Willie Mae Adkins, 93, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Thursday, August 23, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Mary Ethel Baffa, 94, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Wednesday, August 22, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Ann Kidd Hinson, 73, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Wednesday August 22, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Joseph Longo, 87, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Tuesday, August 21, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Caroline Burgess Dickens Kent, a retired research scientist, died at home in the arms of her husband, William Mallory Kent, on Saturday, July 14, 2018. Caroline was 63 years old.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated for Caroline at Assumption Catholic Church, 2403 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, Fla., at 6 p.m. Friday, August 24, 2018. Organ prelude will begin at 5:45 p.m. All are invited.
October 16, 2018 would have been her 26th wedding anniversary. She died following a courageous fight against a metastatic cancer that caused her to endure months of great suffering, during which she did not once complain, but simply accepted and fought with every therapy that could be attempted.
Caroline was born in Jacksonville and raised in Fernandina Beach, Fla. She started college a year early at Jacksonville University, transferred to Florida Institute of Technology and then transferred to the University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Microbiology in 1977. She was one of the first women to work in the then-male-dominated field of industrial chemistry, applying for and being hired as an industrial chemist at Allied Chemical Company in Brunswick, Ga., where she worked two years while saving money for graduate school. She then was accepted in 1979 into the graduate microbiology virology program at the University of Miami, where she earned her Ph.D. Her dissertation was titled, “Antiviral activity of lidocaine HCL against the replication of herpes simplex virus Type 1.”
She later worked in basic research for many years at the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. She was one of the first scientists employed in basic research at the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, working under Michael McKinney, Ph.D., in a set of temporary trailers while the Birdsall Research Building was being built. After Dr. McKinney retired, she worked under Dr. Matt Farrer until he accepted a chaired professorship in Vancouver, Canada, at which time Caroline retired. Caroline had at least 31 scientific publications to her name from her work at the Mayo Clinic, notably including “Differential expression of GAP-43 mRNA in adult central cholinergic neuronal populations,” which was published in Molecular Brain Research, June 1994, “Expression of Superoxide Dismutase Messenger RNA in Adult Rat Brain Cholinergic Neurons,” published in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience in March 1999, “Pontine cholinergic neurons depend on three neuroprotection systems to resist nitrosative stress,” published in Brain Research in April 2004, and “Impaired dopaminergic neurotransmission and microtubule-associated protein tau alterations in human LRRK2 transgenic mice,” published in Neurobiology of Disease in December 2010.
Her work “Adult neurogenesis and neurite outgrowth are impaired in LRRK2 G2019S mice,” published March 2011 in Neurobiology of Disease, earned her a Faculty of 1000 Award. Her work with confocal microscopy resulted in a cover of Neuroscience.
Before Caroline died, she completed a book to be published titled, “Methadone – The Quiet Cure.” Caroline was a persistent advocate for methadone maintenance therapy for persons addicted to opiate drugs.
As a youth Caroline won the Nassau County Talent Contest, was a lifeguard at the Fernandina Beach Atlantic Recreation Center and protected the children there, never missed a Sunday at church as a child (Caroline was a devout Christian and regular communicant at both San Jose Episcopal and Assumption Catholic churches), played the piano and saxophone, and as an adult competed twice in the Three Mile Ocean Swim.
Caroline took in many stray and abandoned cats over the years, getting them needed medical care and providing them with a loving home. In addition, Caroline was a friend to the homeless and people suffering from drug addiction and mental health issues. She was an angel who saved her husband’s life.
Martha Caroline Whitney Easley, 88, of Amelia Island, Fla., passed away Saturday, August 18, 2018 at Community Hospice & Palliative Care’s Warner Center for Caring in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Born in Plant City, Fla., she was a daughter of the late Colonel William Travers Whitney and Margaret Rebecca Willis Whitney. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina and received her Master of Science from the University of Florida.
She married John Forest Easley in 1955. Their marriage would last some 61 years, until his passing in 2016. They made their home in Gainesville, Fla., where he was on the faculty at UF. Her career as a biochemist at UF Health Shands Hospital would take her into her retirement years. After retirement she returned to school and obtained her Master of Science in Botany from UF.
