'A sad reminder why she's not with us': Son reacts to arrest in mom's death
Steven Kaplan misses his mother, Carole Lanzer.
Lanzer would have celebrated her 82nd birthday on Oct. 29. But on March 6, the 81-year-old Summerfield woman was hit and killed by a speeding motorist who ran the red light at Baseline Road and Southeast 92nd Loop and plowed into her car. Lanzer died at the scene.
The man who Florida Highway Patrol troopers said caused the deadly wreck, Jonathan Ryan Cuppels, is charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. The 38-year-old Fruitland Park man was arrested on Oct. 27, two days before what would have been Lanzer's 82nd birthday. Cuppels is presently out of jail after posting a $60,000 bond.
"The arrest was a sad reminder why she's not with us," said Kaplan, the oldest of Lanzer's three children.
Kaplan said while it's a relief Cuppels has been taken into custody, it reinforces the senseless nature on why she's not here any longer.
Carole Lanzer was a teacher
Lanzer was born in the Bronx, New York, and lived in Queens and New City, Kaplan said. He said his mother was loving and caring and was a school teacher. Before becoming a teacher, Kaplan said, his mother went to night school to earn a master's degree while raising her children.
As a teacher, he said, his mother taught stenography, typing and business-related subjects. Kaplan said his mother also worked with troubled individuals through Manpower, a vocational program.
"She loved being a teacher. It was very important to her," Kaplan said.
He said his mother took a keen interest in her students, their education and their parents.
"Young people were important to her. Education was important to her," he said.
Retiring as a teacher, Lanzer remained up north and later spent winters in central Florida. Kaplan said she visited several communities before deciding to settle in Del Webb Spruce Creek Golf & Country Club, a gated Summerfield community.
Kaplan said his mother purchased her home in 2010 and stayed there.
Carole Lanzer's activities
Lanzer enjoyed playing mahjongg, a tile-based Chinese game usually played by four people.
On eBay, she bought and sold vintage and custom jewelry. Kaplan said his mother was known on eBay as "Lady Vintage."
"She had a big presence on eBay," he said.
Her son said every Wednesday, his mother would drive to Zephyrhills and attend an auction for vintage and custom jewelry. He said she would be there for five to six hours each week.
"She loved it. It was a big part of what she did," he said. Kaplan said his mother had friends in Zephyrhills, Summerfield and on eBay.
'I know she was happy there.'
Kaplan said his mother had left her doctor's appointment when she was killed.
He said they would talk on the phone about different topics, which include how they spend their day, family, and what was going on with the grandchildren. Lanzer leaves behind seven grandchildren.
The woman's son said they would talk about what changed where she used to live. He said each time he visited his mother, he would bring a piece of New York with him. He said when he came to Florida in January, he brought something from the deli with him.
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Kaplan said his mother loved central Florida and Del Webb Spruce Creek. She loved it so much that she encouraged her brother, who's her only other sibling, and her sister-in-law to live in the community.
"I know she was happy there," Kaplan said about his mother living in Del Webb Spruce Creek.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Mom, teacher, businesswoman, traveler: Remembering Carole Lanzer
