Rosa Lee Durdley Bryant
Rosa Lee "Madear" Durdley Bryant died Friday at her home in Gainesville following a brief illness. She was 81.
Mrs. Bryant was born in Americus, Ga., and moved to Gainesville in 1941.
She was a retired cottage parent at Tacachale.
She was a member of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church.
Mrs. Bryant was preceded in death by her husband, Felton Lee Bryant; a daughter, Ozella Bryant; and a son, Jerome Bryant Scott.
Survivors include eight sons, Willie D. Bryant, Felton L. Bryant Jr., Calvin Bryant, Donnell Bryant, Joseph Bryant Sr. and Robert L. Bryant Sr., all of Gainesville, Ezzard C. Bryant Sr. of Brandon and Jerry L. Bryant of Savannah; 33 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
Richard Emory Cox
Richard Emory Cox, a lifelong resident of Gainesville, died Wednesday at his residence in Gainesville. He was 75.
Mr. Cox was a retired businessman. He worked for Cox Furniture Company and later opened his own stores in Gainesville and Tallahassee. He was also involved in land development.
After graduating from Gainesville High School, he attended the University of Florida. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps.
He was a member of First Baptist Church, the Rotary Club, the Gainesville Golf and Country Club and the GHS Has-Beens.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Florence Glass Cox.
Survivors include his wife, Martine G. Cox of Gainesville; three daughters, Mary Helen Mack and Dixie Harper, both of Gainesville and Cacky Hawarah of Jacksonville; three stepdaughters, Betsy Smith of Birmingham, Ala., Jan Seebeck of Gainesville and Bobbie Clinch of Venice, Fla.; a son, Emory O'Neal Cox of Gainesville; a brother, Daniel B. Cox of Melrose; seven grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren and a great-grandson.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the Hospice of North Central Florida.
Jewett Drake Harrington
Jewett Drake Harrington of Gainesville died Wednesday at Shands at AGH after a lengthy illness. She was 90.
Mrs. Harrington was born in Center, Ala., and moved to Gainesville from Rome, Ga., in 1929.
She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Alachua and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Thomas Harrington.
Survivors include three daughters, Bettye Harrington Purvis, Bobbie Jean Harrington Owens and Mary Frances Harrington McFarland, all of Alachua; four sons, James Thomas Harrington Jr. and Harvey Eugene Harrington, both of Miami, John Robert Harrington of Gainesville and Horace Lester Harrington of Alachua; a brother, William Harvey Drake of Rome, Ga.; 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Charles Hunter
MIAMI -- Charles Hunter of Miami died Jan. 4 at Baptist Hospital in Miami after a battle with cancer. He was 75.
Mr. Hunter was born in New York and moved to Miami from Gainesville in the mid-1950s.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
After his honorable discharge, he attended the University of Florida on the G.I. Bill and received his degree in pharmacy.
He worked as a practicing pharmacist in Miami until the time of his death.
He was Jewish.
Survivors include his wife, Marcia Hunter of Miami; a daughter, Caryn Hunter of Miami; two sons, Stephen Hunter of Miami and Edward Hunter of Gainesville; and three grandchildren.
Ronald William Murphy
ARCHER -- Ronald William Murphy of Archer died Saturday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He was 52.
Mr. Murphy was born in Henderson, Texas, and moved to Archer from West Palm Beach in 1994.
Following a 20-year career as a microbiologist at North Shore Hospital in New York, he worked as a health technician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
Mr. Murphy served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He was a member of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Archer.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Ann Crawford Murphy.
Survivors include a daughter, Tanya Michelle Murphy of Atlanta; his mother and stepfather, Vera Ann Gibson and Joseph B. Gibson of Jamaica, N.Y.; and a brother, Raleigh Williams Murphy of Houston.
Louise H. Pena
Louise H. Pena of Gainesville died Jan. 6 at Shands at AGH. She was 72.
Mrs. Pena was born in Miami and moved to Gainesville five years ago.
She was the owner and operator of a laundry facilityLaundry Mat in Miami. She was also employed as a domestic engineer and an insurance agent.
She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Mrs. Pena was a volunteer at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville.
She was a member of the Church of God of Prophecy, St. Peters Cathedral A.O. and Christ the King A.O. Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vincent L. Pena; and a son, Claude "Billy" Blatch.
Survivors include two daughters, Izoria Williams of Miami and Andrea Pena of Gainesville; three sons, Rudolph Pena of Washington D.C., Eddie Poke and Carlos Pena, both of Gainesville; a sister, Gloria Maxwell of Miami; ten grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth Ridgell Thompson
Elizabeth Ridgell Thompson of Reston, Va., died Jan. 5. She was 84.
Mrs. Thompson was born in Jonesboro, Ark., and moved to Reston, Va., from Gainesville 20 years ago.
She was in the real estate business and was a Presbyterian.
Survivors include a son; three sisters, Gaither Ridgell of Ocala, Dot Driggers of Palatka and Edna Weldon of Gainesville; a brother; and a granddaughter.
Anthony James Triplett
OLD TOWN -- Anthony James Triplett, the newborn child of Michael and Michele Triplett of Old Town, died at birth Monday at Shands at the University of Florida.
In addition to his parents, Anthony is survived by a sister, Alexis Triplett of Old Town; a brother, Michael Miller of Old Town; his grandparents, Charlene Triplett of Buffalo, Fla., Mike Triplett of St. Cloud, Bonnie Carte of Old Town and Douglas Miller of Loris, S.C.; his great-grandparents, Alta Triplett of St. Cloud, Joan Carter of Old Town and Maude Warner of Phoenix, Md.; and his great-great-grandmother, Mrs. Stiner of Old Town.
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 father, Cecil Osbon Waters of Gainesville; a sister, Elwanda Miller of Jacksonville; and a brother, Thomas Allen of New York.
Ricky Leon Greenlee
OLD TOWN -- Ricky Leon Greenlee of Old Town died Friday in Old Town. He was 34.
Mr. Greenlee was born in San Jose, Calif., and moved to Old Town from St. Petersburg five years ago.
He was an heavy-equipment operator and a Protestant.
Survivors include two sons, Garret Greenlee and Ricky Greenlee, both of Old Town; his parents, Robert and Sharon Greenlee of Old Town; two sisters, Robin Jacobsen of Clearwater and Ronda Mish of St. Petersburg; three brothers, Robert Greenlee and Randy Greenlee, both of Old Town, and Raymond Greenlee of St. Petersburg; and his grandmother, Vera Jacob of St. Petersburg.
Bennetta Guthrie Polatta
CHIEFLAND -- Bennetta Guthrie Polatta of Chiefland died Monday at Shands at AGH after a brief illness. She was 88.
She was born in Cortez and graduated from Palmetto High School in 1930. She moved to Chiefland in 1978.
Mrs. Polatta co-owned with her husband Everglades Flower Growers in Delray Beach and retired after 20 years. She was Pentecostal.
Survivors include two daughters, Anita Owens and son-in-law Joe Owens of McDonough, Ga., and Frances Bray and son-in-law Jim Bray of Old Town; 10 grandchildren, the Rev. Roy Jackson Bray, Mark Owens, Renita Bray, Jimmy Bray, Joey Bray, Stephen Bray, Phillip Bray, Andrew Owens, Isaac Bray and Janie Bray; and six great-grandchildren.
