Norman F. Bryant, 91, of Amelia Island, passed away on Aug. 13, 2016, at the Community Hospice Warner Center on Amelia Island. 

The memorial service will be at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Amelia Plantation Chapel, 36 Bowman Road. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Wears Valley Ranch, Sevierville, Tenn. (www.wvr.org) or Community Hospice of Northeast Florida (www.communityhospice.com).

Eternity Funeral Homes and Cremations – Nassau

Mrs. Maybelle Holley, 72, of Fernandina Beach, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, at the Warner Center for Caring at Baptist Medical Center-Nassau. Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Viola Wolfe passed away on Aug. 17, 2016. Arrangements by Huff & Battise Funeral Home, Fernandina Beach. Huff & Battise Funeral Home

Mr. Shawn Jason Kubalack, 37, of Fernandina Beach, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, in Hoover, Ala. 

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, at St. Michael Catholic Church with the Rev. Father Jose Kallukalam, celebrant. His family will receive friends on Friday from 5-7 p.m. in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard, where the vigil service will be held at 6 p.m. with Deacon Art Treadwell officiating.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Martha E. Anderson, 95, passed away Aug. 9, 2016, in the Retreat at Osprey Village. 

She was born in Kane, Pa., the last of 14 children into the household of Alma and Charles Anderson, which was a happy one on a farm near Kane, high in the Allegheny Mountains. Most of the neighbors were related, and all were Swedish.

Everyone worked on the farm and in the house and took care of each other. They had ponds to swim, picnics to enjoy with neighbors, and brothers, sisters and friends with whom to play. Life was hard but good!

Mart followed several sisters to Cleveland, where she lived until retiring as an executive secretary for the General Electric Co., and then moved to Florida.

All of her sisters and brothers preceded her in death, so again, she is the last of 14 children in the Anderson family.

Mart leaves behind many nieces and nephews, including Pat Connell Karlovec, the Schloz families, and the Hanson families, with whom she was particularly close.

In between the date of birth and the date of death, there is always a “dash.” What is important is what you do during the “dash.” Mart’s “dash” was miles long and filled with energy, enthusiasm and goodness.

Mart will be buried with her family in Kane.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Charles Stephen “Bennie” Benefield, 55, of Marietta, Ga., passed away Aug. 15, 2016, at Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital after a long and rigorous battle with colon cancer.

Mr. Benefield was a graduate of the University of Georgia and worked at Galaxy Asset Management as a director. In his work endeavors in Georgia, Maryland, Texas and Arizona, he was also very active in giving his time, effort and treasure in support of battered women and children, Alzheimer’s, and breast cancer organizations. Even through his cancer battle, at family and other gatherings of friends, Mr. Benefield provided a gregarious, good-humored and loving atmosphere, where he was truly loved by all.

Mr. Benefield was preceded in death by his mother, Opal White Benefield, of Fernandina Beach, and grandparents, Sarah and Jack White of Rome, Ga., and Geneva and Bethel Benefield of East Point, Ga.

He is survived by his fiancée, Silvia Miller of Glendale, Ariz.; his father, Charles B. Benefield of Fernandina Beach; a brother, Scott Micah Benefield (Marcey) of Elko, Ga.; and four nephews, Coty and Chance of Elko, Drew (Heather) with the U.S. Air Force in Wichita, Kan., and Chace with the U.S. Navy in Guam; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and a special friend, cousin Charlee.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, at 2 p.m. at the Griffin Memorial Chapel of Daniel’s Funeral Home in Rome. Visitation will be held from 1-2 p.m., and a reception for family and friends will be held following the service.

Daniel’s Funeral Home

Mrs. Velma Stewart of Yulee passed away on Monday morning, Aug. 15, 2016, at Baptist Medical Center, Jacksonville.

She was born in Pensacola on Nov. 14, 1947. She was the daughter of the late Fannie Mary Carter Stewart and Elvin Hooper Sr. She attended various schools in the Escambia County area. 

