Geneva Skipper
HIGH SPRINGS -- Geneva "Egie" Skipper of High Springs died Sunday at Oak View Rehab Center in Williston.
She was 89.
Mrs. Skipper was a retired grocery clerk.
Born in Fort White, she was a longtime resident of the area.
She was a member of First Baptist Church of High Springs and the High Springs Women's Club.
Mrs. Skipper was preceded in death by her husband, Sam E. Skipper.
Survivors include a son, Sam Skipper of High Springs; a daughter, Darlene Gibson of High Springs; and two grandchildren.
Patricia J. Whittemore
LAWTEY -- Patricia J. Whittemore of Lawtey died Monday at her home after a long illness. She was 55.
Mrs. Whittemore was a homemaker and a member of Madison Street Baptist Church.
Born in Chattanooga, Tenn., she moved from Keystone Heights to Lawtey 13 years ago.
Survivors include her husband, Michael "Larry" Whittemore Sr. of Lawtey; a daughter, Kim Crawford of Starke; three sons, Michael Whittemore Jr. of Starke, and Billy Whittemore and Mark Whittemore, both of Lawtey; three brothers, Lonnie Hall of Lakeland, and David Hall and Billy Hall, both of Tampa; two sisters, Debbie Nugent and Margaret Pirtle, both of Tampa; and four grandchildren.
Richard E. Dukes
Richard E. Dukes of Gainesville died Wednesday at Shands at Alachua General Hospital. He was 70.
Mr. Dukes was born in Branford and moved to Gainesville from Branford 54 years ago. He was a graduate of Clark University and a retired Gainesville Police officer. He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Mr. Dukes also was a choir member and Sunday School teacher at Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Rosa Dukes of Gainesville; three daughters, Bridgette D. Gillis and her husband, Steve Gillis, of Atlanta, Rhoda Dukes of Atlanta, and Robin D. Islar and her husband, Mark Islar, of Newberry; two stepdaughters, Janet Blakney and Linda Lumpkin, both of Gainesville; one stepson, Ronald Watts of Starke; one brother, John Dukes Jr. and his wife, Bernice Dukes, of Gainesville; three sisters, Ella M. Edwards and Juanita C. Dukes, both of Buffalo, N.Y., and Edith Davis of Atlanta; and four grandchildren, Christian Gillis of Atlanta, Lauren Islar of Newberry, Kimberly Brown of Atlanta and Justin Gillis of Atlanta.
Melvie Edwards
Melvie Edwards of Gainesville died Wednesday in Shands at Alachua General Hospital after a short illness. She was 75.
Mrs. Edwards was born in Salisbury, N.C., and moved to Gainesville from Neptune, N.J., 15 years ago. She was a homemaker, foster grandparent and a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Survivors include three sons, Robert W. Earl and Frank Edwards, both of Gainesville, and Willard Earl of Asbury Park, N.J.; four daughters, Martha Rutledge of Citra, Carol Roberts of Charlotte, N.C., Audrey Edwards of Gainesville and Peggy Edwards of Asbury Park; two sisters, Johnsie Cunningham of Micanopy and Cammie Robertson of Asbury Park; 22 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Betty Ruth Clark Garibaldi
Betty Ruth Clark Garibaldi of Gainesville died Saturday in Gainesville.
She was 76.
Mrs. Garibaldi was born in Titusville and was a lifelong resident of Gainesville.
She was an executive secretary for the Crom Corp. for more than 25 years.
She attended Florida State Women's College, was a former member of the Eastern Star and was a lifelong member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
Mrs. Garibaldi was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur T. Garibaldi, a retired captain in the U.S. Air Force.
Survivors include two daughters, Patricia J. Garibaldi of Gainesville and Michele Annette Garibaldi of Orlando; one sister, Doris Haufler of Gainesville; and one niece, Vanessa Russell of Atlanta.
Voncile Landen Brinson
LIVE OAK - Voncile Landen Brinson of Live Oak died Thursday at Suwannee Health Care Center in Live Oak. She was 68.
Ms. Brinson was a cashier with Kentucky Fried Chicken in Live Oak for 24 years.
She was a lifelong resident of Live Oak.
Ms. Brinson was a member of Live Oak Church of God.
