Ellen Keen Curtis
Ellen Keen Curtis of Gainesville died Tuesday at her residence. She was 82.
Born in Lakeland, she moved to Gainesville from Tallahassee in 1942.
She was a cashier and later a cashier supervisor for Alachua General Hospital, having worked there for 41 years.
She also worked at the information desk, and the admitting and business offices.
Ms. Curtis participated in walk-a-thons from age 77 to 80 with her daughter.
She was an avid supporter of Civitan, donating more than 10 gallons of blood over the years.
She was a member of First Baptist Church of Gainesville.
She is survived by her son, Col. (Ret.) Myron "Fred" Curtis of Huntsville, Ala.; two brothers, Albert Keen and Robert Keen, both of Lakeland; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of donations to Hospice of North Central Florida or the American Cancer Society.
Denard Davis DeBruhl
TRENTON -- Denard Davis DeBruhl of Trenton died Tuesday in Keystone Heights. He was 41.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, he moved to Trenton from Newberry five years ago.
He worked as a construction foreman.
Mr. DeBruhl is survived by his wife, Marina DeBruhl of Trenton; his mother, Dottie DeBruhl of Keystone Heights; and a brother, Joseph DeBruhl of Davie.
Edward J. Geiser
Edward J. Geiser died Wednesday at his residence in Gainesville. He was 91.
Mr. Geiser was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Gainesville in 1990.
He was a retired chief of outpatient services at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Cincinnati and a member of Holy Faith Catholic Church.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mathilda Michel Geiser.
He graduated from Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Survivors include a son, Edward A. Geiser of Gainesville; two brothers, Frank Geiser of DeLand and Albert Geiser of Cincinnati; and five grandchildren.
Eddie Gibson
RALEIGH -- Eddie Gibson of Raleigh died Sunday at his home after an extended illness. He was 79.
Born in Tampa, he moved to Raleigh 52 years ago.
Mr. Gibson worked with the Alachua County roads department.
He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served in World War II.
He attended Nolan Baptist Church.
Mr. Gibson is survived by is wife, Willie Mae Gibson of Raleigh; two sons, Eddie Gibson Jr. of Las Vegas and Lawrence Gibson of Gainesville; two daughters, Elizabeth Graham of Gainesville and Sandra Gibson of Williston; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Jessie James Harris
Jessie James Harris of Gainesville died Friday at Shands at AGH of natural causes. He was 49.
Born in Perry, Mr. Harris lived in Gainesville. He worked at Cross City Verneer Saw Mill.
He attended the Holiness church.
Mr. Harris is survived by six sisters, Leslie B. Davis of Vero Beach, Ethel Mae Carter of Miami, Mable Green and Pearly Mae Bowers, both of Gainesville, Ida Mae Washington of Dunnellon and Joyce Days of Williston; and three brothers, Charles E. Johnson of Fort Lauderdale, Willie J. Cowes of New Jersey and Billie Robinson of Gainesville.
Willie James Joe
Willie James Joe of Gainesville died July 12 after an extended illness at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville. He was 78.
Born in Trenton, he moved to Gainesville from Volusia County 41 years ago.
He was a retired truck driver and co-owner of Gator Cab Co.
Mr. Joe was a U.S. Army veteran and served in World War II.
He attended St. Paul Baptist Church, where he was a deacon.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Joe of Gainesville, two sons, Willie J. Joe Jr. of Tacoma, Wash., and Darnell Joe of Tavares; five daughters, Sharon Joe-King and Mattie R. Joe, both of Gainesville, Sarah Joe-Young of Jacksonville and Elizabeth Joe and Emma L. Joe, both of Tavares; his stepmother, Helen James of Osteen; two sisters, Emma Lee Alexander of Osteen and Essie M. Smiley of Wilmington, Del.; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Myrtle Clara Keeling
CROSS CITY -- Myrtle Clara Keeling of Cross City died Tuesday after an extended illness. She was 80.
Mrs. Keeling was a lifelong resident of Cross City. She was a homemaker and mother of two sons.
Mrs. Keeling was a member of the First Baptist Church of Cross City.
David Kruse
TALLAHASSEE -- David Kruse of Tallahassee died of a heart attack Sunday while fishing in Tallahassee. He was 43.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, he moved to Tallahassee four years ago.
He was a roofer.
He attended a Pentecostal church.
Mr. Kruse is survived by his fiancee, Carla Tripp of Tallahassee; his stepmother and stepfather, Clora and Andrew Heermance of Williston; his mother, Gloria Pineda; a daughter, Kayla Kruse of Tallahassee; three brothers, Lawrence Meuse of Greenville, Ky., Terry Porter of Williston and Ronnie Kruse of Tamarac; and four sisters, Sally Guando of Fort Lauderdale, Janie Gollis of New Port, Tenn., Geneva Goehl of Tamarac and Teresa Fikaris of Long Island, N.Y.
Irvin William Lee
ALACHUA -- Irvin William Lee of Alachua died Tuesday in Trenton after a short illness. He was 85.
Born in McAlpin, Mr. Lee moved to Alachua from Live Oak in 1961.
He worked as a truck driver. He was a Baptist.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia Bell Lee of Alachua; five sons, Darrow Lee, C.W. Lee, Walker Lee, Haywood Lee and David McDonald, all of Newberry; three daughters, Barbara Adams of Waldo, Martha D. Varnum of Alachua and Edith Bass of LaCrosse; three brothers, Hubert Lee, Leo Lee and Roscoe Lee, all of Live Oak; two sisters, Eunice Raulerson of Live Oak and Oliva Tillman of Jacksonville; 24 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Wendell Keith Roberts
WILLISTON -- Wendell Keith Roberts of Williston died Tuesday in Gainesville of a pulmonary embolism. He was 44.
Mr. Roberts was a lifelong resident of Williston.
He was a student at Santa Fe Community College. He was a Methodist.
Mr. Roberts is survived by his father, William D. Matthews of Williston; and a sister, Mary Ann Wilson of Williston.
John Tenneyson Smith
John Tenneyson "J.T." Smith of Gainesville died Tuesday at Shands at the University of Florida. He was 47.
Mr. Smith was born in Laurinburg, N.C., and moved to Gainesville from Charlotte, N.C., in 1996.
He was a disabled veteran and an Episcopalian.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Campbell Shoemaker Smith of Gainesville; a stepson, C.D. Shoemaker of San Francisco; and his stepmother and father, Madge and Col. John Sumner Smith of Spindale, N.C.
Joan P. Wise
WILLISTON -- Joan P. Wise, a lifelong resident of Williston, died Wednesday in Williston. She was 70.
Mrs. Wise was the owner of Joan's Hair Fashions and a member of First United Methodist Church of Williston.
She was preceded in death by a son, Walter R. Wise Jr.
Survivors include her husband, Walter R. Wise of Williston; a daughter, Jeannie Wise of Williston; a son, Harold Wise of Gainesville; two sisters, Jean Ward of Lake City and Ethel Lee Mahan of Winter Park; six grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
