William Kearns
FEB. 8, 1923 -- MARCH 29, 2004
ORANGE CITY -- William H. Kearns, 81, a retired welding engineer, died Monday at Majestic Oaks.
Mr. Kearns, an Army veteran of World War II, was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved here from Miami in 1993. He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Deltona. Mr. Kearns enjoyed camping and reading.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Jane; a son, John, Knoxville, Tenn.; a daughter, Carol Hysong, Silver Spring, Md.; and a brother, Jack, Columbus. Baldauff is in charge.
Lois Minney
MAY 7, 1942 -- MARCH 28, 2004
EDGEWATER -- Lois A. Minney, 61, of Casa Grande, a bookkeeper and customer service agent for AmeriGas, died Sunday at Halifax Medical Center, Daytona Beach.
Mrs. Minney was born in Manchester, Conn., and came here in 1999 from Westfield, Mass. She attended Edgewater Alliance Church.
Survivors include her husband, Robert; three sons, Mark Chapman, Canton, Conn., Steven Chapman, Bristol, Conn., and Michael Chapman, Huntington Beach, Calif.; a brother, William Giraitas, Stuart, and a grandchild. Memorial donations may be made to Edgewater Alliance Church, 310 N. Ridgewood Ave., Edgewater, FL 32132. Baldwin Brothers, New Smyrna Beach, is in charge.
Pauline Neelands
MAY 29, 1918 -- MARCH 29, 2004
DELEON SPRINGS -- Pauline E. Neelands, 85, of Reynolds Road, a native of St. Johns, Mich., died Monday at home.
Mrs. Neelands, a homemaker, moved here in 1963 from Cazenovia, N.Y. She was a member of the DeLeon Springs Garden Club, where she was a master gardener, the Honeybee Square Dance Club, DeLand, and an original member of the West Volusia Council on Human Relations.
Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Lewis; three sons, Jon, Wellington, and Kevin and Jim, both of Gainesville; two daughters, Peggy Walker, Kalamazoo, Mich., and Susie Marino, Gainesville; two sisters, Dorothy Johnson, Ludington, Mich., and Patricia Erickson, Elsie, Mich.; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the Neighborhood Center, 434 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32720. Allen-Summerhill, DeLand, is in charge.
Ray Roberts
NOV. 12, 1941 -- MARCH 28, 2004
MURRAY, Ky. -- Ray Marshall Roberts, 62, of Murray, a former associate director and counselor of Community Outreach Services for Drug and Alcohol Abuse in DeLand, died Sunday at home.
A native of Detroit, Mr. Roberts moved to DeLand in the early 1980s. A coach and realtor, he also was a member of Cherry Corner Baptist Church, Murray. He earned his bachelor's degree from Murray State University.
Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Ramona; a son, Robin Roberts, and a daughter, Raysha Staples, both of Cadiz, Ky.; his twin sister, Kay Weber, and sister, Anna Requarth, both of Murray; and a grandchild. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice at Murray Calloway County Hospital, 803 Poplar St., Murray, KY 42071. J.H. Churchill Funeral Home, Murray, is in charge.
Calvin Shaffer
APRIL 26, 1924 -- MARCH 29, 2004
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Calvin W. Shaffer, 79, of South Riverside Drive, a quality control executive in the pharmaceutical industry before his retirement, died Monday at Hospice Care Center, Port Orange.
Mr. Shaffer, an Army veteran of World War II, was born in Mount Crawford, Va., and came to this area in 1990 from Elkton, Va. He was a member of the Elks and Moose lodges, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Elkton Lions Club.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Jean, and a sister, Nancy Brown, Naples. Memorial donations may be made to the Elkton Emergency Squad Inc., 20871 Blue and Gold Dr., Elkton, VA 22827; or to a charity of one's choice. Settle-Wilder, New Smyrna Beach, is in charge.
Lucien Thibodeau
MAY 13, 1921 -- MARCH 16, 2004
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Lucien R. Thibodeau, 82, of Lisa Lane, a resident since 1963, died March 16 at home.
Mr. Thibodeau, who worked in fiberglass manufacturing before his retirement, was born in Vermont and came here from South Bellingham, Mass. He was a member of Church of the Epiphany, Port Orange, the Pulaski Club, South Bellingham, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed providing transportation for his neighbors.
Survivors include two sons, Dennis, Samsula, and John, San Diego; two daughters, Mary and Amy Thibodeau, both of New Smyrna Beach; a brother, Marcel, Oroville, Calif.; two grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Volusia County Cremation, Daytona Beach, is in charge.
Margaret Toomey
MARCH 27, 1915 -- MARCH 30, 2004
HOLLY HILL -- Margaret E. Toomey, 89, of Charter Oaks Circle, a native of New York City, died Tuesday at Bishop's Glen.