She later moved to Amelia City, where she met and married the late Willie Stewart Jr. and they had 10 children and three adopted children. She was very active in their lives, especially when it came down to football season. She was known as the team mom because she went above and beyond for the entire team. Just when you thought things couldn't get any better, she made sure that her daughters learned to cook and maintain the household in which was a tool that was later put to test to see if they were paying attention. She also made sure that her children had the best of everything, even if it meant that she went without. Family meant everything to her no matter what role they played in her life. They always say an apple doesn't fall to far from the tree because she inherited a trait from her mom, which was feeding a person if they were hungry or giving them a place to stay if they were in need. Velma was one of the sweetest people that you could have ever known, and a piece of her lives on in each one of her children. There are no words to express how much she loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren other than to say that she cherished the time that she spent with them.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fannie Mary Carter Stewart and Elvin Hooper Sr.; her husband, Willie Stewart Jr.; her granddaughter, Errica Waye; five sisters, Michelle Blackmon, Priscilla Hooper, Joann Hooper, Francis Hooper and Mary Theresa Hooper; two brothers, Frank Stewart Jr. and Spencer Stewart; grandparents, Rainey Rushing and Nathaniel Carter Sr.; and other relatives.

She leaves to cherish her memories six daughters, Nodia Stewart of Jacksonville, Willene Beverly (Michael) of Woodbine, Ga., Cynthia Oliver (Tony) of Pelham, Ga., Tammie Yearwood (Vernon) of Yulee, Felicia Stewart of Fernandina Beach and Yolanda Stewart of Columbia, S.C.; four sons, Stacy Stewart (Femarcel) of Yulee, DeMarcus Stewart of Fernandina Beach, Terrell Stewart (Christina) of Yulee and Travis Stewart (Shannon) of Jacksonville; three adopted children, Tonya Hooper and Rodell Gilles, both of Jacksonville, and Joe Strawn (Amy) of Punta Gorda; 26 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; three godchildren, Lizzie Gray of Sandhill, Shonda Holmes of Atlanta and Tara Thomas of Fernandina Beach; seven sisters, Linda Hooper Johnson (Namon) of Fernandina Beach, Corrie Hooper Boatwright, Elane Stewart Amos (Ronnie), Josephine Stewart Williams (Earl) and Lorraine Stewart Williams (Don), all of Jacksonville, and Betty Hooper and Faye Hooper, both of Lake City; five brothers, Michael Hooper, Charles Hooper (Shelia), LaTodd Stewart and Herbert Stewart (Cynthia), all of Jacksonville, and Elvin Hooper Jr. (Dorothy) of Fernandina Beach; one aunt, Mamie Carter of Pensacola; one sister-in-law, Phyllis Ray of Fernandina Beach; two brothers-in-law, Kenneth Swackard of Fernandina Beach and Quentin Stewart (Tabatha) of Jacksonville; godbrother, Andrew Collins (Debbie) of Marietta, Ga.; devoted friends, Bernice Walker of Yulee and Laura Young of Columbia; and a host of nieces and nephews and other extended relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at the River of Praise Worship Center, with Pastor Jackie Hooper Jr. presiding

Mrs. Stewart will be laid to rest beside her husband in Bosque Bello Cemetery.

The repast will follow at 97213 Amy Drive, Yulee.

Her family will receive friends on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at Oxley-Heard.

Please share her Life Legacy and leave your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.

Oxley – Heard Funeral Directors 

Henry Ivey West Jr., 76, passed away in Fort Worth, Texas, Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016, after a brief illness.

Henry's family moved to Fernandina Beach from Chapel Hill, N.C., in January 1953, when he was 12 years old. Henry, like all of his family, quickly fell in love with Fernandina Beach. He was always fishing, playing golf or going barefoot at the beach. He particularly loved the original nine holes at the public golf course, where he learned golf, a game at which he became quite proficient.

Henry graduated from FBHS in 1959 and then attended Andrew College on a basketball scholarship. He spent his adult years in jobs mostly associated with the food service industry. His work took him to Columbia, S.C., New Orleans and Fort Worth.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Ivey West and Ivor Wilkinson West, and his older brother, Carroll Dean West.

Henry is survived by his three children, Rikki West Leisure, Dustin Closs West and Henry Ivey West III; his older brother, William Closs West; and his sister; Betty West Benner.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date.

Mrs. Millie Lucille Wingate, beloved wife of the late Claude Nolan Wingate, passed away at the age of 82 on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016, at the Warner Center in Fernandina Beach.

