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Walter Garvey, 80, Bettis Atomic Power Lab
LAKELAND -- Mr. Walter Birkett Garvey of Lakeland, an engineer in the Merchant Marines and for Bettis Atomic Power Lab, died of complications from Parkinson's disease Saturday (July 31, 2004) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. He was 80.
Born April 7, 1924, in Long Island City, N.Y., he came here from Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1985.
Mr. Garvey was a proud graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.
Marian A. Garvey said graduating from the academy was a highlight of her husband's life. He was an accomplished engineer, someone who was looked to for his technical knowledge.
He went on to serve as an engineer for the Merchant Marines for 10 years and Bettis Atomic Power Lab in Pennsylvania for 31 years.
During World War II, Mr. Garvey served in a supply convoy that went to the rescue of Murmansk in northwest Russia in 1945. The city was under attack and would not have survived the winter without the supplies. Ships were destroyed making the run, but Mr. Garvey's ship made it through. In 1985, he and other survivors were honored with medals from the Russian government.
He was proud but modest, his wife says. "He would never brag about it."
Mr. Garvey was a water color artist and member of the Color Wheelers. The group showed at Florida Southern College, among other venues.
His dry sense of humor will be remembered fondly.
"He was the jokester, I was the appreciative audience, " Marian Garvey said.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church and Color Wheelers.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Garvey is survived by his daughters, Ellen Garvey, San Carlos, Calif., Ruth Garvey-Nix, Louisville, Ky., Anne Byrne Garvey, Winston-Salem, N.C., and Janet Garvey, San Jose, Calif.; son, Paul Garvey, Niceville; sisters, Grace Wissner, Sandy Hook, Conn., and Anne Phillips, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First United Methodist Church, Lakeland.
Memorials may be made to National Parkinson Foundation, 1501 N.W. Ninth Ave., Bob Hope Road, Miami, FL 33136-1494.
LEROY THROWER, 86
L & R Trucking
HAINES CITY -- Mr. Leroy Thrower of Haines City died of heart failure Monday (Aug. 23, 2004) in Davenport. He was 86.
Born in Haines City on May 19, 1918, he came to Haines City from Luverne, Ala., in 1940. He was the owner and operator of L & R Trucking in Haines City. He was in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Troy, Ala. He was a member and charter deacon of Faith Temple Assembly of God.
Mr. Thrower is survived by his wife, Ruth Thrower; son, Jesse Thrower, Lakeland; daughters, Carolyn Willis, Davenport, Connie Wilkinson, Haines City; sister, Molly Sasser, Haines City; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 this evening at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, 1001 Grace Ave., Haines City. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Faith Temple Assembly of God, Haines City. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery, Haines City.
Memorials may be made to Cornerstone Hospice, 901 John Ave., Haines City, FL 33844.
VALERIA SMITH, 84
Vanguard School
LAKELAND -- Mr. Valeria F. Smith of Lakeland died of lung failure Saturday (Dec. 20, 2003) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. She was 84.
Born in Medford, Wis., on Aug. 31, 1919, she came to Lakeland from Winter Haven two years ago. She was a child care specialist at the Vanguard School in Lake Wales. She was a member of First Church of Christ Scientist.
Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her husband, Sherrill Van Horn Smith. She is survived by her daughters, Charmayne Smith, Joy Smith and Melody Smith, all of Lakeland.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, at the Smith residence, 8925 Selph Road, Lakeland.
Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice.
Countryside Funeral Chapel.
JOY BUTLER, 63
Vanguard School
VERO BEACH -- Mrs. Joy S. Butler of Vero Beach, formerly of Polk County, died of cancer Friday (Sept. 12, 2003) at home. She was 63.
Born in Jefferson, Iowa, on Dec. 3, 1939, she lived in Polk County before moving to Vero Beach from Englewood, Colo., 14 years ago. She was a special education teacher and administrator for the Aurora, Colo., Public Schools. She was a principal and director of admissions for the Vanguard School of Lake Wales and a resource specialist for the Indian River County School District. She attended the University of Colorado and McGill University.
Mrs. Butler is survived by her husband, Harry; daughters, Dana Womack, Rincon, Ga., Stacey Good, Boise, Idaho; son, Jason Butler, Gainesville, Ga.; brother, William Schoppe, San Antonio; four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Vanguard School Scholarship Fund, 22000 U.S. 27, Lake Wales, FL 33859, or the Cheley Colorado Camps Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 6525, Denver, CO 80206.
JOEL POLISNER, 61
Vanguard School
LAKE WALES -- Mr. Joel L. Polisner of Lake Wales died of a brain hemorrhage Sunday (April 25, 2004) at Winter Haven Hospital. He was 61.
Born on March 18, 1943, he came to Lake Wales from Portland, Maine, in 1998. He was a teacher of nutrition at Vanguard School in Lake Wales. He was Jewish.
Mr. Polisner is survived by his wife, Sheril S. Polisner; brother, Dr. Duane Polisner, Scarborough, Maine; and sister, Mariam Lipson, Memphis, Tenn.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Joel Polisner Memorial Reading Counts Book Fund.
Steele's Family Funeral Services, Winter Haven.
