Evelyn Rose Beisler
Evelyn R. Beisler, 85, a resident of Destin for the past 13 years, died peacefully in her sleep May 20, surrounded by her loving family, after a short illness.
Evelyn was previously from Middletown, N.Y., and was preceded in death by her adoring husband, Walter J. Beisler.
She was a parishioner at Corpus Christi Catholic Church and loved to read, play Bingo and watch classic movies. Evelyn was a homemaker and devoted her life to her husband and children. She will be deeply missed by all her family.
Survivors include children and their spouses, Larry and Barbara Gaskins, Walter Beisler Jr., Louise Enright, Jean Beisler and Janet and Michael Kelly; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and cousins, nieces and nephews.
The family received friends May 23 at Emerald Coast Funeral Home.
A Mass of the Christian burial was held May 24 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Destin, celebrated by the Rev. Robert Morris, pastor. Interment followed in Beal Memorial Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home in Fort Walton Beach was in charge of arrangements.
Cynthia LeeAnn Taylor
Cynthia LeeAnn Taylor, daughter and stepdaughter of Phillip and Norma Calhoun of Destin, died May 19.
Cindy was a loving mother to Alec and Matthew, and wife of Mike Taylor, all of Canton, Ga.
Cindy will be missed by her sister, Dolly, and nephews, John and Arden, along with her niece, Katie, also of Canton.
Services will be conducted by Huey Funeral Home of Canton.
Thelma W. Davis
Thelma W. Davis, 66, of DeFuniak Springs, died May 18 in DeFuniak Springs.
Thelma was born on Aug. 1, 1935, in Harold, Fla., to Lewis and Lizzie Wilkerson Wilson. She had lived in DeFuniak Springs for five years after moving from Fort Walton Beach. Thelma is Assembly of God by faith.
She loved to play Bingo and in past years drove the bus for the Choctawhatchee High School Volleyball team. Thelma was known as their biggest fan! She drove a school bus for the Okaloosa County School District for 41 years, as well as for the Walton County School District for three years.
Thelma was preceded in death by her husband, Dewey Davis, and parents, Lewis and Lizzie Wilson.
She is survived by three sons, Thomas Gene Davis of DeFuniak Springs, Kenny Davis and wife, Kathy, of DeFuniak Springs, Jerry Lee Davis of DeFuniak Springs; a daughter, Ava Diane Bryant of DeFuniak Springs; and eight grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted May 22 at Beal Memorial Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach, with the Rev. Joel Glenn officiating.
Clary-Godwin and Commander Funeral Homes was entrusted with arrangements.
Jacob R. Sermino
Jacob Richard Sermino, 17, of DeFuniak Springs, died as the result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident May 21.
He was born on March 27, 1985, in Los Angeles, the son of Richard and Cheryl Ann Frizzell Sermino.
Survivors include his parents, Cheryl and Richard Sermino of DeFuniak Springs; maternal grandparents, Shirley and Mike Lasko of Melbourne, Fla.; brother, Michael Sermino; and sister, Monique Sermino, both of DeFuniak Springs. Jacob is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and his girlfriend, Aften Ogilvie.
A time of visitation was May 23 in the chapel of Jerry Evans Funeral Home. A memorial service was scheduled for May 24 at Cornerstone Church with Pastor Doyle Redwine officiating.
Jerry Evans Funeral Home was entrusted with arrangements.
Wallace C. Cosson
Wallace C. Cosson, 72, of DeFuniak Springs, died May 15 in a local hospital.
Cosson was born in Walton County on Dec. 6, 1928, to the late Walter and Jewel Kelley Cosson. He was a retied U.S. Navy master chief storekeeper with 32 years of active service and was a lifelong resident of Walton County, except for his naval career.
Cosson was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, DeFuniak Springs Ward. He loved researching genealogy, but his true passion was his family, especially his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Wilbur Cosson.
Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Marjorie Cosson of DeFuniak Springs; his “Mom,” Julia Cosson of DeFuniak Springs; daughter, Dianne Coates, and husband, Don, of Tifton, Ga.; his daughter’s children, Lori Coates, Kristi Day and husband, Mike, Brad Coates and April Coates; son, Walter Cosson, and wife, Janice; his son’s children, Kim Anderson, and husband, Anthony, Kevin Gillis, Shannon Cosson, Aaron Cosson, Dustin Cosson and Jason Cosson; great-great-grandson, Caleb Anderson; brothers Carl Cosson, Jeff Cosson, Lewis Cosson and Billy Joe Cosson; and sisters, Faye Lawrence, Jewel Hughes, Lenora Van Dyke and Louise Byram.
The family received friends on Friday at Clary-Godwin Chapel.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. today at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in DeFuniak Springs with Bishop Jason Cobb officiating. Burial, with full military honors, will follow in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery of Walton County.
Honorary pallbearers are Harry Cosson, Harold Cosson, Jim Cosson, Frank Cosson, Thomas Cosson, Bruce Cosson, Wiley Cosson, Douglas Cosson, H.D. Cosson, Kelly Carter, Donnie Richardson, Andy Howard, Eddie Ray Linton and Kozar Phan.
Floral contributions will be accepted.
Clary-Godwin and Commander Funeral Homes is entrusted with arrangements.
Charles A. Kenyon Jr.