Born on Dec. 31, 1933, in Woodbine, Ga., she was one of seven children and the only daughter born to the late James Robert Miller and Viola Agnes Carter Miller. While attending a square dance in Woodbine in 1948 she met her future husband, Yulee native Claude Wingate. The courtship lasted two years until they would marry on the front porch of her childhood home on Aug. 19, 1950.

Mrs. Wingate had managed the Beach Skating Rink in Fernandina for a number of years before she and her husband became the owners and operators of the Reef Drive In Movie Theatre from 1969 until 1981.

Mrs. Wingate and her husband were both raised listening to bluegrass and gospel music, which continued throughout their lives together. They oftentimes hosted gatherings of musicians at their home, with her playing the guitar and Mr. Wingate chiming in on his harmonica. They enjoyed their planned trips in the family RV to attend bluegrass gospel festivals throughout the Southeast.

The Wingates had been faithful supporters of Five Points and Springhill Baptist churches of Fernandina Beach and, most recently, Blackrock Baptist Church of Yulee.

Mrs. Wingate was a volunteer at Baptist Hospital in Fernandina Beach.

Her husband of 64 years, Claude Wingate, passed away on Feb. 26, 2014. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Claudine Lussier, and a grandson, Greg Dyal.

She leaves behind a daughter, Debbie Rehm and her husband, Joe; a son, Kenneth Wingate; a brother, Chester Stephen Miller; four grandchildren, Arthur Howington, Jaime Wingate, Ryan Dyal and Michael Wingate; six great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews.  

Funeral services were held Friday morning, Aug. 19, at Blackrock Baptist Church, with the Rev. John Kasper and Frank Camarotti officiating.

Mrs. Wingate was laid to rest in the Wingate Family Cemetery, Yulee.

Her family received friends on Thursday evening at Oxley-Heard.

Please share her Life Legacy and leave your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Sandra Sue “Sandi” Butler, 68, of Jacksonville Beach and formerly of Fernandina Beach, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, at Avante Nursing Home. Memorial services will be held on Saturday Aug. 27, at Eternity Funeral Home Chapel, 96092 Victoria’s Place, Yulee, with the Rev. Grant Wheeler, chaplain for Community Hospice, officiating.

Eternity Funeral Homes & Cremations-Nassau.

Funeral services for Velma Stewart will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at the River of Praise Worship Center. Mrs. Stewart will be laid to rest in Bosque Bello Cemetery.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Mr. R. Charles “Charlie” Coleman, 82, of Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach, passed away Aug. 14, 2016.

He was the son of Thomas and Ida Mae Coleman and brother of Tommy, Donald and sweet baby sister Carolyn Richardson.

He was preceded in death by his wife, the Honorable Eleanor Ebsary Coleman.

He leaves behind his daughter, Carla Coleman Schell, her husband, Robert, and his two grandsons, Cole and Brannan.

Charlie graduated from Andrew Jackson High School, Class of 1952. He then served in the U.S. Navy. Later, he graduated from the University of Tampa, Class of 1959, and returned to Jacksonville, where he taught and coached at Forrest and Ribault high schools. In 1964, Coach Coleman opened Charlie Coleman’s Sport Shop in Jacksonville, and it remained open for 30 years.

Upon retiring, Charlie took care of his terminally ill wife, Eleanor. He spent the last 20 years enjoying his friends and family in the Jacksonville area and spending time with his daughter’s family, particularly his two grandsons.

Cremation occurred at Beach Funeral Home, Satellite Beach.

The memorial service will be held at North Jacksonville Baptist Church, 8531 Main St., on Monday, Aug. 29, at 3 p.m. 

Donations may be made in honor of Charlie Coleman to either the Salvation Army Hope House in Fernandina Beach or the William Childs Hospice House in Palm Bay.

Mr. James Stevie “Steve” Hyers, 56, of Hephzibah, Ga., passed away at University Hospital in Augusta, Ga., on Aug. 17, 2016.

Born in Fernandina Beach, he was the son of Gaynell Morgan and the late James H. Hyers. He grew up and attended school in Fernandina Beach. Mr. Hyers had worked in the trucking industry for more than 20 years. He worked as the assistant terminal manager at the Estes Trucking Terminal in Jacksonville until being promoted to terminal manager and transferring to the Augusta Terminal in 2013.