Mrs. Easley and her husband moved to Amelia Island in 1998. In retirement, she was able to pursue her many passions, which included bicycling, birding and her love of nature. After moving to the island, she was able to produce a complete catalogue of the plant life of Little Talbot Island State Park and Fort Clinch State Park. She was at her happiest when she was on her bicycle.
She was an active member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, where she was able to give voice to her spirituality. Mrs. Easley loved God, her Bible and worshipping through hymns. Her family recalls her singing hymns into the late night hours as part of family gatherings. It was said of her that her face was radiant while she sang.
Caroline was an elegant and gracious lady who, even as she neared death, had a quiet and unassuming presence about her.
She leaves behind her daughters, Margaret Rebecca Easley of Amelia Island and Martha Reid Easley-Tafel of Hamburg, Germany; two nieces, Beth Travers Kirschner of Englewood, Fla., and Martha Ann Manee Harrison of Lakeland, Fla.; and a nephew, John Whitney Kirschner.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, August 31, 2018 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church with the Reverend Brian Alberti officiating. Caroline will be laid to rest beside her husband in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make donations, in her memory, to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Joyce Carvell Thornton, 60, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away July 28, 2018 in Jacksonville, Fla.
She was born October 21, 1957 in Huntington, W.Va. to the late Leonard and Doris Lee Reffitt Carvell. She married Bobby (Robert) Thornton on July 8, 2010 in Fernandina Beach.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Angela Elizabeth (Timothy Jerome) Thomas and Henry Adam (Sarah Elizabeth) Hogue; grandchildren, Payton Olivia Hogue and Henry Adam Hogue Jr.; stepchildren, Layton Thornton, Laura Beran (Josh Beran, Gigi and Mila Beran), and Kathleen (Lena) Ramsay (Bobby Ramsay and Aidan Watson).
A private family viewing was held Thursday, August 1, 2018 at Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors prior to burial.
Memorials may be made to the Nassau Humane Society.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Willie Mae Adkins, 93, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., peacefully passed away in her home Thursday, August 23, 2018.
She was born in Lake City, Fla. in 1925, then moved to Fernandina Beach in 1952 with her husband, Thomas C. Adkins and raised her two daughters, Judy and Debi, and her son, Tommy. She was an active member of First Baptist Church for the past 65 years.
She was known for her many great qualities with an outgoing personality and friendly spirit. Willie loved bike riding, walking and dancing. She was proud of her daily routine of riding 16 miles a day and then walking four. Her routine made national headline news with Brian Williams of NBC when she was 82 years of age. She continued this routine for more than 28 years. During these years she became known as the “Bike Lady” and “Ms. Happy” to the children in school as she passed by daily with her friendly smile and waves. She brought pleasure to people both young and old with a kind word and smile – not just to those she passed on her daily path but to her family where she was a kind but gentle force in their lives. She loved getting on the floor to play with her great-grandchildren well into her 90s. In addition to all her other qualities she will be remembered for her skills as a biscuit maker. They were like gifts from angels but she couldn’t pass down her recipe as it was done from love and a pinch of this and a handful of that.
She enjoyed celebrating her birthdays at The Marina, where she was known affectionately as “Wild Willie.”
Mrs. Adkins was predeceased by her husband, Thomas C. Adkins, in 1988. She leaves behind her two daughters, Judy Knowles and Debi (Chuck) Drace, and her son, William T. (Carolyn) Adkins, all of Fernandina Beach; and six grandchildren, Michael (Renee) Nelson, Nicole (Ed) McKernan, Brad (Christy) Evans, Leigh (James) Milligan, Lauren (Rusty) Bartchlett and Lana (Matt) Johnston as well as 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Adkins were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 25, 2018 in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard Funeral Home with Chaplain Jackie Hayes officiating. The family received friends beginning at 1 p.m. She was laid to rest beside her husband in Bosque Bello Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers her family asks for contributions in her memory to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Bobby Ronald “BR” Cudd of Fernandina Beach, Fla. passed away Thursday, August 23, 2018.
