Robert A. Brookhart III
The Rev. Robert A. Brookhart III of Pinellas Park, Fla., went to be with the Lord on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021.
Pastor Bob Brookhart was born May 18, 1934, in Butler, to Robert A. Jr. and E. Alberta Stutz Brookhart.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia “Ginny”; and three sons, Robert IV (Fran) of Milwaukee, Wis., James (Jayetta) of Canfield, Ohio, and Michael (Patti) of Port Richey, Fla.; and eight grandchildren, Robert V (Kayla) and Brian, James Jr., Joseph (Ashley), Janae (Adam) and Julia, Heather (Brett) and Michael.
He is also survived by his sister, Nancy Lutz (James) of Pittsburgh; his nieces, Kristin and Shannon Rae Lutz; and his eight great-grandchildren.
In addition, he leaves four stepchildren, Lori Nowaczyk, Cathy Shimfessel, Wendy Freimuller and David Adkins; 10 stepgrandchildren; and nine stepgreat-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife, Donna Mae Burris Brookhart.
He was an ordained minister of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. He served churches in Youngstown, Ohio (Highway Tabernacle) and High Pointe (formerly Harvest Life) in Struthers, Ohio, of which he was the founding pastor with his wife, Donna.
In 1990, they moved to Pinellas County, Fla., where he served as the seniors' pastor at Glad Tidings A/G, and was an associate pastor at Word of Life A/G. During his retirement years, he was pastor of “Church in the Park” at Paradise Island in Largo, Fla., where he built a vigorous ministry and fellowship.
Prior to his years in the ministry, he worked as a printer at several newspapers across the country beginning with the Butler Eagle as a paper boy at age 12. He later apprenticed there under the supervision of his father. For most of his printing career he worked at the former Fort Lauderdale News, helping to put out the very first edition of the now South Florida Sentinel in 1960. Bob was a member of the International Typographical Union, one of the oldest trade unions in the world, and served as local president for the Fort Lauderdale ITU 895.
Bob and his family traveled across the country from southeast Florida to Seattle, Wash., with a car and a tent camper during the summers of 1971 and 1972, while he worked in numerous newspaper composing rooms. They settled in Youngstown, Ohio, where he worked for the Youngstown Vindicator, until he retired from the printing trade and entered full-time ministry in 1977.
From a young age, he had many interests, which included riding motorcycles, driving his stock car, saltwater fishing, buying and selling automobiles, playing his harmonica, Rays baseball, singing, and preaching. He loved nothing more than sharing with others about Jesus and how his life was transformed when he came to know the Lord.
He was thankful for the family God blessed him with, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; the love of his youth, Donna Mae Burris, who passed away in 1997 after 40 years of marriage. But in 1998, he was blessed with the love of his old age, Ginny. What a blessing this fine man was to all who knew and loved him!
BROOKHART — A celebration of life for the Rev. Robert A. Brookhart III, who died Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at Christ Church, 1111 Indiana Ave., Palm Harbor, Fla.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Veterans Funeral Care.
Please visit www.veteransfuneralcare.com.