Steve leaves behind his wife, Deanna Hyers of Yulee; his mother, Gaynell Morgan of Yulee; two sons, Steven and Dustin Hyers, both of South Carolina; a sister, Faye Shedlock of Anderson, S.C.; and three grandchildren, Emma, Timothy and Thomas.

His wife may be contacted regarding services to be held in Fernandina Beach and Augusta.

Please share his Life Legacy and leave your memories and condolences at ww.oxleyheard.com.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Rudolph H. Jansa passed away on Aug. 24 at the age of 91 at Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Fernandina Beach.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, June; his son, Michael and his wife, Gina, and their son Coleman of Bossier City, La.; and his son, John and his wife, Cathy, of Palos Heights, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his oldest son, David; oldest sister, Vera Little; and twin sister, Emily Trinka.

Rudy was born in 1925 and raised in Detroit, where he attended Cass Tech High School. He served in the Navy during the Second World War as machinist mate first class stationed at Midway Island. After an honorable discharge, he attended Michigan State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He always remained devoted to his alma mater and his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, and maintained great dislike for the University of Michigan Wolverines.

His careers in the engineering field took him from serving as a test engineer for Packard Motor Co. to Curtis Wright to Daimler-Benz, where he worked as a sales rep in the marine division. His time at Daimler-Benz was spent in New York City, where he met his soon-to-be wife, June, singing in the choir at Park Avenue Methodist Church. At the age of 36, they married at that same church and moved back to Detroit, where Rudy took a job with Perkins Engine Corp. as the general manager of North American operations.

In 1966, Rudy and his growing family moved to Peoria, Ill., where he worked for 21 years as OEM sales manager for Caterpillar.

Following retirement, Rudy volunteered for the Citizens Democracy Corps and International Executive Service Corp., where he used his marketing, sales and engineering experience to foster business development throughout Eastern Europe, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia and Russia. His volunteer efforts exemplified his commitment to teaching others with hopes of seeing them grow and succeed.

Rudy was a proud Czech who spoke the language and loved the food, music and culture of his parents’ homeland. He traveled there beginning in the 1950s and helped maintain strong connections with his extended family. He had a gift for making connections to people in other parts of the world and extending his generosity to them for years to come. This included a high school foreign exchange student from Lyon, France, who visited Rudy and his family 30 years ago. Frederic; his wife, Dabia; and their children, Lucas and Anissa, remain members of the family to this day.

Rudy enjoyed Dvorak and Mozart, Spanish guitar and big band. He had an excellent poker face, which he’d use to great effect when playing jokes on family and friends alike.  If you were a server and asked him if he’d like anything else, he’d often reply with, “How about a three-week vacation and a $100 raise?” He begrudgingly played golf but loved playing hearts with his buddies, rummy or spades with anyone foolish enough to challenge him, and Rummikub or Uno with his family.

He visited Cuba when it was a glamorous getaway, fished in Baja and walked among sequoias and castles. He fondly remembered air travel when your meals arrived on fine china with real silverware. Although a well-seasoned traveler, he just as easily would enjoy early Saturday mornings at home on a back deck that he built himself.

He had a life filled with many more friends than enemies. He was loved by a family that grew far beyond his own blood line. He appreciated a good cigar, didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and could strike up a conversation with anyone. He was a devoted husband and only asked that the people around him always try their very best. He will be missed.

Visitation will be held this Friday, August 27, from 5-7 p.m. at Oxley-Heard Funeral Home. A service will follow on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Memorial United Methodist Church. Interment will be at Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Community Hospice’s Jane and Bill Warner Center for Caring in Fernandina Beach.

Please share his Life Legacy and leave your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.

Oxley–Heard Funeral Directors

Tennette Sinclair Sloan, 40, passed away on Aug. 16, 2016, in Jacksonville.

Born in Roanoke, Va., she was the daughter of Angharad Lea Carmichael Sinclair and the late Robert Rice Sinclair. As a teenager, her family moved to Cincinnati before relocating to Covington, Ky., where she graduated from high school. Tennette later moved to Roanoke, where she lived until moving to Fernandina Beach in 2004. While living in Roanoke, she worked as a barista and baker for Mill Mountain Coffee. After settling in Fernandina Beach, she worked at Latitudes Coffee House and A Janet Lynn Salon and Spa. While working for Janet Lynn, Tennette earned her Associate of Arts from Florida State College at Jacksonville. She then transferred to the University of Florida, where she majored in English, with a minor in education.

