Donald Amyot Thomas
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - Donald Amyot Thomas died Monday at his residence. He was 64.
Mr. Thomas was born in Buhl, Idaho, and moved to Keystone Heights from Jacksonville in 1972.
He was a retired supervisor with the Florida Department of Corrections. He served in the U.S. Army.
He was a member of the Melrose Lodge No. 89 F&AM;, the Keystone Shrine Club, the Keystone Kops, the Keystone Heights Golf & Country Club and the Keystone United Methodist Church.
Survivors include daughters Tara Miles of Keystone Heights and Erin Mattox of Lake City; a sister, Joan Michel of Pacific Palisades, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
Arrangements by Moring Funeral Home.
Richard Lee Williams
CHIEFLAND - Richard Lee Williams died Sunday at Hospice of North Central Florida. He was 68.
Mr. Williams was a lifelong resident of Chiefland and a physical education teacher and coach at Chiefland High School. He graduated from Bethune-Cookman College.
He was involved with the Summer Recreation Program and the Boy Scouts of America. He received the Chiefland community 25-year service award.
He was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Eddie Jean Williams of Chiefland; daughters Marie Snead of Orlando, Rene Lovelace of Decatur, Ga., and Jean Brown of Chiefland; a son, Richard Williams of Chiefland; a brother, Elijah Williams of Bronson; and six grandchildren.
Arrangements by O.B. Samuel Funeral Home.
Samuel Glen Colson Sr.
CHIEFLAND -- Samuel Glen Colson Sr. of Chiefland died Monday in Gainesville at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 62.
Mr. Colson was born in Trenton and was a lifelong resident of Chiefland.
He was the owner/operator of a trucking company and a member of Joppa Baptist Church in Fanning Springs.
He was a member of Cypress Ridge Hunting Club in Horseshoe Beach.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Colson of Chiefland; a son, Samuel Glen Colson Jr. of Trenton; daughters Glenda Tellander of Belleview, Cindy Owens of Gulf Hammock and Lesa Osteen and Letha Tiner, both of Chiefland; brothers Carl Colson and Earl Colson, both of Chiefland, and Wendell Colson of Newberry; sisters Charlottee Langston, Cheryl Colson and Mary Wright, all of Chiefland, and Sandra DeWees of Jacksonville; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Knauff Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
B. Bill Dees
B. Bill Dees of Gainesville died Saturday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 78.
Mr. Dees was born in Evergreen, Ala., and came here from St. Petersburg in 1978. He was a retired mechanic with the U. S. Postal Service and a member of Wesley United Methodist Church. Mr. Dees served with the U.S. Air Force during World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Betty A. Dees of Gainesville; a son, William Rolle Dees of Tampa; brothers Hilton Dees of Monroeville, Ala., and Miller Dees of St. Petersburg; and sisters Ouida Fleming of Seminole and Betty Sturtz of St. Petersburg.
Forest Meadows Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Robert K. Griffin
NEWBERRY - Robert K. "Bubba" Griffin died suddenly at his home on Sunday. He was 52.
Born in Oahu, Hawaii, Mr. Griffin was raised in Waycross, Ga.
He moved to Gainesville after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force.
He was a graduate of the University of Florida.
He was a Baptist.
Mr. Griffin served with the Gainesville Police Department before joining the Alachua County Sheriff's Office in 1980.
He retired June 3 as a detective in the criminal investigations division.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa Griffin of Newberry; daughters Kayla Griffin of Newberry, Darby Higgins of Gainesville, Corey Beach of Largo and Micha Durrance of Chiefland; his mother, Emily Griffin of Brunswick, Ga.; brothers Terry Griffin and Scott Griffin of Jacksonville and Eric Griffin of Kingsland; his sister, Debbie Winn of Blackshear, Ga.; and four grandchildren.
Williams-Thomas Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Nora Miller
Nora Miller of Gainesville died Saturday at North Florida Regional Medical Center after a brief illness. She was 85.
Mrs. Miller was born in Pendleton, S.C. and moved to Gainesville five years ago from Ponte Vedra.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her son, Dale Miller of Gainesville; two brothers, Will Kay and Dallas Kay, both of Thomasville, N.C.; and two granddaughters.
Worth Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.
Evelyn Holden
DOWLING PARK -- Evelyn Holden of Dowling Park died Friday at the Advent Christian Village. She was 96.
Mrs. Holden was born in Detroit and moved to Dowling Park from Gainesville in 1994. She was a housewife, a graduate of Michigan State University, a scout leader and an active church member who loved working with youth members. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Homestead.
She is survived by daughters Polly Smith of Gainesville and Georganne Browder of North Augusta, N.C.; eight grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Direct Cremations is in charge of the arrangements.
Margaret Ann Owen
Margaret Ann Owen of Gainesville died Sunday. She was 60.
Mrs. Owen was born in Dallas and moved to Gainesville 17 years ago from Melbourne. She was pharmacy director for Target Stores in Gainesville. She was also a diabetes educator and a clinical professor at the University of Florida. She was a member of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include a daughter, Tammy Flagg of Gainesville; a son, Scott Flagg of Gainesville; her parents, Ernest and Mildred Owen of Dallas; and sisters Sandra Floyd of Jeffersonville, Pa., and Allison Zadow of Plano, Texas.
Williams-Thomas Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Peggy Reese
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS -- Peggy Reese of Keystone Heights died Sunday at Hospice House in Gainesville after a long illness. She was 67.
Mrs. Reese was born in Gordo, Ala., and moved to Keystone Heights in 1972 from Fort Walton Beach. A homemaker, she was a member of Keystone United Methodist Church and the Keystone Woman's Club.
She is survived by her husband, Eugene Reese of Keystone Heights; a son, Kenneth Reese of Gainesville; and brothers Earl Mills of Garden Grove, Calif., and William Mills and Joe Mills, both of Gordo, Ala.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Marjorie Elizabeth Strickland
Marjorie Elizabeth Strickland of Gainesville died Saturday in Gainesville. She was 84.
Mrs. Strickland was born in Millen, Ga., and moved to Gainesville in the early 1960s from Sumter County. She was past worthy matron of the Eastern Star in Bushnell and owned a beauty shop. She attended North Central Baptist Church.
Survivors include sons Raymond "Gene" Hicks of Newberry and Gregory Loy Strickland of Los Angeles; and three grandchildren.
Purcell Funeral Home of Bushnell is in charge of the arrangements.
Charles Frederick Tompkins
HAMPTON -- Charles Frederick Tompkins of Hampton died Sunday at Shands at Jacksonville. He was 81.
Born in Bradford County, Pa., Mr. Tompkins moved to Hampton in 1985. He retired from GTE Sylvania in Pennsylvania.
He was a member of the First Methodist Church of Waldo.
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Tompkins of Hampton; daughters Gail McDonough of Corning, N.Y., Jeannie Wells of Lawtey and Teresa Tompkins of Johnson City, N.Y.; a sister, Nina Rosengrant of Lake Ariel, Pa.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
The Archie Tanner Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