Bobby “BR” was born August 23, 1935 in Chester, S.C. “BR” was married to Phyllis Cutts Cudd for 61 years. Together, they shared a passion for shag dancing at North Myrtle Beach, golfing with friends at Pine Forest Country Club and Fernandina Beach Golf Club, and cheering for their beloved Clemson Tigers. He was inducted into the shag dancing Living Legends Association in 2006. “BR” was a devoted husband and father who was blessed with many friends and a wonderful family.
He leaves behind his son, Randy Cudd, daughter-in-law Andrea Cudd and grandson Austin Cudd, all of Douglas, Ga.; son, Ronnie Cudd and daughter-in-law Maria Cudd; grandchildren, Justin Cudd of Tulsa, Okla., Amanda Cudd of Tulsa, Okla., and Abby Pruitt and Eric Pruitt of Douglas, Ga.; daughter, Lisa Holt and son-in-law Rod Holt of Mt. Carmel, Tenn.; grandson and granddaughter, Ryan and Cindy Davis, both of Fleming, Ga.; and great-granddaughter, Reese Davis; and son, Mike Cudd, daughter-in-law Ashley Cudd and grandchildren Adam and Merritt Cudd, all of St. Simons Island, Ga.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that you leave your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Mr. Benjamin Ignatius Wyeroski, 99, of Amelia Island, Fla., passed away Saturday, August 25, 2018.
He was born October 6, 1918 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to the late Ignatius and Victoria (Zolmieski) Wyeroski, who immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1902.
When he was a young teenager, he met his childhood sweetheart, Mary Competelli, in the neighborhood and was so smitten with her that he gave her a cross necklace. After 78 years of marriage, she still wears that cross. Growing up during the Depression, he was a member of the “Greatest Generation” which carried him through his long and illustrious life. His family tells stories of him at 12 years old walking the train tracks in Brooklyn with his brother to pick up coal that the trains would drop to heat his family’s cold-water flat. He loved to build model airplanes, making each piece by hand. He would also sell the balsa wood to other children in the neighborhood to make money for his family.
Mr. Wyeroski was attending school to train as an aviation mechanic before being drafted in 1943 into the U.S. Army, where he served honorably and with distinction as a photographer in World War II. While stationed in the Philippines, his unit was scheduled to invade Japan but was called back because President Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bombs. As part of the occupying forces after the war, he documented the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bombs fell. Amazingly, he was not affected by the radiation! He and his fellow soldiers were so moved by the suffering, starving children that they offered them part of their rations.
After returning home from the war, he worked as the manager for a graphic arts supply company for 47 years.
Mr. Wyeroski was known as an honest man, a man who would help anyone and quite a good singer, breaking into a rousing rendition of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” at the birthday parties in Osprey Village. He was a man who could build anything, including the electric and plumbing, which is evident in the finished basement of his house. He enjoyed attending air shows and was a member of the Knights of Columbus.
He was preceded in death by his siblings, Sophia Wyeroski, Marion Wyeroski, Sigfried Wyeroski and Stanley Wyeroski.
He leaves behind his wife of 78 years, Mary Wyeroski of Amelia Island; his children, Carolyn Strunk and her husband, Brian, and Richard Wyeroski and his wife, Elba; granddaughters, Karen Riley and her husband, Mike, and Lisa Quig and her husband, Joseph; and great-grandsons, Aidan and Austin Quig.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at St. Michael Catholic Church with Father Jose Kallukalam, Celebrant. He will be laid to rest at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, August 30, 2018 at Jacksonville National Cemetery with military honors.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Dr. Joel A. Clark, 89, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away August 6, 2018.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery
Lillian Joy Dzwilefsky, 71, of Yulee, Fla., passed away Thursday, August 23, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Herbert “Skip” Shelby Kuhn, 87, of Fernandina Beach, Fla. passed away Saturday, August 25, 2018 at his residence.