Tennette was a lover of new and cutting-edge music and, through her work at Mill Mountain, became acquainted with the latest upcoming performers. She was a friend to all she came in contact with and showed love and patience to all she knew. She loved life, cooking, her many friends and her family. She will forever be remembered for her indelible smile, big heart and contagious laugh.

Tennette was preceded in death by her grandparents, Hubert and Louise Sinclair of South Carolina, and James and Esther Carmichael of Georgia.

She leaves behind her beautiful daughter, Hannah Sloan; her former husband, Andy Sloan of Roanoke; her mother, Angharad Sinclair; and a sister, Andrea Sinclair, all of Fernandina Beach; a brother, Chris Sinclair; a sister-in-law, Anne Marie; a niece, Morgan; and two nephews, Lawson and Preston, all of Raleigh, N.C.

A celebration of Tennette’s life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider a donation to the Hannah Sloan College Fund at www.youcaring.com/hannah-sloan-626856.

Please share her Life Legacy and leave your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Melissa S. Stewart, 39, of Fernandina Beach, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Jacksonville.

She was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital on Oct. 10, 1976, the daughter of Danny and Sue Stewart of Folkston, Ga. Melissa grew up on the farm near Folkston, and she attended Brantley County High School, graduating in the Class of 1994. She went on to further her education at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., and Florida Community College at Jacksonville. During those years, Melissa worked  in many restaurants and became associated with Pompeo’s Italian Restaurant in Fernandina Beach. She worked there until it closed several years ago. Melissa then worked as an executive chef and steward in the private railroad car charter field, where she traveled  throughout the country. She was also associated with Pablo’s Restaurant in downtown Fernandina Beach until her health failed.

Melissa leaves behind her beloved son, Jeb Stewart; her parents, Danny and Sue Stewart; her brother, Domingo and Kandice Stewart of Oakland, Tenn.; her sister, Traci and Brent Whitaker of Waycross, Ga.; and her aunts and uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the Shepard Funeral Home, Folkston. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Grace Chapel Baptist Church near Folkston, with the pastor, the Rev. John Boatwright, assisted by the Rev. Wayne Clark, officiating. Melissa will be laid to rest with her grandparents in Pineview Cemetery, Folkston.

“We are thankful and blessed for Melissa. Her courage, her sweet soul and her example of steadfast faith. Let us love all those around us, friends or strangers, as unconditionally as Melissa did. Let us strive daily to have even a smidgen of absolute joy for life as Melissa had.” – Katy Huling

Flowers are accepted and appreciated, and memorials may be made to the H.O.P.E. Program at St. Vincent’s Foundation, 1 Shircliff Way, Jacksonville, FL 32204.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors

Thomas Lee Wiggins Jr. passed away in Franklin, N.C., on Aug. 16, 2016. A veteran of World War II, he was proud to serve in the 11th Airborne Division. A true patriot, his service to his country and heritage were a legacy often shared through verse and stories, developing pride and respect for the Greatest Generation among his family and friends.

Thomas “Pa” was born on Oct. 31, 1926, in Fitzgerald, Ga., to Thomas “Tom” and Evelyn Wiggins. Precious memories were made while growing up in Waycross, Ga., where friendships were formed and cherished throughout his life. He attended Waycross High School and The Bolles School in Jacksonville, where he won the state singles tennis tournament in the summer of 1944. After graduating, he followed his buddies into the military, joining the Army and serving in the Pacific and Occupation Forces in Japan.

After the war, Tommy returned to his beloved hometown and attended Georgia Southwestern College. He married “the prettiest girl in Waycross,” Mary Ruth Hinnant, and moved across the Mason-Dixon Line to Philadelphia, graduating from the Franklin School of Science and Arts. A man of words and a vibrant spirit, Tommy and his wife returned to the South and made their way back to where their story began, living in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

Thomas “Tom” established the laboratory in the medical office of Dr. McKee Hargrett, serving the community of Screven, Ga. Retiring to his beloved Waycross, he divided his time between Fernandina Beach and Fitzgerald.

