Joseph Thomas Kearns
Joseph Thomas Kearns of Gainesville died Thursday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 89.
Mr. Kearns was born in Stamford, Conn., and moved to Gainesville from Fort Lauderdale in 1964.
He was a school maintenance worker.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Mr. Kearns was a member of Holy Faith Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ida D. Kearns of Gainesville; a daughter, Lynn M. Neff of Clinton, Conn.; a son, John J. Kearns of Gainesville; and four grandchildren.
Betty Carolyn Lamb
Betty Carolyn Lamb died Thursday at her residence in Gainesville. She was 59.
Mrs. Lamb was born in Jenkins County, Ga., and moved to Gainesville 16 years ago.
She was a homemaker and a Methodist.
Survivors include her husband, Neal L. Lamb of Gainesville; two daughters, Cheryl Polan of Wadley, Ga., and Tamra Gaskin of Fort Hood, Texas; a son, Michael A. Lamb of Gainesville; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
John Allan Ronayne
John Allan Ronayne died Thursday at his residence in Gainesville. He was 70.
Mr. Ronayne was born in St. Paul, Minn., and moved to Gainesville from Marion County in 1995.
He was a manager of employee relations at Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. in Jacksonville.
He was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy "Duffy" Ronayne of Gainesville; two daughters, Denise Williams of Franklin, Ga., and Anne Yadon of Orange Park; two sons, Sean P. Ronayne of St. Louis and Kelly P. Ronayne of Alexandria, Va.; two sisters, Jean Madden of Pleasanton, Calif., and Joan Page of St. Paul; a brother, Howard Ronayne of St. Paul; and six grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Hospice of North Central Florida.
Ramona Yolanda Whiting
Ramona Yolanda Whiting of Gainesville died Dec. 21 at North Florida Regional Medical Center following a brief illness. She was 60.
Mrs. Whiting was born in Williston and moved to Gainesville in 1943.
She worked in administration at the University of Florida.
Survivors include a daughter, Frances Muzzey of Gainesville; a son, Terry Moss of Gainesville; her mother, Leola Faircloth Waters of Gainesville; her father, Cecil Osbon Waters of Gainesville; a sister, Elwanda Miller of Jacksonville; and a brother, Thomas Allen of New York.
James Cooke Brown
James Cooke Brown of San Diego, a former University of Florida professor, died Feb. 13 while traveling with his wife in Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. He was 78.
Dr. Brown taught in the sociology department at UF from 1955 to 1961. Among his various accomplishments, he invented the logical language Loglan and authored numerous books and articles including "The Emissary, " "The Troika Incident, " "Looking Backward" and "Equality."
He had recently completed a manuscript for his latest book, "From Job Markets to Labor Markets: Using Computers to Humanize Economics."
He served as a U.S. Army Air Force combat navigator in England from 1942 to 1943.
He received his doctorate in sociology and mathematical statistics from the University of Minnesota in 1952.
Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Anderson of San Diego; a daughter, Jenny Brown of Gainesville; a son, Jeff Brown of San Diego; and three grandchildren.
Margaret Bailes Cochran
Margaret Bailes Cochran died Monday at her residence in Gainesville. She was 89.
Mrs. Cochran was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and moved to Gainesville from Falls Church, Va., in 1998.
She was a member of the Falls Church Presbyterian Church and she attended First Presbyterian Church in Gainesville.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert S. Cochran Sr.
Survivors include a son, Robert S. Cochran Jr. of Gainesville; and two sisters, Beverly B. Hatcher and Jacquelyn B. Marcus, both of Gainesville.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the Sheltered Occupational Center in Arlington, Va., or to the First Presbyterian Church Building Fund.
Robert Samuel Cowen
Robert Samuel Cowen died Wednesday at his residence in Gainesville. He was 84.
Mr. Cowen was born in Cleveland and moved to Gainesville from Los Angeles in 1995.
He was a health inspector for the Los Angeles County Health Department.
