Terry Romeo

Terry Lee Romeo, age 72 years of Buchanan, Michigan died at 10:47 p.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2018 with family gathered around at the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka, Indiana following a brief illness.

He was born on June 14, 1946 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Albert A. and Virginia R. (Karr) Romeo and was graduated in 1964 from the Saint John’s Catholic High School in Saint Joseph, Michigan.  He joined the United States Marine Corps, was based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was honorably discharged as a Veteran of the Vietnam Era.  He returned home and became a member of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Ironworkers.  He was employed on several construction projects including the Berrien County Jail and the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant.  He was also employed at the former Buchanan Industries until its closing.

Terry was a member of the American Legion Post #51 of Buchanan.  He was well known as a “Jack-of-all-trades”, but unlike the balance of that phrase, he was actually a master of many, performing home repair including plumbing and electric.  He was clearly a master of yard care, with a perfectly manicured lawn.  He enjoyed entertaining at home in his garage, which became known as the “Gravel Pit Lounge”, with dancing and singing to the karaoke machine.  He would often close ‘the lounge’ long after everyone else left, but never without performing Kenny Rogers’ “Buy Me A Rose”.

On June 15, 1996 – the day after his fiftieth birthday - at his home he married the former Deborah Sue (Knight) Ott with whom he celebrated this year the twenty-second anniversary of their wedding.

Surviving family includes his wife, Debbie Romeo; his children, Tony Romeo of Georgia and Matthew (& Chrystal) Romeo of Watervliet, Michigan; Deb’s children, Michelle (& Eric) Fisher of Buchanan, Raymond (& Mary Ann Sanders) Ott of South Bend, Indiana, and Jeremy Ott of Bridgman, Michigan; grandchildren Dominic Romeo,  Audrey Romeo, Ethan Romeo, Alayna Romeo, and twins Bethany and Erika Romeo, Brittany Robbins, Hannah Fisher, and Nora Fisher; great grandchildren Bryce, Mikey, and Chase Foulk; and Terry’s siblings, Sandy Fenderbosch, Mike (& Holly) Romeo, Dave Romeo, and Barbara (& Terry) Hosbein, all of Saint Joseph, Robert (& Patty) Romeo of Georgia and Toni (& Bruce) Wall of Three Oaks, Michigan; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and by an infant brother, Albert A. Romeo.

A time of sharing memories and honoring the life of Terry Romeo will be offered on his birthday, Friday, June 14, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the “Gravel Pit Lounge” led by his son, Matt Romeo, and including Full Military Honors by the United States Marine Corps Honor Guard and American Legion Post #51.

Obituary information is being provided courtesy of the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home in Niles.