An avid sportsman, his hobbies and passions included golfing, tennis, long-distance walking, hiking, boating and metal detecting. A lifelong student, he devoured the works of the “great masters” and enjoyed volunteer work as a Civil War historian and genealogist. In the spirit of his love for heritage, he was proud to become a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. During his later years, he enjoyed the “good ole days” and was grateful for the opportunity for returning to “the best of times” courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Hinnant Wiggins; his sister, Francis Head (Ewald); parents, Tom and Evelyn Wiggins; and nephew, Ronnie Head.

Thomas is survived by a daughter, Mary W. Jones (Mack); son, Thomas Lee Wiggins III (Bonnie); four grandchildren, Marnie Wingard (Chris), Kelli Audet (Matt), April Wiggins and Jason Wiggins (Brittany); six great-grandchildren, Hannah Ruth and Camden Wingard, Braden and Addisyn Aiken, and Madelyn and Mason Wiggins; nephew, G. Thomas Head (Karen); cousin and dear friend, Clyde Bailey; great-nephews, Tom, Jeffrey  and Bernard Head; and brother-in-law, JL Hinnant.

Celebration of Life was held in his home on Cowee Mountain in Franklin. A graveside service will be held on Sept. 3 at 2 p.m. at Bosque Bella Cemetery, Fernandina Beach. The Rev. Chris Wingard will officiate, with military honors also conducted.

Funeral arrangements provided by Macon Funeral Home and Oxley-Heard Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be made at maconfuneralhome.com.

Macon Funeral Home

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of his own mind. - By Kahlil Gibran

Rychard S. Cook II, called home by our Lord on July 19, 2016, was the youngest of three siblings. His life was shared by older sisters who preceded him in death: Dr. Nettie Cook- Dove (Joshua Jr.) and Laura Lee Cook. The three were reared by his mother's oldest sister, the late Ms. Annie M. Cook, an elementary school teacher and strict disciplinarian to whom good manners were imperative.

A native Fernandinian, Rychard grew up in the Sunday School of First Missionary Baptist church and received his early secular education at Peck High School, where as a student he entered and won a song writing contest that gave Peck High its Alma Mater. In 1951, along with his classmate Mrs. Vernita Johnson Holmes, he graduated as Co-Valedictorian. He received a four year scholarship from the state of Florida and attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. In 1955, he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, and in 1963, he earned a Master of Arts degree in School Librarianship at the University of Denver in Colorado.

Mr. Cook’s stellar career in the educational field was inspired by three outstanding individuals, all now deceased: Mrs. Mamie T. Jordan (music), Mrs. Edythe J. Thurston (communication skills), and Mrs. Dorothy Sanford Love (librarian extraordinaire). For his life’s work, Rychard chose librarianship as a profession and music as his avocation.

Mr. Cook began his teaching career in Nassau County at Peck High School as a substitute teacher. After two weeks, he became a full time teacher at Milner-Rosen Wald Academy in Mt. Dora, Florida. As a Miami-Dade County public school employee, Mr. Cook has taught at West Homestead Elementary-Junior High School, Dunbar Elementary, Miami Northwestern Senior High, Coral Park Senior High, Miami Jackson High, Horace Mann Middle, Holmes and Westview elementary schools. Mr. Cook retired from Westview Elementary as a Media Specialist on June 18, 1999, after spending 42 years of dedicated service in Florida's public schools. An avid reader, Mr. Cook spent hours reading mystery novels and researching African-American history and culture. He was a devoted Toni Morrison fan. He encouraged many African Americans to learn more about their roots, during his serious study of Black History. In 1967, he founded the Afro-Americans, a readers’ theatre group that included his childhood friend Dessie Horne Williams, and which promoted the study of Black History and Culture through its prose, poetry, and song.

Mr. Cook was a life member of the Zora Neale Hurston Society, and was affiliated with the Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida, The Theodore R. Gibson Oratorical and Declamation Contest, The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community Inc., William J. Faulkner's Friends of Folklore, The American Library Association, and Dade County Media Specialist Association. Those organizations provided Mr. Cook with many excellent opportunities for the rendering of community service, an activity to which he brought serious and steadfast commitment.