Mrs. Toomey, a homemaker, moved to this area in 1989 from her birthplace. A member of St. Paul Catholic Church, Daytona Beach, she also enjoyed reading.
Survivors include a son, Thomas Lynch, Holly Hill; a daughter, Mary Toomey, Holly Hill; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Volusia - Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL 32129. Woodward, Holly Hill, is in charge.
Ivy Brandon dies at 87
ORMOND BEACH -- Ivy Brandon could never pass up a child who was hurt or injured. She did what she could to help -- setting up trust funds for medical care and financing early efforts to find missing children.
Brandon, 87, who died Monday at her Beach Street home, began the trust funds while operating her real estate business and continued after her retirement in 1975, said her son, Gerald.
"She paid for advertising and helped begin the program of putting missing children's pictures on milk cartons, " he said. "She also worked to set up fingerprinting programs."
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Ivy Brandon owned a florist business before coming to Ormond Beach with her family in 1950. She opened Ormond Realty in 1957.
"She always was in business, and she wanted to do something where she controlled her own time, " her son said. He said she helped develop streets on the North Peninsula, between State Road A1A and John Anderson Drive.
"She helped put in utilities, sold lots and even built some of the homes, " he said.
Brandon said his mother was best known for her ballroom dancing, however.
"From jitterbugging to the foxtrot, she was always dancing, " he said. "She and my dad competed here and in Canada, and they were still dancing at least three times a week up until a year ago."
Following her retirement, Ivy Brandon and her husband, Frank, traveled extensively. Using England as a base, they made extended visits to Spain, Turkey and the Scandinavian countries. They also visited countries in Asia, including Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.
Ivy Brandon was president of the Ormond Beach Real Estate Board until it merged with the Daytona Beach board in the late 1950s. She also was a member of St. James Episcopal Church; the Ormond Beach Women's and Garden clubs; Order of the Eastern Star; American-English Club; and the Friendship Force, an international exchange program.
Survivors, in addition to her husband and son, include a daughter, Elizabeth Brandon-Brown, Boca Raton; a brother, Jack Winton, Hamilton; and a granddaughter. Volusia Memorial, Ormond Beach, is in charge.
George Baacke
AUG. 12, 1907 -- MARCH 29, 2004
DELAND -- George R. Baacke, 96, of Palm Cove Drive, a native of Leipzig, Germany, died Monday at home.
Mr. Baacke moved to the United States in 1922. He worked at Van Norman Machine Co. for many years before his retirement in 1972. After retiring, he moved to Deltona, and then relocated to DeLand in 1985. Mr. Baacke was a member of First United Methodist Church of Deltona and Masonic Lodge No. 37.
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Barbara. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Volusia - Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL 32129. FourTowns Cremation, Orange City, is in charge.
Charles Bennett
DEC. 30, 1928 -- MARCH 28, 2004
FLAGLER BEACH -- Charles Michael Bennett, 75, of Creek Bluff Run, who retired as a mechanical engineer from General Electric, died Sunday at Florida Hospital-Flagler, Palm Coast.
Mr. Bennett, a merchant mariner and a veteran of the Army during the Korean War, was born in Reading, Pa., and moved here in 1986 from Ormond Beach. He was a mechanical engineer with General Electric and worked as a rocket engineer with the space program. Following his retirement, he was a private lender. A graduate of George Washington University, Mr. Bennett attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Temple Law School. He was a member of Community Baptist Church, Korona, FlaglerPalm Coast Gun Club and the Corvette Club. Mr. Bennett was a concert master with the Philadelphia Symphony. He was an author and enjoyed fishing and amateur radio.
Survivors include his wife of four years, Hong Cao; a son, Michael, and a daughter, Kimberle Warley, both of Bunnell; two stepsons, James and Louis Cheung, and a stepdaughter, Jennifer Cheung, all of Flagler Beach; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1620 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Suite 300, Daytona Beach, FL 32119. Craig, Flagler Palms is in charge.
Debra Butts
DEC. 11, 1974 -- MARCH 29, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH -- Debra Lynn Butts, 29, of Barbara Drive, a native of Shreveport, La., died Monday at home.
Ms. Butts came here in 1976 from her birthplace. She attended Hillcrest Exceptional School and was a member of Butt's Miracle Temple Church of God In Christ. Ms. Butts enjoyed listening to music.
Survivors include her parents, Dr. Henry and Willie Mae Butts; seven brothers, the Rev. Samuel Butts, Henry Jr., Donnie "Green, " and William, all of Daytona Beach, Daniel and John, both of Jacksonville, and the Rev. Joe Butts, Arkansas; five sisters, Allison, Paula, Sarah and Gracie Butts, all of Daytona Beach, and Donna Victory, St. Augustine; her grandmother, Betty Aimesworth, Daytona Beach; and a special nurse, Terry Brown, Daytona Beach, who assisted in her care. Gainous is in charge.
