Juanita S. Coleman
Juanita S. Coleman of Gainesville died Monday at her home after a long illness. She was 78.
Mrs. Coleman was a retired librarian.
Born in Ocala, she moved from Alachua to Gainesville 50 years ago.
She graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
Mrs. Coleman was a member of Visionaries, Alachua County Retired Teachers Association and Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son, Frank D. Coleman Jr. of Jacksonville; a sister, Wieda Marsh of Ocala; a brother, Emanuel Stewart of St. Petersburg; and two grandchildren.
Marvis Adolph Colson
CROSS CITY - Marvis Adolph Colson of Cross City died Tuesday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City. He was 80.
Mr. Colson was a retired heavy-equipment operator. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Gilchrist County, he lived most of his life in Cross City.
He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church of Trenton, Cross City Disabled American Veterans and Chiefland Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include a daughter, Clyda Gentry of Lakeland; two brothers, Johnny Colson of Fanning Springs and Elvin Colson of Suwannee; two sisters, Elizabeth Martin and Evelyn Mills, both of Cross City; one grandchild; and two great-grandchildren.
John Feaster Darby Sr.
John Feaster Darby Sr. of Gainesville died Wednesday in Gainesville. He was 82.
Mr. Darby was an administrative director at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida's research center in Sanford. He was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Orr Station, S.C., he moved from Sanford to Gainesville two months ago.
He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Florida and a doctoral in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin.
Mr. Darby was a member of First Methodist Church of Sanford and was a past president of Kiwanis in Sanford and was past chairman of Sanford Civil Service Board.
Survivors include his wife, Marjorie B. Darby of Gainesville; a daughter, Beth Darby of Gainesville; a son, John F. Darby Jr. of Ocala; a brother, Dr. W.E. Darby of Bartow; two sisters, Dilla Brandt of Wilmington, N.C., and Dorothy Braziel of Columbia, S.C.; and three grandchildren.
Joseph Kermet Davis Sr.
STARKE - Joseph Kermet Davis Sr. of Starke died Wednesday at his home after a short illness. He was 67.
Mr. Davis was a retired truck driver in Lancaster, Pa. He also served in the U.S. Navy.
Born in Gap, Pa., he moved from New Providence, Pa., to Starke eight years ago.
He was a member of Bible Baptist Church in Starke.
Mr. Davis was preceded in death by a daughter, Jo Ann Davis.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley Davis of Starke; four sons, Raymond L. Davis of Quarryville, Pa., Joseph K. Davis Jr. of Palmyra, Pa., Michael A. Davis of Columbia, Pa., and Mark O. Davis of Lancaster; a sister, Mary Jane Drumm of Quarryville; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Edythe M. Dvorscak
TRENTON - Edythe M. Dvorscak of Trenton died Monday at her home due to cancer. She was 69.
Mrs. Dvorscak was retired from banking.
Born in Bergen County, N.J., she moved from Hudson to Trenton 14 years ago.
She was a Presbyterian.
Survivors include her husband, Herbert Dvorscak of Trenton; two sons, James Dvorscak of Casco, Maine, and Lawrence Dvorscak of Crystal River; a sister, Dorothea Jurgens of New Jersey; a brother, Harry Earl Jr. of Massachusetts; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to First Presbyterian Church of Alachua.
Robbie Leavorn Epps Jr.
Robbie Leavorn Epps Jr. of Riverdale, Ga., died Monday in Riverdale after a brief illness. He was 31.
Mr. Epps was an employee at the U.S. Postal Service. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Born in Gainesville, he moved to Georgia three years ago. He was a 1986 graduate of Eastside High School, where he was a member of the football team.
He attended Macedonia A.M.E. Church in Atlanta.
Survivors include his wife, Felicia Lang Epps of Riverdale; two daughters, Kyaundrea Epps and Samantha Epps, both of Riverdale; a son, Robbie Epps III of Riverdale; his mother, Irma Green Epps of Gainesville; a sister, Irma E. Williams of Riverdale; his grandfather, Willie Green of Gainesville; a grandmother, Agnes Epps of Dunnellon; and his step-grandmother, Thyra Green of Gainesville.
Grady Lyle Jones
STEINHATCHEE - Grady Lyle Jones of Steinhatchee died Sunday from injuries received in an automobile accident. He was 18.
Mr. Jones was a rigger.
He was born in Perry and was a lifelong resident of the area.
Mr. Jones was a Baptist.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and boating.
Survivors include his mother, Evelyn Jones of Steinhatchee; three brothers, Kevin Jones of Steinhatchee, Paul Wilford Jones Jr. and Buck Jones, both of Bradenton; a sister, Paula Jones of Arkansas; and his maternal grandmother, Eileen Beck of Wichita, Kan.
