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ROBERT STAPLETON, 80
Church of God Minister
LAKE WALES -- Mr. Robert E. "Bob" Stapleton of Lake Wales died of heart failure Monday (April 25, 2005) in Lakeland. He was 80.
Born in Paintsville, Ky., on July 31, 1924, he came to Lake Wales from Akron, Ohio, 26 years ago. He was a retired Church of God minister. He also retired from air conditioning maintenance at Warner Southern College. He was a member of South Lake Wales Church of God and the General Assembly of Church of God.
Mr. Stapleton is survived by his wife, Maxine I. Stapleton; daughter, Carma Hinds, Lake Wales; sons, Bobby Stapleton, Anderson, Ind., Donald Cochran, Raleigh, N.C., Joseph Allen Cochran, Sedalia, Mo., Robert David Cochran, Indianapolis; brothers, Dick Stapelton, Sciotoville, Ohio, Frank Stapleton, Pete Stapleton, Joe Stapleton, both of Anderson, Norris Stapleton, Missouri; sister, Carma, Indianapolis; 13 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at South Lake Wales Church of God.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home of Lake Wales.
MELINDA ATCHLEY, 41
Homemaker
LAKE WALES -- Mrs. Melinda Sue Atchley of Lake Wales died of injuries sustained in an auto accident Sunday (April 24, 2005) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. She was 41.
Born in Daytona Beach on Sept. 17, 1963, she came to Lake Wales five years ago from Elkhart, Ind. She was a homemaker. She was a Protestant.
Mrs. Atchley is survived by her husband, Billy Joe Atchley; daughters, Amy Armstrong, Opelika, Ala., Amber Atchley, Lake Wales; sons, Christopher Daniel, Huntsville, Ala., William Paul Atchley, Lake Wales; mother, Sharon Lasorsa, Lakeland; father, John Grimes, Haines City; sister, Patricia Watson, Goshen, Ind.; brother, Buddy Grimes, Texas; three grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 this evening at Johnson Funeral Home, Lake Wales. Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Silver Hill Cemetery, Frostproof.
Manuel Medeiros, 83, Florida Gas Co.
LAKELAND -- Mr. Manuel M. "Pete" Medeiros of Lakeland, an office manager for Florida Gas Co. who was the son of Portuguese immigrants, died Saturday (April 23, 2005) at the Rohr Home of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 83.
Born Oct. 13, 1921, in New Bedford, Mass., Mr. Medeiros came here from there in 1941.
His parents moved from the Azores, a Portugese island territory in the Atlantic, and settled in New Bedford, which had a prospering Portuguese and whaling community, said his son, Gerald W. Medeiros.
"He grew up speaking Portuguese, " his son said, but when he left Massachusetts for Florida he retained a faint New England accent.
"He had to adapt to different food and culture, " his son said. "He adapted well."
Mr. Medeiros was a member of a national barbershop quartet organization and performed at The Lakeland Center and Florida Southern College.
"He loved to sing. He was also a member of his church choir, " his son said. The church, now called Presbyterian Chapel in the Grove, began in a house. Mr. Medeiros was a charter member.
He also enjoyed golfing and his grandchildren.
"He was good with children, they loved to be around him, " his son said.
He was an office manager for Florida Gas Co.
Mr. Medeiros was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving in World War II and the Korean War.
He was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Cleveland Heights Golf and Country Club.
Mr. Medeiros is survived by his wife, Thelma M. Medeiros; son, Gerald W. Medeiros, Lakeland; daughter, Donna Medeiros, Lakeland; sister, Mary Messier, New Bedford, Mass.; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gentry-Morrison Southside Chapel and 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Presbyterian Chapel in the Grove. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Presbyterian Chapel in the Grove, 1540 New Jersey Road, Lakeland, FL 33803, or the Alzheimer's Association, 9365 U.S. 19, N. Pinellas Park, FL 33782.
Anita Stuart, 75, Artist
MULBERRY -- Mrs. Anita Rose Stuart of Mulberry, who died of heart failure Saturday (April 23, 2005) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, was a skilled painter of landscapes. She was 75.
Born Feb. 17, 1930, in Chicago, she came here from Pocahontas, Ark., in 1997.
"She was a very loving, gentle woman, " her husband, Robert Stuart, said.
After giving birth to her first child, she left college to stay at home.
"She was about 15 hours from being done, " he said.
During this time, she painted and created the landscapes that now hang on the walls of their home.
"Her painting was just in her, " Mr. Stuart said.
After raising her children, she decided to return to school to finish her degree, Mr. Stuart said.
Mrs. Stuart enjoyed traveling across the country with her family, mostly camping in the woods. She would often refer to her husband's travel photos while painting, he said.
In 1997, Mrs. Stuart retired to Florida where her children and grandchildren live.
"She was very loving of the kids, " her husband remembered. "They just brought a smile to her face."
She was a member of ImperiaLakes Country Club.
Mrs. Stuart is survived by her husband of 53 years, Robert Stuart; daughters, Linda Christine Donaldson, Susan DeCamp Giliam and Janis Mason, all of Lakeland, Laura Stuart-Piel, Findlay, Ill.; brother, William Bennett, Chicago; sister, Dolores Giannini, Mount Prospect, Ill.; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Gentry-Morrison Southside Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice, 105 Arneson Ave., Auburndale, FL 33823.
WAYNE KELLY, 58
Sarasota Police Dept.
SARASOTA -- Mr. Wayne Edsel Kelly of Sarasota, formerly of Alturas, died of cancer Sunday (April 10, 2005). He was 58.
Born in Bartow on Sept. 17, 1946, he grew up in Alturas before moving to Sarasota. He was a graduate of Florida State University. He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War and received the Purple Heart. He was an officer in the Sarasota Police Department for 26 years, serving as a patrolman, on the SWAT and SABER squads, and as a juvenile detective for 10 years. He was a member of Bee Ridge Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder.
Mr. Kelly is survived by his wife, Joyce; son, Christopher, Atlanta; daughter, Amanda Southwood, Savannah, Ga.; mother and stepfather, Sylva and Jim Waters, Alturas; sister, Karen Kelly, Alturas.
Memorial services will be at 2 this afternoon at Bee Ridge Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bee Ridge Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, or Alturas United Methodist Church, Alturas.
