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth.
By Kevin Rieth March 26, 2025
Jo Nell Proctor Duda passed away on March 17, 2025. She was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, on December 1, 1931, the daughter of Archie Elton Proctor and Esther Rowland Proctor. Both parents were fourth generation Texans. Since her father was a Border Patrol officer, the family transferred many times before settling in Miami, Florida. Jo Nell graduated first in her class from Miami Edison High School in 1949. It was there she met the love of her life, Alfred “Fred” Duda, whom she married in 1954. She attended Florida State University and graduated cum laude in 1953. While at Florida State Jo Nell was a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, Secretary and Vice President of the Student Government Association, and President of Garnet Key, a women’s leadership organization. Her senior year she was named to the FSU Hall of Fame and listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. After college Jo Nell taught at Miami Shores Elementary School; in Georgia while Fred completed his senior year at Emory University dental school in Atlanta; and in San Antonio, Texas, while her husband served as a dental officer in the United States Air Force. She loved the teaching profession, especially when she was able to teach American History. However, she found the most satisfaction in their family life which included two sons, John Proctor Duda and Scott Stuart Duda, and in their affiliation with Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church. Jo Nell has been a lifelong Methodist; she and Fred joined the Hollywood church in 1961; and their sons became membes when they were 12 years old. Jo Nell is survived by her son John Proctor Duda and wife Tara Regan Duda, beloved granddaughter Elizabeth Duda Robuck and husband Mike Robuck, and grandson Justin Alfred Duda. Sadly, Dr. Duda, her husband of 65 years, passed away in 2019. Also, preceding her in death were her son Scott in 2006 and her sister Blaine Proctor Patino, in 2017. She has 2 great grandchildren, Nathaniel and Leonora. A Memorial Service will be held on April 5th at 11:00am in Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church, 400 North 35th Avenue, Hollywood, FL 33021, phone 954-989-8304. Friends and family will gather after the service in the church’s Great Hall. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to Hollywood Hills United Methodist Church for the Helping Souls Ministry food bank.
By Kevin Rieth March 23, 2025
Lucy Alba Aldebot Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on February 3, 1942. Deceased in Pembroke Pines, Florida at age 83 on March 16, 2025. Lucy is survived by her sister Fiore Aldebot; her daughters Nancy Rodrigo and Linda Noyes; her grandson Jonathan Weinstock and her granddaughter Samantha Noyes; great granddaughter Skyla Hunter and many family and friends. Lucy was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and New York City. She raised her daughters in New York City and moved to Hollywood, Florida in 1981. She worked for 27 years as a sales representative in home improvements with Sears at the Pembroke Lakes Mall. She also worked as an Avon Lady, Mary Kay representative, and was active with her parish Nativity Church in Hollywood, Florida. Lucy was a supporter of the Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes, and volunteered for many events and charities. She enjoyed many interests such as painting, fishing, home improvements, gardening, sewing, crafts, going to concerts, spending time in Key West, and caring for her many pets over the years. She was a loving neighbor and friend who cared deeply for those around her. She was a creative, independent, and strong woman. Beloved to so many family and friends, she will be missed. Memorial Gathering will be Sunday, March 30, 2025, 12:00noon - 3:00pm with a prayer service Sunday afternoon at Landmark Funeral Home. Memorial Mass will be Monday, March 31, 2025, 12:noon at Nativity Catholic Church, 5220 Johnson Street, Hollywood. Donations can be made in her name to the American Heart Association and St. Jude Children's Hospital.
By Kevin Rieth March 19, 2025
Terence was born on November 2, 1960, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to the late Margaret McCullough and Alfred McCullough of New York. Terence is survived by his loving wife Yvone; his maternal mother-in-law; his three sisters and their spouses; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; 34 nieces and nephews; extended family and devoted friends. Terence graduated from Plantation High School 1979. He was the Senior Class President, played football and was on the wrestling team. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, graduating in 1985. Working as a Captain for American Airlines, he continued to support and mentor students through his Alumni. He remained loyal to his fraternity Sigma Chi. He was a frequent flyer at Career Days for young students at the school where his late mother taught. Terence aka "T" will be remembered for his infectious smile and fun-loving personality. He was know as a gentleman, a generous human, and always considerate of others. A devoted Dolphin fan aka "Dolfan". His spirited gift of gab will never be forgotten. His love for his family and friends will forever remain in our hearts. A Memorial Service will commence at Saint Anthony's Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on May 17, 2025 at 12 noon.
By Kevin Rieth March 13, 2025
Helen Klepak, 91, of Aventura, passed away March 7, 2025. Survived by her son James; forever daughter-in-law Colleen; grandchildren Yanni and Dimitri and cousin Aliki. Visitation will be Friday, March 14. 2025, 10:30am – 11:00am followed by a funeral service at 11:00am all at Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 12250 NW 2nd Avenue, North Miami, FL 33168.
More Posts
Share by: