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FRANCISCO AGUILERA, 17
BARTOW -- Visitation for Mr. Francisco Aguilera Jr. of Bartow, who died Friday (Aug. 1, 2003), will be from 6 to 8 this evening at Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, Bartow.
ALLISON SOUSA, 23
Secretary
LAKE WALES -- Mrs. Allison Diggett Sousa of Lake Wales died Wednesday (Sept. 24, 2003) in Auburndale. She was 23.
Born Oct. 7, 1979, in Pawtucket, R.I., she came here from Warwick, R.I., in 1985. She was a secretary.
Mrs. Sousa is survived by her husband, Tim P. Sousa, Lake Wales; son, Hunter E. Sousa, Lake Wales; mother, Alice Diggett, Winter Haven; father, Michael Diggett, Winter Haven; and grandmother, Theresa M. Bernier, Winter Haven.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, Winter Haven. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
JIMMY ROGERS, 63
Fishing Boat Captain
BARTOW -- Captain Jimmy A. Rogers of Bartow died of heart failure Friday (Oct. 24, 2003) at James A. Haley VA Hospital. He was 63.
Born in White County, Ark., on Feb. 23, 1940, he came to Bartow from Shelbyville, Ind., 35 years ago. He was the captain of a fishing boat. He was a member of the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame. He was a member of the F.O.W.A., and the S.E.O.P.A. He was an Army veteran. He was a Protestant.
Mr. Rogers is survived by his wife, Rachel Rogers; daughters, Benita Jessup, Shelbyville, Ind., Robin Rogers, Bartow, Tammy Helm, Lakeland; mother, Mary Morgan Staley, Shelbyville; sisters, Ellen Walz, Shelbyville, Geraldine Forkner, Morristown, Ind., Linda Isgrigg, Flat Rock, Ind.; brothers, Lawrence "Doug" Rogers, Lakeland, Richard Dale Rogers, Rowlett, Texas; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Haven Baptist Church, 2105 King Road, Winter Haven.
Memorials may be made to Haven Christian Academy, 2105 King Road, Winter Haven, 33880.
Heath Funeral Chapel.
Christine Wolfgang, 48, LHS Teacher
LAKELAND -- Mrs. Christine Failing Losch Wolfgang, a teacher at Lakeland High School, never got a chance to see the tribute of purple ribbons and signs that her students and fellow faculty members displayed on a fence outside of the school Friday.
Signs were hung that read "We Love You Mrs. Losch Wolfgang" and "Dreadnaughts Battle Everything Together."
When told Thursday about the ribbons and signs, she smiled and responded "cool, " said her good friend and fellow teacher, Janene Fitzpatrick.
Mrs. Wolfgang, an algebra and pre-algebra teacher for atrisk students at Lakeland High, died at home Sunday (Nov. 23, 2003) after a five-month battle with cancer. She was 48.
She was born in Oak Park, Ill., on June 8, 1955. She came to Lakeland after graduating from MacMurray College with a degree in deaf education.
Her career with the Polk County School Board spanned 27 years. She taught at Oscar J. Pope, Southwest Junior High School and Lakeland High School, where she had been for the last 71/2 years.
She was recently featured on national television for her involvement in the Lakeland Pink Flamingo Queens, a women's group that she and several other women founded.
Mrs. Wolfgang and her husband, Clem, were married February 2, 2002.
"She was so vibrant. The first time that I ever laid eyes on her, I knew she was special, " Clem Wolfgang said. "She always had a smile for everybody, no matter how bad the situation."
She was active with the Girl Scouts of America, serving as a Brownie leader and a Junior Girl Scout leader. She was a Longaberger basket consultant, and a member of the Shining Stars branch. She was a majorette sponsor at Southwest and LHS. She was a faculty sponsor of the Debonettes service club. She attended St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Wolfgang is survived by her father, Ron Failing, Illinois; daughters, Holly Losch and Amanda Losch, both of Lakeland; and siblings, Jeffrey, Kelley, Patrick, and Michael, all of Illinois.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 this evening at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 1820 State Road 540 A, Lakeland. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to cancer research.
Central Florida Casket Store, Lakeland.
TANYA EDWARDS, 17
Student
LAKELAND -- Miss Tanya Marie Edwards of Lakeland died Thursday (Nov. 27, 2003) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. She was 17.
Born Aug. 31, 1986, in Bartow, she was a lifelong resident of Lakeland. She was a student. She attended Victory Assembly of God. She was in the Independent Living Program.