Mr. Cook's extensive travels took him to such places as West Africa, England, Germany, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Iceland, Canada, The Caribbean, France, and Italy. From his travels, he gained a variety of diverse cultural experiences, which he generously shared with family, friends, students, churches, colleges, and universities.

In addition to being an enthusiastic collector of Black Art, first edition books, and collector plates, Mr. Cook was the recipient of a variety of awards including: 1995 Teacher of the Year Award, from Holmes Elementary School; Eighth Annual Sistrunk Historical Festival Award, Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 1995; Florida International University Service Awards for 5, 10, 15, and 25 years of service; and Eighth Annual Theodore R. Gibson Project Award, 1986

Mr. Cook completed 26 years of service as a librarian at Florida National University. His life ambition was to complete his writings on the life and works of Zora Neal Hurston.

Until his demise, Mr. Cook received loving and around- the- clock care in the Orlando home of his son Dave Thompson and wife Elizabeth .Their sons Kristian and David loved their Grandfather dearly and spent many happy hours listening to his wonderful stories and receiving the benefit of his wise counsel.

Mr. Cook leaves to mourn his passing: His Son Dave (Elizabeth) Thompson of Orlando Florida. Grandchildren: Kristian Thompson of Miami Florida and David Thompson of Orlando Florida. Special friend who shared the same passion of wanting to help youth reach their fullest potential: Dessie Horne Williams of Miami Florida. Nephews: Joshua Kenneth Dove III.  & Richard Holland. Nieces: Beverly Dove (Leo) Ross, of Richmond, VA and .Ingrid Bernadette Dove of Atlanta Georgia. Grand Niece: Joy Nicole Ross. Grand Nephew: Raymond Williams and Joshua Kenneth (Angelique) Dove VI. Cousin: Yvonne Fisher. Goddaughters: Rosemarie Crocker, Almeta Birch & L. Ann Cumbie-Patterson (Lester). Godsons: Robert Battle of New York, Evan MacArthur of Japan and Petty officer Aston Cumbie Farquharson of Honolulu, Hawaii. Extended Family members: Joe &Eula Johnson, Earl Robinson, Ron Henry, Roy Moultry, Veronica Wellington, Charles (Bridgette) MacArthur, Bernice Horne Edgecombe-Tel-Saint (Amelius). And many other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.

He will be sorely missed.  

Memorial services will be held at, The First Missionary Baptist Church on Friday August 5 2016 at 6:00pm.22 South 9th Street, Fernandina Beach FL 32034.

In lieu of flowers donation can be made to Nassau County Community Development Corporation, Inc. for the Rychard-Lottie-Annie Cook Scholarship. Address: P.O. Box 16382, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035.

Marion S. Barber, 80, passed away Aug. 27, 2016. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Jacksonville National Cemetery.

Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery

Doris Ann Shand, 86, passed away in Yulee on Aug. 26, 2016. A memorial service will be held in Sarasota.

Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery

Mrs. Martha “Marty” Anne Ahearn, 74, of Amelia Island, passed away on Sunday morning, Aug. 21, 2016, at Community Hospice’s Warner Center for Caring in Fernandina Beach.

Born on Nov. 26, 1941, in Endicott, N.Y., she was the eldest of four children born to the late Ruth Ann Scranton Norton and William Norton.

Mrs. Ahearn graduated from Union-Endicott High School. After high school she graduated from the State University of New York at Albany in 1963 with a bachelor’s in English and worked toward her master’s in library science at SUNY Geneseo. She then worked as a school librarian before marrying Robert Ahearn in 1965.

They relocated in 1970 with their two children to Atlanta, where they became parishioners at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Sandy Springs, Ga. After many years of vacationing on Amelia Island with their family, Marty and Bob happily retired there in 1994. She was a parishioner at St. Michael Catholic Church, Fernandina Beach.

Marty was an avid reader, and enjoyed playing mahjong and going to the local theater with friends. Her favorite activity, however, was enjoying the beach with her family and grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 48 years, Bob.

