W. Lamar Rodgers
BELL - W. Lamar Rodgers of Bell died Tuesday at his home. He was 68.
Mr. Rodgers was an insurance manager and agent with Wilson Life Insurance in Lake City and Gulf Life. He also served in the U.S. Army.
Born in Bell, he moved from Oviedo back to Bell 15 years ago.
Mr. Rodgers was a Baptist.
He enjoyed playing guitar, singing, hunting and fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Vivian Rodgers of Bell; a daughter, Marla Michaels of Terre Haute, Ind.; two sisters, Irene Smith of Chiefland and Pauline French of Bell; and two grandsons.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Hospice House of North Central Florida in Gainesville.
Ellestine Ross Sr.
Ellestine Ross Sr. of Monteocha died Saturday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City after a long illness. He was 82.
Mr. Ross was a retired custodian and a member of the Greater Bell United Methodist Church.
He was born in Brooker and was a lifelong resident of the area.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ross of Monteocha; a son, Ellestine Ross Jr. of Brooker; a daughter, Carolyn Sinclair of Gainesville; two brothers, Anthony Ross of Gainesville and Johnnie Ross of Brooker; three stepsons, Aaron Wilson and Henry Wilson, both of Monteocha, and Eddie Wilson of Gainesville; three stepdaughters, Evelyn Goodson of Jacksonville, Mary Waters of Lawrenceville, N.J., and Gloria Trotman of Monteocha; three grandchildren; 14 step-grandchildren; and 20 step-great-grandchildren.
Phyllis Pauline Samples
Phyllis Pauline Samples of Gainesville died Tuesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. She was 82.
Mrs. Samples was retired from J.C. Penney Co. ladies' department.
She was born in Clendenin, W.Va., and moved from Charleston, W.Va., to Gainesville 40 years ago.
Mrs. Samples was a member of the Westside Baptist Church and the church's Guiding Light Sunday school class.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Samples.
Survivors include two daughters, Carolyn Thoburn and Nancy McGuigan, both of Gainesville; a brother, Robert Walker of Clendenin; a sister, Dorcas Gilmour of Charleston; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Elsie Mae Scruggs
JACKSONVILLE - Elsie Mae Scruggs of Jacksonville died Tuesday in Jacksonville.
She was 91.
Mrs. Scruggs was a retired clerk for the U.S. Postal Service.
She was born in Chiefland and moved from Chiefland to Jacksonville six years ago.
Mrs. Scruggs was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the First United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Womens' Circle, all in Chiefland.
Survivors include a daughter, Martha Scruggs Clark of Jacksonville; two sons, Samuel S. Scruggs of Belle Glade and George A. Scruggs of Fort Walton Beach; two sisters, Mary Lou Rowe of Pensacola and Amelia Kelly of Jacksonville; a brother, Glenwood G. Williams of Jacksonville; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
Dorothy Mae Smith
ALACHUA - Dorothy Mae Smith of Alachua died Jan. 11 at Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville after a short illness. She was 70.
Mrs. Smith was a homemaker and a lifelong resident of Alachua.
She was a member of the Paradise United Methodist Church, where she was a choir member, assistant church secretary and a member of the finance, outreach and evangelism committees.
Survivors include a son, Ronnie Smith of Alachua; three daughters, Charlotte McClain, Elaine Green and Phoebe Jones, all of Alachua; a stepdaughter, Rosa Robinson of Alachua; two sisters, Pearlie Mae Johnson of Fort Myers and Margaret Thompson of Orlando; a brother, Lee Johnson of Philadelphia; 12 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Paul Campbell Swink Jr.
STUART - Paul Campbell Swink Jr. of Stuart died Monday at Martin Memorial Medical Center in Stuart. He was 78.
Mr. Swink was formerly employed by the State of Florida Legislative Research Bureau and the Board of Regents, later working for P.F.S. Investments services in Vero Beach. He also served on the Florida Atlantic University development committee.
Born in Evinston, he lived in Gainesville for 15 years before moving to Stuart three years ago. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Later he attended the University of Florida and receiving his master's of business administration from Florida State University.
Mr. Swink was a member of the Stuart/Martin Chamber of Commerce, the Glider Pilots Association and the Retired Officers Association of America. He enjoyed golfing.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy W. Swink.
Survivors include two sons, Paul C. Swink III of San Francisco and James W. Swink of Dallas, Ga.; two daughters, Suzanne S. Hutcheson of Palm City and Jan E. Swink of Stuart; and eight grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Tri-County Training Employment Community in Stuart or to Hibiscus Children's Center in Jensen Beach.
David Simmons Terrell
HAWTHORNE - David Simmons Terrell of Hawthorne died Tuesday at his home after a long illness. He was 61.
Mr. Terrell was employed by a painting and body shop in Gainesville.
He was a lifelong resident of the area.
Mr. Terrell enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Cynthia Terrell of Hawthorne; two sons, Steven M. Terrell of Marion, Ill., and David S. Terrell Jr. of Atlanta; a stepdaughter, Heather Marie Pfalzgraf of Hawthorne; a brother, Bill Terrell of Spring Hill; a sister, Alyce Patterson of Hawthorne; and four grandchildren.
David Thompson
CHIEFLAND - David Thompson of Chiefland died Jan. 13 at his daughter's home in Atlanta. He was 79.
Mr. Thompson was a retired mechanic.
He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He was a lifelong resident of Chiefland.
Mr. Thompson was a Baptist.
He was preceded in death by a son, Oliver Thompson.
Survivors include seven sons, Willie Thompson, William Dennis and Davis Thompson Jr., all of Chiefland, Leonard Thompson and Eugene Thompson, both of Gainesville, McArthur Thompson and Vance Thompson, both of Alabama; four daughters, Diane White, Juanita Richards, both of North Carolina, dk city Wanda Faye West of Atlanta and Brenda Faye Thompson of Chiefland; a brother, Mio Thompson of Chiefland; a sister, Susie Bowers of Chiefland; 29 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Willie Earl Williams
Willie Earl Williams of Gainesville died Saturday at North Florida Regional Medical Center after a long illness.
He was 79.
Mr. Williams was a retired plasterer.
He was a lifelong resident of the Jonesville area.
Mr. Williams was a member of the Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, where he served on the Finance Committee, Steward Board, Trustee Committee and the United Methodist Men.
Survivors include his wife, Ethel Williams of Gainesville; three sons, Willie Earl Williams Jr. of Neschanic, N.J., and Rickey E. Williams of Germantown, Md., and Sylvester Porter of Jacksonville; a daughter, M. Lashaun Norfleet of Atlanta; two sisters, Helen W. Johnson and Theresa Williams, both of Jonesville; and four grandchildren.
Edna Mae Alexander
HAWTHORNE - Edna Mae Alexander of Hawthorne died Saturday at North Florida Specialty Care Center in Gainesville after a brief illness. She was 73.
Mrs. Alexander was a retired cafeteria manager for Shell Elementary School.
Born in Lochloosa, she was a lifelong resident of the area.
She received a bachelor's degree from Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach.
Mrs. Alexander was a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Hawthorne.
Survivors include a daughter, Deborah A. Smith of Gainesville; and three grandchildren.