Neptune Society
Gertrude W. McGinnis, 87, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Sunday, August 26, 2018 at Quality Health Center.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Marie Parker, 70, of Yulee, Fla., passed away Monday, August 27, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Mr. Edmund James Ryder, 89, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Friday, August, 24, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Edward H. Steckler, 76, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away August 22, 2018.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery
Mr. Robert V. “Butch” Zeluff, 64, of Yulee, Fla., passed away Thursday, August 30, 2018 at the Custead Care Center in Orange Park, Fla.
Born in Staten Island, N.Y., Robert made his home in Yulee for more than 34 years. For most of his working life he was an ironworker and traveled all over the United States “hanging steel.” Across the years he formed special friendships with many of the ironworkers who are members of the Navajo Nation. Those friendships led to his endearing nicknames of “Dad” and “Pale Face.”
Those who knew him found him to be hardworking and very determined. He often asked, “Why can’t we do it?” and would then work out a way to accomplish the task before him.
Butch was a wonderful husband to his wife, Debra, and dedicated father to his daughters, Tashell and Alicia. In addition to hard work that typified much of his life, Butch was just as much fun away from work. Among his nieces, nephews and neighbors, he became known as the “Potato Gun Man.” His potato guns were “awesome” and he relished using them. Sometimes, he had to be stopped from using all the potatoes they had at home.
He leaves behind his wife, Debra Lee Zeluff of Yulee; his daughters, Tashelle Weaver and her husband, Christopher, of Orange Park, and Alicia Zeluff and her wife, Stephanie, of Washington, D.C., as well as numerous extended family members.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 1, 2018 in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors with Pastor Frank Camarotti of Five Points Baptist Church officiating. The family will receive friends for the hour prior to the service.
Those desiring may make contributions to Haven Hospice, 4200 NW 90th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32606.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Herbert “Skip” Kuhn, 87, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Saturday, August 25, 2018 at his residence.
Skip was born May 17, 1931 in Columbus, Ohio to the late Mr. Herbert Albright and Mrs. Ruth Elizabeth (Shelby) Kuhn.
Skip attended Miami of Ohio University and upon graduation in 1953 served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was married to Barbara Ann Casey on July 4, 1957 in Springfield, Ohio. After transferring to multiple states with his family, he retired to Fernandina Beach in 1997.
He retired from Oneida, Ltd. after 30 years of service to the company. Skip was a member of the American Legion Post 54 and the Marine Corps League, as well as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He was an avid fly fisherman and enjoyed numerous outdoor activities with his family. He loved dancing and socializing with their many friends.
Skip was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 60 years, Barbara Kuhn, and a grandson.
He leaves to cherish his memory three children, Dana Kuhn, Pamela Crowley (Marc), and Stacey Gilley; a grandchild, Casey; and a host of extended family and friends.
A joint celebration of life service for Skip and Barbara will be held at a later date.
Neptune Society
Mrs. Joy Dzwilefsky, 71, of Yulee, Fla., passed away Thursday, August 23, 2018 at UF Health North in Jacksonville, Fla.
Born in Kingston, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Edward J. and Ruth Reed Geida. She attended public schools in Kingston and was a 1969 graduate of Wilkes College, where she majored in music education.
In that same year she married Joe Dzwilefsky. They made their home in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She taught school full-time until she and Joe began a family, but she returned to work as a substitute in various capacities in the local schools. After retirement she and Joe made their home in Yulee. As an active member of Yulee United Methodist Church, she served on the Building Committee and the Board of Trustees. She was also active in the United Methodist Women and always looked forward to the Easter “Egg-Stravaganza” held for the children each year.
She worked regularly at Gracie’s Kitchen along with her husband, Joe. She loved the people and could usually be found working at the front desk to register the guests the evenings she worked. The assistance provided to those in need through Gracie’s Kitchen was a passion for her.
In addition to her involvement with her church, she enjoyed many simple pleasures. Whether it was traveling, going to the movies or going out to dinner, she took pleasure in them all. She also was always willing to watch football whenever she could and was a passionate fan of her Purdue Boilermakers and Army Black Knights.
