Bruno Rudolph Michelizzi

Bruno Rudolph “Rudy” Michelizzi, 99, of Eustis FL, died Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 at Cornerstone Hospice House in Tavares, FL. Bruno was born April 5, 1920 to Michelangelo and Carmella (Condoluci) Michelizzi. Bruno worked for DW&P railroad for 40 years, and was known as Santa Claus to Duluth’s children for 35 years. He had started a fine dining restaurant and an appliance store in Florida before retiring to Georgia to care for his ill wife of 53 years.

He moved to Washington state in 2012 and was accosted by a Seattle TSA agent as a result of joking about a bomb in his wheelchair while relocating in Florida.

Bruno is survived by daughter, Marcia Johnson of West Palm Beach, FL; sons, Gregory Michelizzi of Daytona Beach, FL, Richard Michelizzi of Minneapolis, MN, and Kevin Michelizzi of Denver, CO; sister, Frances A. Stoveen; sisters-in-law, Gloria (Glatzmaier) Michelizzi and Pat (Myers) Heine; and 17 grandchildren.

Memorialization was by cremation. His ashes have been placed with his late wife’s ashes at Oak Grove Cemetery at Raybon, Georgia.

Arrangements are by Sunrise Funeral Home in Hermantown, MN and Frye Funeral Home in Nahunta, GA.

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