Survivors include a niece, Nancy Cowen Pollock of Gainesville; and a nephew, Barry Cowen of Santa Crus, Calif.
Margery Dannette Douglas
HAWTHORNE -- Margery Dannette Douglas, a lifelong resident of Hawthorne, died Thursday at her residence in Hawthorne. She was 33.
Ms. Douglas was a learning disabilities teacher at Ochwilla Elementary School in Putnam County.
She graduated from Eastside High School in 1984 and later attended Florida Memorial College in Miami and the University of Florida. She graduated from Santa Fe Community College in 1993 and from Bethune-Cookman College, cum laude, in special education in 1999.
She was the secretary for the board of directors of the Focus on Leadership Organization, the co-chairwoman for Women on the Rise and she was a member of Bethune-Cookman Alumni Association. She was also a member of Alpha Sigma Lambda academic honor society and Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity.
She was a member of the New Hope United Methodist Church in Hawthorne, where she served as choir director, Youth Sunday School teacher, chairwoman of the Education Committee and the church's announcer.
Survivors include her father and stepmother, Nathaniel Douglas and Altamese Douglas of Brooker; three brothers, Darryl Starke and Dolan Douglas, both of Miami and Allen Starke of Gainesville; two stepsisters, Vanessa Norris of Brooker and Charisse Bagley of Orlando; three stepbrothers, Gregory Walker of Oklahoma City, Stephen Walker of Brooker and Evans Cobb of Miami; her grandmother, Susie Peterson of Fort Lauderdale; and her grandfather, Robert Johnson of Daytona Beach.
Curtis Cleveland Gilley
BRANFORD -- Curtis Cleveland Gilley died Monday at his residence in Branford. He was 92.
Mr. Gilley was born in Yankeetown and moved to Branford six years ago.
He was a commercial fisherman and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Cross City.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Gilley of Branford; two daughters, Mildred Cheek of Cross City and Ester Mae Gooding of Ellabell, Ga.; seven sons, Walter Gilley and Kenny Gilley, both of Sparr, Dennis Thomas of High Springs, Ellis Gilley of Brooklet, Ga., Wayne Gilley of Homosassa, Thomas Gilley of Branford and Gene Thomas of Texas; two sisters, Mattie Johnson of Old Town and Mary Ingram of San Antonio; 22 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
G. Tyler Rowe
G. Tyler Rowe of Gainesville died of a heart attack Tuesday at Shands at AGH. He was 34.
Mr. Rowe was was a A.S.E. certified mechanic at Terry's Automotive of Gainesville.
After graduating from Buchholz High School, he lived in Tampa for several years before returning to Gainesville in 1992.
He was a co-founder of the Not Quite Right Bros Off-Road Club of Ocala and Tampa.
Survivors include his wife, Trish Rowe of Gainesville; his mother and stepfather, Patricia W. Rowe and T.C. Little of Gainesville; his father, George H. Rowe Jr. of Gainesville; and his grandmother, Clara P. Woolley of DeLand.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the American Heart Association.
Cornelius F. Schlitt
Cornelius F. Schlitt died Feb. 17 at his residence in Gainesville. He lived in three centuries, reaching the age of 101.
Mr. Schlitt was born in Clover Bottom, Mo., and moved to Gainesville from Vero Beach in 1989. He was a former resident of the Village Retirement Center.
He was an entrepreneur.
"During the Great Depression when work was hard to find he dug up palmettos for 25 cents a bush, " said his daughter, Dorothy Bennett.
Into his 90s, he enjoyed singing, daily exercise, playing Frisbee and even running. "He won first place in the Memory Walk when he was about 94, " she said.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, 4th degree, and the Holy Faith Catholic Church.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Mary Cecilia Baumker Schlitt.
Survivors include three daughters, Rose Ann Schlitt of the Dominican Republic, Dorothy W. Bennett of Gainesville and Catherine M. Brownell of Kingsport, Tenn.; two sons, Fred C. Schlitt of Atlanta and Raymond J. Schlitt of Shalimar; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