Leon McCloud
Leon McCloud of Gainesville died Friday at his home after a short illness. He was 31.
Mr. McCloud was an environmental specialist.
He was a lifelong resident of Gainesville and a member of Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church. He attended Buchholz High School.
Survivors include his parents, Fletcher and Mary McCloud Sr. of Gainesville; two brothers, Mozell Toombs and Fletcher McCloud Jr., both of Gainesville, and three sisters, Vanessa McCloud, Kynette Booker and Carol Young, all of Gainesville.
Cary H. Mills
LIVE OAK - Cary H. Mills of Live Oak died Wednesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville after a short illness. He was 91.
Mr. Mills was a tool and die maker.
He was born in Suwannee County and lived in Los Angeles for about 35 years before moving to Live Oak 31 years ago.
Mr. Mills was a member of the Christian Science Faith.
Survivors include his wife, Minnie Eugene Mills of Live Oak; a son, Hugh Mills of Live Oak; a sister, Lillie Mae Boone of Live Oak; a brother, Earl Mills of Live Oak; and two grandchildren.
Nancy Mae Prevatt
STARKE - Nancy Mae Prevatt of Starke died Monday at her son's home in Starke. She was 79.
Mrs. Prevatt retired as a cottage supervisor from Tacachale.
She was a lifelong resident of Starke.
Mrs. Prevatt was a member of Pine Level Baptist Church of Starke.
Survivors include a daughter, Judy Cason of Starke; two sons, Tommie Cason and Ronald Cason, both of Starke; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Rudolph Olen Ritch
MORRISTON - Rudolph Olen Ritch of Morriston died Tuesday in Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville after a brief illness. He was 54.
Mr. Ritch was a farmer and rancher. He also retired as a master sergeant in the U.S. Army after serving in the Vietname War and receiving a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and other medals.
He was a lifelong resident of Morriston.
Mr. Ritch was a member of Levy and Marion Counties Mounted Posse and the Morriston Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Ritch of Morriston; a son, Wade Ritch of Gainesville; a stepson, John Aaron Stuckey of Fanning Springs; a stepdaughter, Melanie Ladenheim of Gainesville; his parents, N.R. and Wauna B. Ritch of Morriston; and a sister, Linda Williams of Williston.
Blair Gary Roberts
LAKE BUTLER - Blair Gary Roberts of Lake Butler died Wednesday at St. Joseph's Baptist Hospital in Tampa after a long illness. He was 38.
Mr. Roberts was a former correctional officer for Lawtey Correctional Institution. He also served in the Lake Butler City Council from 1992-96 and was the mayor of Lake Butler from 1993-95.
Born in Augusta, Ga., he moved to Lake Butler 22 years ago. He graduated from Union County High School.
He was past president of the Lake Butler Chamber of Commerce, served on the Board of Directors at the Suwannee River Economic Council of Lake Butler and the Union County 4-H.
Mr. Roberts was a member of First Christian Church and of the Masonic Lodge No. 52, both in Lake Butler.
Survivors include his wife, Rhonda L. Roberts of Lake Butler; his parents, Gary H. and Barbara A. Roberts of Lake Butler; a brother, Steven C. "Curtis" Roberts of Grapevine, Texas; his maternal grandmother, Emaline Dockery of Lake Butler; his maternal grandfather, Russell Yarbrough of Jacksonville; and his paternal grandfather, Leland R. Brallier of Lake Butler.
Estelle C. Hingson
DOWLING PARK - Estelle C. Hingson Rudd of Dowling Park died Wednesday at the Good Samaritan Center in Dowling Park after a long illness. She was 77.
Mrs. Rudd was a homemaker and a member of Wellborn Baptist Church.
She was a lifelong resident of Suwannee County.
Survivors include a daughter, Jean Andrews of Live Oak; four sons, Charles Hingson, Jimmy Hingson, Edward Hingson and Henry Hingson, all of Live Oak; 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Abraham Smith Jr.
Abraham Smith Jr. of Gainesville died Sunday due to injuries suffered in the same auto accident that killed his daughter, Danielle Smith. He was 42.
Mr. Smith was a sergeant at the Department of Corrections in Starke.
Born in Tallahassee, he moved to Gainesville several years ago.
Survivors include a son, Dakota Betterson of Starke; a daughter, Dalice Betterson of Starke; his mother, Viola Smith of Tallahassee; two brothers, Willie Lewis Smith of Tallahassee and Kenneth Smith of Albany, Ga.; six sisters, Beverly Pelsey of Atlanta, Daisy Smith, Gwen McGee, Belinda Green-Musawa and Edith Green, all of Tallahassee, and Diane Garrett of Havana.