CATHERINE POPE, 77
IMC
NICHOLS -- Mrs. Catherine Pope of Nichols died of complications from diabetes Friday (Aug. 13, 2004) at Grace Health Care. She was 77.
Born in Homeland on Oct. 15, 1926, she came to Nichols from Pierce 32 years ago. She was a retired pit operator for IMC and a member of Bethel M.B. Church in Mulberry.
Mrs. Pope is survived by her daughters, Florestine Allen, West Palm Beach, Marva White, Fort Meade, Gloria Robinson, Daytona, Belfye Jennings, Marilyn Handford, both of Nichols, Carolyn Lee, Mulberry; sons, Rufus Allen, West Palm Beach, Samuel Chapel, Lakeland, Bernard Wright, Bowling Green, David Baker, Fort Meade, Lenwood Pope, Clarimel, Tyrone Pope, Lakeland; brother, Elijah Wright, Lakeland; 41 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Williams Funeral Home, Bartow. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. James Primitive Baptist Church in Mulberry.
HORACE GILLETT, 70
Citrus General Manager
WINTER HAVEN -- Mr. Horace Edwin Gillett of Winter Haven died of heart failure Saturday (Aug. 21, 2004) at Winter Haven Hospital. He was 70.
Born in Fort Madison, Iowa, on April 30, 1934, he came to Winter Haven from Leesburg 16 years ago. He was a retired general manager in the citrus industry. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church.
Mr. Gillett is survived by his wife, Donna Gillett; sons, Craig Allan Gillett, Boise, Idaho, Kenneth Douglas Gillett, Lake Mary, Christopher Edwin Gillett, Davenport; daughter, Sandra Gillett Pierce, Orlando; brothers, Earl, Connie, and Frank Gillett, all of Fort Madison; sister, Marie Rose, Ocala; six grandchildren; one greatgrandchildren.
Crisp-Coon Funeral Homes Inc., Winter Haven.
Yoshika Mathews, 78, H.M.S. Diesel Truck Parts
HAINES CITY -- In an effort to fill what Mrs. Yoshika T. "Moma" Mathews referred to as an emptiness in her heart, she was faced with numerous hardships that she overcame.
The retired co-owner and operator of H.M.S. Diesel Truck Parts died of injuries sustained in an auto accident Friday (July 23, 2004) in Gainesville. She was 78.
"We had people that came to our shop from all over the United States, " said her son, Bruce "Rooster" Mathews of Haines City. "My mom opened up the house to everyone. She knew no strangers.
"There would be people coming in from all over the United States and at lunchtime or dinnertime, if there was a meal on the table, you were welcome to sit down and eat with us, " Bruce Mathews said.
"My mom raised . . . at least 20 or 25 children that had come and stayed with her for more than a year at a time, " he said, "and she would raise them and take care of them. She would feed them or clothe them if it was necessary."
Born in Yori Sai Ta Ma Ken, Japan, on May 13, 1926, she met her future husband, Norman E. "Pop" Mathews, who was in the Army, while working on an American Army base.
The couple, who was married 55 years, wed under Japanese custom, and later held another ceremony at the Army base in Japan.
Because it was during a time that it wasn't socially acceptable for a Japanese woman to marry an American, Mrs. Mathews faced numerous hardships in her native land as well as in the United States, where the marriage was also not accepted by many people 50 years ago.
"For her to go through the hardships in Japan and then come to the United States and go through it all over again, " Bruce Mathews.
"Even though people treated her as if she was an enemy, the only thing she did was open her heart and accept everyone as if they were her own family, " he said.
After obtaining a visa and passport, the couple came to the United States, living briefly in southern Georgia before coming to Haines City in 1950 to be closer to his parents. The couple had 10 children.
She worked alongside her husband at their business, H.M.S. Diesel Truck Parts, and then came home in the evenings and took care of her six boys and four girls.
"All 10 of us have graduated from Haines City High School, " Bruce Mathews said. "We got involved with the diesel truck repair shop.
"My mom worked in the shop. She would get parts and work right along beside us, " Bruce Mathews said.
"If you saw one of us, you saw all of us, " he said. "If they could make some type of adhesive out of what Mom had, they could hold the world together.
"She went to school, she studied right along with her children. She learned to read, write and get her driver's license, " he said. "She went to Tampa to become a naturalized citizen, and that was the proudest day of her life -- when she became a citizen."
She was also an interior designer for Barrington Mobile Homes in Haines City from 1973 to 1976.
Mrs. Mathews was preceded in death by her son, Craig E. Mathews. In addition to her son, Bruce and her husband, she is survived by her sons, Tony H. Mathews, Turtle Town, Tenn., Raymond E. Mathews, Davenport, and David B. Mathews and Louis "Monroe" Mathews, both of Haines City; daughters, Sandy L. Collins, Katrina "Doll" Dowdy and Brenda Sue "Susie" Mathews, all of Haines City, and Darlene "Sugar" Wilkinson, West Palm Beach; brother, Tamotsu Tajima, Japan; 31 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, 1001 Grace Ave., Haines City. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Northridge Church, 2250 State Road 17 S., Haines City. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery, Haines City.