Retired Lt. Col. Charles Arthur Kenyon Jr., 71, of Sterling, Va., died May 15 at Loudoun Hospital Center.
He was born in Swansea, Mass., on Dec. 25, 1930, and was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Kenyon was a member of Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, Friends of Claude Moore Park and the Air Commando Association.
Visitation took place at the funeral home May 17. Services will be today, to be followed on June 12 by graveside services in Arlington National Cemetery. Chaplain Charles Grant will officiate.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad, Sterling, Va. 20164; Sterling Volunteer Fire Department, Sterling, Va. 20164; Senior Center at Cascades; or Loudoun Hospital Center, 44045 Riverview Pkwy., Lansdowne, Va. 20176.
Survivors include his son, Douglas Kenyon of York County, Va.; daughters, Lisa Dessoffy of Newport News, Va., Mary Kenyon and Joy Robbins, both of Destin, and Grace Whitehead of Williamsburg, Va.; brothers, Lloyd Kenyon of Swansea, Mass., Arthur Kenyon of Attleboro, Mass., Russell Kenyon of Minnesota, Donald Kenyon of Mississippi, Elmer Gagne of Fall River, Mass., and Geoffrey Haworth of Fairhaven, Mass.; sisters, Joan Engberg of Nashua, N.H., Eleanor Ingalls of Winter Robbins, Ga., and Eunice Reed of Nashua, N.H.; his former wife, Betty Kenyon; and eight grandchildren.
Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg, Va., is in charge of arrangements.
Thomas Reilly
Thomas Reilly, 35, of Destin, died May 14.
On April 24, 1967, at Madigan Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., an outstanding person was born to grace our presence. Tom Reilly has astoundingly changed every life he has touched. Raised in Washington, Tom lived in Destin for the last 11 years.
He will be greatly missed by his best friends and hundreds of acquaintances he has touched along the way. Tom graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he was president of his fraternity, Sigma Phi.
Tom is survived by his partner in life, Randall Kitto of Destin; mother, Sheila Mary Reilly; father, Thomas William Reilly; sisters, Anna Marie and Mary Elizabeth, all of Tacoma; his grandmother, Una Weber of North Bend, Wash.; and dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins, all who love him very much.
A memorial service in memory of Tom will be held from 6-9 p.m., Monday at Kangaroo Jacks in Destin.
Donations may be made to Randall Kitto, 119 Jamestown Ave., Fort Walton Beach, Fla. 32547.
Vivian B. Vaughn
Vivian B. Vaughn, 78, a Destin resident for the past 43 years, died peacefully at her home after an extended illness.
She was a charter member of Village Baptist Church and the Destin Lioness Club.
Vivian was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who loved her family and friends.
She is survived by her husband of 59 years, James “Jimmy” Vaughn; three daughters and sons-in-law, Linda and Mark Yeast of Cameno Island, Wash., Beverly Lutz of Fort Walton Beach, Claudia and Tony Jackson of Fort Walton Beach; seven grandchildren and their spouses, Ken and Tammy Yeast of Westminster, Calif., Angie and Richard Fancher of Lakewood, Colo., Sandy Lutz Kimbrell of Fort Walton Beach, Joanna and Rodney Elkins of Sandestin, David Yeast of Seattle, Jill and Damian Whitfield of Fort Walton Beach and Jeremy Peaden of Fort Walton Beach; eight great-grandchildren; her sister, Nadene Blanton of Lake Panasoffkee, Fla.; numerous nieces and nephews; and her close friend, Nancy Russell of Destin.
Funeral services were scheduled for Friday at Village Baptist Church with the Rev. Steven Davies officiating. Burial was to follow in Destin Cemetery.
Friends who wish may contribute to the American Cancer Society or to the building fund of Village Baptist Church, in Vivian’s memory.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home in Fort Walton Beach was in charge of arrangements.
Ronda R. Herrington
Ronda Ranae Herrington, 46, of Santa Rosa Beach, died May 13.
Ranae was born in Winter Haven on June 13, 1955, to Edward F. and Joan Feagin Reynolds. She moved to Santa Rosa Beach seven years ago from Lake Park, Ga. Ranae is Baptist by faith and a member of Cross Point Church.
She enjoyed spending time with family and friends and was devoted to her church. She also had an adventurous personality. She enjoyed life and was loved by all who met her. Ranae never met a stranger.
Herrington is survived by her mother, Joan Reynolds of Jennings, Fla.; husband, Doug Herrington of Santa Rosa Beach; two sons and two daughters, Christina Smith, and husband, Branden, of Smyrna, Ga., Dawn McDaniel of Santa Rosa Beach, Randall McDaniel of Pensacola, and Jesse McDaniel of Santa Rosa Beach; brother, Tom Reynolds of Jennings; sister, Wanda Wolfe of Santa Rosa Beach; and grandchildren, Dylan McDaniel, Sarah Smith, Alexandria McDaniel and Jacob Smith.
Services were scheduled for May 18 at Cross Point Church of Santa Rosa Beach with the Rev. David Keys officiating. Burial was to follow in Gulf Cemetery.
Pallbearers were to be Adam Reynolds, Christopher Reynolds, Paul Wolfe, Michael Wolfe, Tom Reynolds and Randall McDaniel.
Clary-Godwin and Comander Funeral Homes was entrusted with arrangements.