Even after two of her children graduated from the United States Military at West Point, she continued as an active member of the Parents Club of West Point. Her family was her true passion. She loved Joe, her children and her grandchildren.
She leaves behind her husband of 49 years, Joe Dzwilefsky; her daughters, Deborah Titzer and her husband, Jason, of Newburgh, Ind., and Holly Dzwilefsky of Highland Falls, N.Y.; a son, Matthew Dzwilefsky and his wife, Amanda, of Houston, Texas; and her four grandchildren, Laura and Sam Titzer and Riley and Raylan Dzwilefsky.
Funeral services for Mrs. Dzwilefsky will be held Friday, September 7, 2018 at Yulee United Methodist Church with Pastor Charlie Sward officiating. The family will receive friends at the church beginning at 10 a.m. After the funeral service she will be laid to rest in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers her family asks that donations be made, in her memory, to the Coalition for the Homeless of Nassau County, P.O. Box 16123, Fernandina Beach, FL 32035. Please indicate Gracie’s Kitchen on memo line of the check.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Beverly Allen Asbury died August 22, 2018, at age 89. He was born on Valentine's Day in 1929 in Elberton, Ga.
He married and became father to two daughters and a son and a stepfather to the daughter and son of his wife of 38 years, Vicky Hake Asbury. Their progeny includes 10 grandchildren who live all over the country.
Bev Asbury, an ordained Presbyterian minister, served for 30 years as the Vanderbilt University Chaplain, Adjunct Professor of Divinity, and Lecturer in Religious Studies.
He wanted to be remembered for his work for racial justice, for interfaith understanding and respect, and against acts of genocide.
Both modern thought and human atrocity left him skeptical of religious doctrines. In his lifelong study of ethical monotheism, he ceased to describe himself as Christian. He believed that, although Christianity's truth claims were false, its values of love, justice and morality were to be embraced and were to be found in the religious experiences of humans in other faiths.
He hoped to be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and an open-minded man committed to racial justice and respect for human beings.
William R. Brock, 83, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away December 22, 2017.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery
Roger Godwin, 58, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away at his home on Monday December 25, 2017.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Carolyn R. Hall, 76, of Callahan, Fla., passed away on Friday, December 22, 2017.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Eugene Randall Michaels, 71, of Yulee, Fla., passed away December 22, 2017.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery
Ralph James Natrillo Jr., 80, of Yulee, Fla., passed away December 24, 2017.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery
Jeanne Smith Robbins, 91, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away December 23, 2017.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery
Willie Mae Adkins, 93, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Thursday, August 23, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Mary Ethel Baffa, 94, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Wednesday, August 22, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Ann Kidd Hinson, 73, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Wednesday August 22, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Joseph Longo, 87, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Tuesday, August 21, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
William G. Beard Jr., 70, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Saturday, September 1, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
David E. Bunch, 71, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Friday, August 17, 2018. A Memorial Service, with military honors, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 8, 2018 at Five Points Baptist Church.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
William G. “Butch” Beard Jr., 70, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Saturday, September 1, 2018 at his residence.
Butch was born in Ruston, La. to the late William Grady and Eleanor Caswell Beard. His family moved to Beech Island, S.C. and Butch grew up playing football, working his parents’ farm and dating his high school sweetheart, Martha.
Butch received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1969. After graduation, he left to serve his country in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious service in a combat zone. Butch proudly completed Airborne and Ranger training and served in the 18th Airborne Corp. Butch attained the rank of captain and left the army in 1974.
After the Army, Butch and Martha moved to Greenwood, S.C. and started the family that they had always wanted. Eventually moving to Fort Mill, S.C., they raised their three children in a wonderful small town. It was here that Butch really found his love of business and began his life as a successful entrepreneur.
Butch and Martha moved to Amelia Island in 1999. They loved the island life and Butch decided to retire for the first time. It didn’t quite take but finally, he retired for the third time and spent his days doing his five favorite things: sailing, fishing, shag dancing, treasuring his grandchildren and loving Martha.
