Clementine ”toots” Breehl Benjamin

Clementine H. “Toots” Breehl Benjamin, age 94, of New Philadelphia, passed away, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, in her home, with her family by her side.A daughter of the late Edward and Laura (Nardelli) Passoni, Toots, as she was known by family and friends, was born in Roswell, Ohio on June 10, 1915.As a young lady, Toots attended Sacred Heart School and soon began assisting her parents in the daily operation of their grocery store, Passoni’s Grocery. She later became owner of Breehl’s Night Club on the South Side of New Philadelphia until 1965, when her property was claimed to make way for the development of State Route 250.Toots enjoyed the many people she met over the years when she was employed at some of the area’s most notable restaurants such as: The Delphian, Bonvechio’s Restaurant, and Espenschied’s Restaurant. She retired from the latter in 1978. She will long be remembered by all who knew her for her high energy and her zest for life. Her family will also remember her as an excellent cook who always had food prepared when they stopped by for a visit. She taught and lived a life philosophy: “Enjoy life while you are young!” Never giving up on that philosophy, Toots enjoyed traveling with her family. Throughout her life she traveled to Italy twice, and made several trips to Florida, California, New Orleans and Hawaii. In recent years, Toots enjoyed daily drives with her husband, John, along the country roads. Typically those drives included a stop for ice cream along the way.Additionally, she was very active as a member of the Tuscarawas County YMCA until her mid eighties. Toots was also a lifelong active member of Sacred Heart Church in New Philadelphia. In addition to her husband, John Benjamin, whom she married on November 24, 1979, Toots is survived by four of her five children, Ed (Sandy) Breehl, Lawrence J. (Nadine) Breehl, Babs Breehl, and Pixie (Dale) Denham all of New Philadelphia and a sister, Ellen (Jim) Gribble of Coshocton.She is also survived by eleven grandchildren: Vicki Mechelke, Ed (Chris) Breehl all of New Philadelphia, Alyson (Roger) Zacher of Moon Twp, Pennsylvania, Christine (Daniel) Hugo of Frisco, Texas, Kim (Pete) Kavadas, Mike (fiancée Heather Rader) Denham all of New Philadelphia, Bill (Shelly) Breehl, John Breehl all of Columbus, Steve (fiancée Liz Clough) Breehl of New Philadelphia, Jennifer Breehl of Jekyll Island, Georgia, and Lawrence Joshua (fiancée Emily Hill) Breehl of Charlotte, North Carolina; and twelve great-grandchildren: Brian and Sondra Mechelke; Matt Kavadas, Zack Denham, Kiera Zacher, Taylor, Blake and Brody Breehl; Alexander and Roman Breehl and Haley and Jaden Hugo as well as numerous nieces and nephews complete the family.In addition to her parents, Toots was preceded in death by her first husband, Lawrence Breehl, Sr.; a son, Bill Breehl; a sister, Adeline Parente; and step siblings, Anne Galanga, Lawrence Pozzi and Roger Pozzi.The family will receive friends on Monday, March 29, 2010, from 5:00 â?? 8:00 PM in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 7:45 PM. Monsignor George J. Schlegel will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at 10:00 AM in Sacred Heart Church at New Philadelphia. Burial will follow in the Calvary Cemetery at New Philadelphia.Memorial contributions in Toots’ name may be directed to Sacred Heart Church, 139 Third Street NE, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663.