Survivors include a daughter, Debbie Brinson of Live Oak; three sons, Terry, Tony and Stephen Brinson, all of Live Oak; two sisters, Geri Blocker of Live Oak and Betty Rice of Cleveland, Tenn.; a brother, A.H. Landen Jr. of Live Oak; and five grandchildren.
Alton Lomis Corbin
MAYO - Alton Lomis Corbin of Mayo died Thursday at Columbia North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville after open-heart surgery. He was 70.
Mr. Corbin was a motor grader. He also served in the U.S. Army in World War II.
He was a lifelong resident of Mayo.
Mr. Corbin was a member of Suwannee River Assembly of God Church in Branford.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ona Touchton Corbin.
Survivors include two daughters, Gina Thompson of Live Oak and Janet Barnes of Branford; two sons, Jack Corbin of Live Oak and Charles Corbin of Branford; a sister, Mary Lang Johnson of Live Oak; two brothers, R.K. Corbin of Mayo and Jimmy Corbin of Clearwater; 20 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Mildred Catherine Edwards
STARKE - Mildred Catherine Edwards of Starke died Wednesday at 200 Mariner Health Way in St. Augustine after a long illness. She was 86.
Mrs. Edwards was a homemaker.
Born in Starke, she moved from Jacksonville to Starke 29 years ago.
Mrs. Edwards was a member of the Bayless Highway Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Harvey Edwards of Starke; three daughters, Yuvonne Dennis of Callahan, Shirley Newby of St. Augustine and Catherine Cowley of Hollywood; a son, Tolbert Edwards of Lawtey; seven grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and a step-grandchild.
Ella Mae Grant
Ella Mae Grant of Gainesville died unexpectedly Monday at Shands at AGH. She was 40.
Mrs. Grant was born in Palatka and moved to Gainesville 31 years ago.
She was a member of the Holiness Faith.
Survivors include four sons, Anthony J. Grant, Norman Hayes, James T. Edwards and Michael Edwards, all of Gainesville; two daughters, Veronica Shontell Edwards and Phennie Lekia Edwards, both of Gainesville; her mother, Ruby Scott Russell of Gainesville; five sisters, Lasceny Young of Bluffton, S.C., Cassandra A. Walker of San Mateo, Louise D. Augustus of Micanopy, Cynthia G. Kelly of Gainesville and Gloria F. Grant of Alachua; three brothers, Freddie Grant, James Grant and Willie Grant, all of Gainesville; and two granddaughters.
Etta "Ms. Etta" L. Strickland
BRANFORD - Etta L. "Ms. Etta" Strickland of Branford died Wednesday at her daughter's home in Lakeland after a long illness. She was 82.
Ms. Strickland was a nursing supervisor with Sunland Training Center in Gainesville and she was a nursing supervisor at Lakeland Healthcare Center in Lakeland. She was also involved in home health care and was a Sunday school teacher.
She was a lifelong resident of Branford.
Ms. Strickland was a member of Suwannee River Assembly of God Church, where she was past secretary and member of womens missions.
She was preceded in death by two infant children, Mark and Kathy Strickland; a son, James F. Strickland of Gainesville; three brothers, Roy, Raleigh and Johnny Bonds, all of Jacksonville; a sister, Marie McIntosh of Jacksonville; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Survivors include four daughters, Etta "Gerey" Groover of Lakeland, Betty Jo Hamlin and Lois Ann Harrington, both of Lake City, and Frances S. Poore of Cross City; a son, Alton M. "Gene" Strickland of Alachua; a brother, Clyde I. Bonds of Jacksonville; a sister, Vera Mae Collins of Jacksonville; 28 grandchildren; 57 great-grandchildren; and 17 great-great-grandchildren.
James Henry Tanner Jr.
OLD TOWN - James Henry Tanner Jr. of Old Town died Wednesday at his home after a long illness. He was 63.
Mr. Tanner was a carpenter. He also served in the U.S. Army and Florida National Guard.
Born in Palmetto, he moved from Palmetto to Old Town 10 years ago.
Mr. Tanner was a member of Rock Sink Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Tanner of Old Town; a son, James Tanner of Bradenton; three stepsons, Robert Harper of Miami, Jon Harper of Lake City and Larry Harper of Old Town; a stepdaughter, Tanya Ward of Cross City; a brother, Richard Tanner of Palmetto; a sister, Louise Crofton of Plant City; and six grandchildren.