Butch was an amazing husband, proud father and faithful friend. He loved his family beyond measure and they all knew it.
He leaves behind his wife, Martha Beard of Amelia Island, Fla.; his children, Leslie (Brian) Bogstad of Charleston, S.C., Shelley (Greg) Cagle of Simpsonville, S.C., and Michael Beard of Tampa, Fla.; sisters, Cindy (Dave) Bullard of Seneca, S.C., and Jennifer (Tommy) Crain of Cross Anchor, S.C.; and grandchildren, Will Bogstad, Isabelle Bogstad, Eli Bogstad, Lawton Cagle and Jax Cagle.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 8, 2018 in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard Funeral Home. Following the service, a Celebration of Life will be held at the Kraft Athletic Club, 961023 Buccaneer Trail, Fernandina Beach.
The family asks donations be made, in Butch’s memory, to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Clyde Olester Benjamin, the son of the late Clyde and Mary Benjamin, was born December 19, 1954. After fighting a courageous battle, Clyde transitioned to his Heavenly home with the Lord on Saturday, September 1, 2018, at Community Hospice & Palliative Care’s Warner Center for Caring in Fernandina Beach, Fla. with his family at his bedside.
Clyde was employed with Fernandina Seafood for more than 40 years. He spent most of his time watching old Western movies and cheering for his favorite football teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys. His best times, however, were spent watching his grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mr. Benjamin will be 11 a.m. Saturday, September 8, 2018 at The River of Praise, 83410 St. Mark Drive, Yulee, Fla. Interment will take place in Elmore Wiley Cemetery, Sandhill, Fla. Visitation will take place between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, September 7, 2018 at the Huff & Battise Funeral Home, located at 410 Beech St. in Fernandina Beach, and between 9:30 a.m. and the hour of the service Saturday at the church.
Huff & Battise Funeral Home
Maria Bresciani Quinn, 45, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville after a valiant five-year battle with breast cancer.
She was born May 17, 1973 in New York City to the late Luigi Bresciani and Gloria Maria (Gonzalez) Bresciani.
Maria grew up in New York City and graduated from The Mary Louis Academy in 1991. After graduating, she received her associate’s degree in business from Berkeley College in NYC.
Her hard work and excellent work ethic propelled her to vice president of Retiree Benefits for Voya.
Maria met JP Quinn through mutual friends in 2002 and they hit it off immediately. They moved to Fernandina Beach together in 2004 when she accepted a promotion for her job with Citi Group. They married April 16, 2005. Maria and JP wished for a child more than anything. After many difficulties conceiving, Maria was ecstatic when her son, Jack, was born. She poured all her love and affection into him, even going so far as to bring him a fresh lunch to school every day.
Maria always put others before herself, whether it was caring for her family and friends or anyone who needed help. She always stayed positive and happy even when she was battling breast cancer. She was very outgoing and had many friends. She loved cooking and entertaining the one’s she loved. Maria and JP enjoyed traveling and going on cruises, seeing new places and meeting new people. Her life was full with the love of her family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her father, Luigi Bresciani, 2015.
She leaves behind her husband, JP Quinn, and her son, Jack Quinn, both of Fernandina Beach; her beloved sister, Catherine McCarthy and her husband, Richard, of New York City; brother, Tony Bresciani and his wife, Robin, of Houston, Texas; her mother, Gloria Bresciani of Fernandina Beach; her grandmother, Aminda Gonzalez of Fernandina Beach; and many beloved nieces and nephews, especially her namesake and goddaughter, Maria Anna.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, September 10, 2018 at St. Michael Catholic Church with Father Jose Kallukalam, Celebrant. The family will receive friends between 1 and 3 p.m. and 5 and 7 p.m. Sunday, September 9, 2018 with a Vigil beginning at 6 p.m. She will be laid to rest in Bosque Bello Cemetery.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard .com.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Stephen M. LaTorre, 75, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away Tuesday, September 4, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
Maria G. Quinn, 45, passed away Wednesday, September 5, 2018.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors
