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MEMRIE WILKES, 91
Air Force Nurse
AUBURNDALE -- Mrs. Memrie Wilkes of Winter Haven died Wednesday (Aug. 17, 2005) in Auburndale Oaks. She was 91.
She was born Jan. 8, 1914, in Louisville, Miss., and came to Winter Haven from Melbourne in 1997.
She was a nurse and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. She served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. She was a member of the Retired Officers Association, Society of Retired Air Force Nurses, World War II Flight Nurses, Indian River Colony Club, the Retired Officers Club in St. Petersburg, a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Indian River and the Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., and a life member of the Cape Canaveral Retired Officers Club. She was a member of Spirit Lake Community Church, Winter Haven.
Mrs. Wilkes is survived by five nieces and three nephews.
A service will be held today at 10 a.m. at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home in Winter Haven. A graveside service will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Spirit Lake Community Church, 2600 Spirit Lake Road, Winter Haven, FL 33880.
Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home.
LINDA McGOVERN, 46
Auburndale Oaks Nursing Home
WINTER HAVEN -- Ms. Linda Jean McGovern of Winter Haven died Wednesday (Aug. 24, 2005) at home. She was 46.
Born in Jersey City, N.J., on Sept. 5, 1958, Ms. McGovern came to Winter Haven from Pompano Beach eight years ago. She was a licensed practical nurse at Auburndale Oaks Nursing Home.
Ms. McGovern is survived by her mother, Virginia A. McGovern, Winter Haven; daughters, Christina Lynn Gosselin-Divis, Charlotte, N.C., Melissa Jean Hyde, Tampa; sisters, Virginia Bicknell, Port St. Lucie, Kathleen Gerstner, Coral Springs; brothers, Charles McGovern, Charlotte, N.C., Thomas McGovern, Winter Haven, Dennis McGovern, Crystal River; companion, Fred McAninch, Winter Haven.
Visitation will be from 2 to 3 this afternoon at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, 2425 W. Havendale Blvd., Winter Haven. Services will follow at 3 p.m. at the funeral home chapel.
JAMES TRUITT, 74
Truitt Building Supply
LAKE PLACID -- Mr. James "Jack" C. Truitt Jr. of Lake Placid, formerly of Polk County, died of pneumonia Wednesday (Aug. 24, 2005) at Florida Hospital in Lake Placid. He was 74.
Born in Lakeland, Mr. Truitt grew up in Auburndale, moving to Lake Placid from Wauchula in 1994. He was the owner of Truitt Building Supply. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid.
Mr. Truitt is survived by his wife, Zola Truitt; son, Curt Truitt, Fort Myers; brother, Jere Truitt, Auburndale; sister, Jean McNeill, Auburndale; two grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid. Burial will be in Hart Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to MDA, 2801 Fruitville Road, Suite 140, Sarasota, FL 34237.
Chandler Funeral Home.
MARY THOMAS, 83
Nurse
BARTOW -- Ms. Mary L. Thomas of Bartow died of heart failure Tuesday (Aug. 23, 2005) at Bartow Center. She was 83.
Ms. Thomas was born June 28, 1922, in Jacksonville. She was a nurse. She is survived by her daughter, Anita Flanagan, Lowell, Mass.; sons, Louis Watkins, Charleston, S.C., James Watkins and Henry Thomas, both of Bartow, Arellous Thomas, Hudson, N.H.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 this evening at Gause Funeral Home, Bartow. Services will be at noon Monday at First Providence Missionary Baptist Church.
CANDACE AITKEN, 61
Homemaker
LAKELAND -- Ms. Candace Marie Aitken of Bartow died of cardiac arrest Wednesday (Aug. 17, 2005) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. She was 61.
She was born Nov. 17, 1943, in Jersey City, N.J., and came here from Westfield, N.J., in 1971. She was a homemaker. She was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
Ms. Aitken is survived by her daughter, Sherry Sarfati, Brisbane, Australia; son, Daniel Kloska, Bartow; and three grandchildren.
Memorial services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
HUBERT ALDERMAN, 65
Scrap Metal Dealer
AUBURNDALE -- Mr. Hubert L. Alderman of Auburndale died of complications of diabetes Aug. 22, 2005, at Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale. He was 65.
Born in Auburndale on Nov. 20, 1939, he was a lifelong resident of the area. He was a scrap metal dealer. He was of the Pentecostal Holiness faith.
Mr. Alderman is survived by his daughter, Christina Marie Alderman, Auburndale; brother, Douglas Alderman, Lakeland; sisters, Ethel Davis, Bartow, Linda Evans, Lakeland; stepson, Clinton C. Ward, Auburndale; 10 grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Auburndale Memorial Park.
Oak Ridge Funeral Care, Winter Haven.
Timothy Welch, 51, C.A.R.S. Inc.
LAKELAND -- After purchasing C.A.R.S. Inc. in the late 1970s, Mr. Timothy James Welch cultivated the automotive paint supply company into a successful business that at one time had five locations, and currently has a customer base of approximately 350 auto body shops.
"Tim was kind of a one-of-akind in the industry, and his customers will tell you that Tim did it the best, " said general manager of C.A.R.S. Inc., David Paige, who has been with the company for approximately five years. "He always informed his customers and kept them up on the latest trends of the industry. That is what made Tim the best."
The owner and operator of C.A.R.S. Inc. (Central Automotive Refinishing Supply), died in Okanogan, Wash., on Saturday (July 9, 2005) while doing one of the things that he enjoyed most, fly fishing. He was 51.
Born in Detroit on Feb. 6, 1954, he was a history major at Michigan State University. He came to Lakeland from Detroit in 1980.
His technical expertise helped maximize the efficiency of his business.
"Statistics meant a lot to him, " Paige said. "Tim believed that history had a way of repeating itself. He was the type of guy that would sit back and tell you almost to a tee what sales were going to be the next month and next year because of knowing history and being in business for such a long time."
He noted that Mr. Welch and his wife, who is vice president of the company, always emphasized to their employees that family came first.
Fishing was a true passion of Mr. Welch's and within the past few years, he began making his own fly lures that he used and gave to his customers.
He was a member of Resurrection Catholic Church.
Mr. Welch was preceded in death by his first wife, Teri Gunkel Welch. He is survived by his wife, Marla Welch; sons, John "J.D." Dennis Welch, James "Jimmy" Kevin Welch, both of Lakeland; daughter, Claire Elizabeth Welch, Lakeland; mother, Anne Welch, Lakeland; father, Paul Welch, Vero Beach; sisters, Kelly Schoeppner, Seattle, Wash., Therese Moylan, Royal Oak, Mich., Megan Petrie, White Lake, Mich.; brothers, Kevin Welch, Sean Welch, both of Lakeland.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday with a wake service at 4:30 p.m. at Heath Funeral Chapel. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Resurrection Catholic Church, 3720 Old Road 37, Lakeland.
Memorials may be made to Resurrection Catholic School, 3720 Old Road 37, Lakeland, FL 33813, or Santa Fe Catholic High School, 3110 Highway 92 E., Lakeland, FL 33801.