Mrs. Ahearn leaves behind her two sisters, Kathy Korniak of Gainesville, Ga., and Mary Hassler and husband Ted of Gainesville; one brother, William Norton of Marietta, Ga.; her two children, including daughter, Maureen Cully and her husband, Mike, of Alpharetta, Ga., and son, Robert Ahearn Jr. of Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and her grandchildren, Katherine Cully and Michael Cully.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated Saturday, Sept. 3, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church in Fernandina Beach with Fr. Jose Kallukalam, celebrant. The family will receive friends following Mass in the church hall.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to Catholic Charities or Marist School.

Vannie Augusta Acosta Marden, 61, of Nahunta, Ga., passed away early Sunday morning, Aug. 28, 2016, at her home following an extended illness.

Born in Brewton, Ala., her parents were Van Chanley Acosta and Florence Augusta Hicks. She was also preceded in death by her husband, John David Marden, and her daughter, Christine Jeanette Marden.

Vannie worked many years as an LPN, she was a member of Hickox Christian Faith Chapel and loved motorcycle riding, taking care of flowers, and going to the beach, especially Amelia Island.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Misti Marden of Waycross, Ga.; her daughter and son-in-law, Shellie and Robbie Batten, of Blackshear, Ga.; six grandchildren, Christina Branham, John Paul Branham, Marissa Marden, Kandyce Kersey, Amelia Kersey and Madison Kersey; one great-grandchild, Kalynn Jeanette Branham; and her dear friends, Angela Kelly, Donna Guest Rushlow and Debbie Webb.

Visitation was held Tuesday evening, Aug. 30, at Frye Funeral Home, Nahunta.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m. at Hickox Christian Faith Chapel with the Rev. Chuck Allen and the Rev. Jason Marden officiating.

Arrangements are with Frye Funeral Home, Nahunta.

Sympathy may be expressed by signing our online registry at fryefh.com.

Frye Funeral Home

Mr. Verlin O. Peacock Sr., 76, formerly of Yulee, passed away at his home in Jacksonville on Saturday morning, Aug. 27, 2016.

Born in Eastman, Ga., he was one of eight children born to the late Thomas Martin and Annie Lois Haynes Peacock. At the age of 4, he and his family moved to North Jacksonville. In 1958, he married a Jacksonville native, Eva Ann Caldwell. The newlyweds made their first home in Garden City.

For many years, Mr. Peacock ran a milk route for Holly Hill Dairy before joining Liberty National Life Insurance Co. in 1971. During his years with Liberty National, he was more than the insurance agent, but became a friend and adviser to many residents of Yulee and Fernandina Beach. Verlin remained with Liberty National for 27 years before retiring to take care of his wife, who passed away in 2003. He had also worked with Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors during the mid-1990s until the mid-2000s. In July 2006, Verlin and Portia L. “Bunny” Jones married.

Early in his life, he enjoyed fishing, woodworking and yardwork. As he reached the age of retirement, he began enjoying relaxation and traveling with Bunny.

Mr. Peacock was a former member of Main Street Baptist Church and had attended Celebration Baptist Church in Yulee.

In addition to his parents and first wife, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Donna Gail Peacock; two brothers, Elmer and Charles; and a sister, Alene Rand.

He leaves behind his wife, Bunny Peacock of Jacksonville; children, Verlin O. “Buddy” Peacock Jr. of Lake Asbury, Debbie Dow and her husband, Ricky, and Joyce Peterson and her husband, Tommy, all of Yulee, and Jamie Freeland and Amanda Dickinson, both of Jacksonville; brothers and sisters, Ray Peacock of Marion, Ark., Edwin Peacock of Jacksonville, David Peacock of Callahan, Melba Ayres and her husband, Don, of Suffolk, Va., Alan Jones of Yulee, Gail Hurst and her husband, Frank, of Fernandina Beach, and Yvonne Smith and her husband, Skip, of Columbia, S.C.; grandchildren, Ricky Dow Jr., Rika Dow, Angela Mosley, Ryan Mosley, Julie Peterson, Justin Peterson and his wife, Katy, Jourdan Dickinson and Cheyenne Freeland; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at Celebration Baptist Church with his grandson, Justin Peterson, officiating.

Mr. Peacock will be laid to rest at 2:30 p.m. beside his daughter and former wife in Evergreen Cemetery.

His family will receive friends on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at Oxley-Heard.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225.

Please share his Life Legacy and leave your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.

Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors