Frances Rebecca Lacy
LAKE CITY -- Frances Rebecca Lacy of Lake City died Monday at her home after a long illness. She was 77.
Ms. Lacy retired as a licensed practical nurse from North Broward Hospital District.
Born in Albany, Ky., she moved to Lake City 10 years ago. She received her degree from nursing schools in Kentucky and Ohio.
She was a member of Parkview Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sisters, Josephine Jackson of Bowling Green, Ky., and Nelotine Smith of Gaylord, Mich.; five nieces; and two nephews.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Parkview Baptist Church or Hospice of North Central Florida.
Raymond Carl Langlas
Raymond Carl Langlas of Gainesville died Sunday at his home. He was 87.
Mr. Langlas was a retired contract specialist for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville. He also served in the Army Air Forces during World War II.
Born in Waukesha, Wis., he moved from Ann Arbor, Mich., to Gainesville 30 years ago.
He enjoyed bowling and golfing.
Mr. Langlas was preceded in death by a son, Donald Langlas.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth J. Langlas of Gainesville; and a daughter, Donna R. Green of Delaware, Ohio.
Sheila Elizabeth Merkison McElveen
WALDO -- Sheila Elizabeth Merkison McElveen of Waldo died Sunday at her sister's home in Worthington Springs after a long illness. She was 52.
Mrs. McElveen was a former dental assistant and owner of the former Sheila's Shack in Waldo.
Born in Fargo, N.D., she lived in Florida most of her life before moving to Waldo last year.
She was a Protestant.
Survivors include her husband, Thomas McElveen of Waldo; a daughter, JoHannah Brown Chavis of Florence, S.C.; two sons, James Batten II of Jacksonville and John Batten of Hastings; her mother, Sibyl C. Dix of Lake Butler; two sisters, Jean Harden of Worthington Springs and Marsha Price of Lake Butler; and five grand-children.
William Howard Pittman
William Howard Pittman of Gainesville died Friday in Gainesville. He was 56.
Mr. Pittman was an attorney.
Born in Shelbyville, Ind., he moved from Ocala to Gainesville 10 years ago.
He was a member of The Alaska Bar.
Mr. Pittman was a Protestant.
Survivors include a brother, Robert K. Pittman of San Jose, Calif.; a sister, Sandra L. Lawson of Ocala; three nieces; and three nephews.
Ina Pauline Mitchell
ARCHER -- Ina Pauline Mitchell of Archer died Friday in Archer in her daughter's home. She was 94.
Mrs. Mitchell was born in Lincoln, Neb., and moved to Archer from Keokuk, Iowa, 12 years ago. She was a farmer and Protestant who enjoyed reading, cooking and crocheting.
Mrs. Mitchell was preceded in death by a daughter, Rose-Ina Rotter.
Survivors include two daughters, Maxine Wenrich of Orange County, Calif., and Diana Hoyt of Archer; two sons, Gene Mitchell of Fredonia, Ariz., and Bruce Mitchell of Belleview, Ark.; 10 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Aletha H. Skrocki
Aletha H. Skrocki of Gainesville died Saturday in Gainesville. She was 88.
Mrs. Skrocki was born in Frankentrost, Mich., and moved to Gainesville from Saginaw, Mich., six years ago. She was co-owner of the Camera Center in Saginaw and was Lutheran.
Mrs. Skrocki was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Skrocki.
Survivors include one daughter, Mary A. White of Gainesville; one brother, George Bluemlein of Michigan; and two grandchildren.
Katherine Lucille "Katie" Wasner
Katherine Lucille "Katie" Wasner of Gainesville died Friday in a traffic accident. She was 24.
Ms. Wasner was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and moved to Gainesville from Wisconsin in April 1996. She was a music therapy student at Santa Fe Community College. Ms. Wasner graduated from St. Francis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, and earned an associate in arts degree from Sterling College in Vermont.
She was an active volunteer in music therapy at Shands at the University of Florida and Shands at AGH.
Survivors include her parents, Winfried and Joanne Wasner of Jonesboro, Ga.; two sisters, Erika Wasner of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and Christine Wasner of Jonesboro; one brother, Tom Wasner of Jonesboro; and maternal grandparents John and Lucille Coughlin of Gainesville.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, 4300 SW 13th St., Gainesville, FL 32608.
Betty Faye Dorris
Betty Faye Dorris of Johnson died Friday at her home after a long illness. She was 70.
Mrs. Dorris was a retired receptionist at Gates City Carpet in Gainesville. She later volunteered for hospitals in Palatka and St. Augustine.
Born in Ripley, W. Va., she moved 21 years ago from Valdosta, Ga., to Johnson.
Mrs. Dorris was a member of the Woodlawn Baptist Church in Johnson.
Survivors include her husband, James Leonard Dorris of Johnson; two sons, David Earl Dorris of Jacksonville and James Lee Dorris of Satsuma; four sisters, Blanche Bates of Tampa, Brenda Salisbury of Gallipolis, Ohio; Emma Murry and Winnie Debalski, both of Sandyville, W. Va.; eight brothers, Francis Walters of Lyman, S.C.; Charles Lee Walters of Holly Hill, S.C., Wayne Douglas Walters of Acworth, Ga; and William Walters, George Walters, Joe Walters, Bob Walters and Clyde Walters, all of Ripley; six grandchildren and three great- grandchildren.
Dr. G.S. Maddala
Dr. G. S. Maddala of Gainesville, a former University of Florida economics professor, died Friday at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He was 66.
Dr. Maddala, the University Eminent Scholar in the Department of Economics at Ohio State University, was an internationally recognized expert in the field of econometrics, the use of mathematical and statistical methods to verify and develop economic theories.
He edited many scholarly journals, including Econometrica and the Journal of Econometrics. He also authored several books and research papers on the topic. In addition, he was a Fellow of the Econometrics Society.
Born in India, he later moved to Chicago, where he earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago under the Fulbright Scholarship. He later was a Graduate Research Professor of Economics at UF from 1975 until 1993. He also taught at the California Institute of Technology, and Yale, Rochester and Stanford universities.
Survivors include his wife, Kameswari "Kay" Maddala of Gainesville; a daughter, Tara Maddala of Houston; a son, Vivek Maddala of San Francisco; and two sisters.
Memorials may be made to the Central Ohio Diabetes Association, 1580 King Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43212.
Mary Jane Scarritt
Mary Jane Scarritt of Winter Haven died Friday at her home after a long illness.
She was 64.
Mrs. Scarritt was a homemaker.
Born in Marianna, she lived in Gainesville for 25 years. She moved from Pensacola to Winter Haven five years ago.
She was a Baptist.
Mrs. Scarritt was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Scarritt.
Survivors include her mother, Mary Lee Davis of Gainesville; one daughter, Dr. Pat Fearling of Winter Haven; two brothers, Orion Davis of Gainesville and Clay Davis of Waldo; one sister, Ada Nelson of Earlton; and two grandchildren.
Gerald H. Opper
Gerald H. Opper of Gainesville died Friday at Shands at AGH after a long illness.
He was 59.
Mr. Opper was the owner of Opper Masonry. He also served in the U.S. Army.
Born In Cincinnati, he moved from Columbus, Ohio, to Gainesville 35 years ago.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Opper of Gainesville; a son Larry Opper of High Springs; three daughters, Tonia Tipton of Gainesville, Lori Opper of Grand Ridge and LaVerne Tyus of Sneads; and four grandchildren.
Adelaide Howard Ford
Adelaide Howard Ford of Gainesville died Thursday at Shands at AGH. She was 86.
Mrs. Ford was a retired elementary school teacher in Alachua County. She received Alachua County School Board's Teacher of the Year Award in 1973.
Born in Ackerman, Miss., she moved from Bartow to Gainesville 48 years ago.
She was a member of First Baptist Church, Shands at AGH Auxiliary, Daughters of the American Revolution, and United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Ford was preceded in death by her husband, Bennett R. Ford.
Survivors include a daughter, Cherry Ford May of Gainesville; a son, Bennett R. Ford Jr. of Titusville; a sister, Arlene Howard French of Hot Springs, Ark.; and three grandchildren.