Miss Edwards is survived by her mother, Glenda Stephens, Lakeland; father, William Edwards, Jr., Lakeland; brothers, William Edwards, III, Allen Miller, Irvin Gay and Charles Miller, all of Lakeland; and sisters, Tabitha Edwards and Gabrielle Gay, both of Lakeland.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Lanier Funeral Home. Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Victory Assembly of God, Lakeland.
William Harter, 45, Alligator Trapper
LAKELAND -- Mr. William H. "Billy" Harter, also known as "Billy the Gator Man, " was an outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting and racing cars.
"If Billy wasn't on the back of a nuisance gator, taping its mouth shut, you would find him at a race-car track, " said his mother-in-law, Ellen Bryan.
The licensed nuisance alligator trapper died Tuesday (Oct. 21, 2003) from injuries sustained in a helicopter accident. He was 45.
Born in Tampa on Dec. 6, 1957, he came to Lakeland from Valrico in 1994.
He worked in Hillsborough County and nearby areas as a licensed alligator trapper for more than 12 years.
"The largest nuisance gator that he caught was 13 feet, 11 5/8 inches in length, and he was proud that it was recorded in Florida's nuisance alligator records, " Bryan said.
After marrying his wife, Julie, more than nine years ago, he taught her the art of gator trapping, and she became one of his assistants. She described him as a very loving, warm, caring family man who was by her side helping with anything that she did.
"He would always help anyone who needed it, " Julie Harter said. "And young children were always really drawn to him."
He was known for his culinary skills, especially when it came to barbecue and grilling, and he often cooked for family gatherings, friends, weddings, racetrack events and other events.
Mr. Harter was a race car enthusiast for many years, and recently worked on a race car with Don Goodson of Goodson's Farms, who was recently injured in a helicopter accident.
"Don Goodson and Billy were inseparable. If the race car was running, Billy was right there in the race car with him, and if alligators were being caught, Don was right there with him. I guess they shared each other's occupations, " Julie Harter said.
He was a member of the Kathleen High Booster Club and the Citrus Festival Livestock Committee. He was a member of the Kathleen Area Historical Society and the Goodson Racing Team.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Harter is survived by his sons, Justin Harter, Seffner, Lee Holland, Duette; daughters, Shannon Harter, Lithia Pinecrest, Monica McFarland, Lakeland; sisters, Sharon Pasley, West Chester Canal, Ohio, Peggy Jump, Durant, Nancy Turnbow, Urbana, Mo., Tammy Dodd, Bradenton Beach, Barbara McClain, Reynoldsburg, Ohio; three grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 this evening at Lanier Funeral Home, 717 W. Griffin Road, Lakeland. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bethel Baptist Church in Lakeland.
CHARLES RICHARDSON, 54
Polk Co. Board of County Commissioners
WINTER HAVEN -- Mr. Charles Ronald Richardson of Winter Haven died of cancer Wednesday (Oct. 1, 2003). He was 54.
He was born in Bartow on June 8, 1949. He was on the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. He was a member of First Missionary Baptist Church in Winter Haven.
Mr. Richardson is survived by his wife, Karen J. Richardson; sons, Charles R. Richardson Jr., Elden Richardson, both of Winter Haven; daughters, Janine Richardson, Winter Haven, Ericka Richardson, Altamonte Springs; father, Elijah Richardson, Bartow; sisters, Glorida Washington, Bartow, Gwendolyn Gibson-Pelzer, Lakeland; brothers, Richard Richardson, Bartow, Carlton Richardson, Wellington; one grandchild.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Gause Funeral Home, 625 S. Holland Parkway, Bartow. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Missionary Baptist Church in Winter Haven.
J. Michael Grady, 56, Juice Bowl
LAKELAND -- Mr. J. Michael Grady, president and chief executive officer for Juice Bowl, died Thursday (Aug. 7, 2003) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center of complications following surgery. He was 56.
"Mike was truly committed to the Lakeland community as well as the citrus industry, " said Andy LaVigne, the chief executive officer at Florida Citrus Mutual in Lakeland, the state's largest growers' representative. "He was part of a great citrus family."
Born in Glen Ridge, N.J., on Sept. 30, 1946, he served in the Air Force in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968.
He came to Lakeland in 1968 to join Juice Bowl Products Inc., a company that his father, Jack Grady, had purchased two years earlier. Together, he and his father ran the business that made a brand name through a contract providing most major domestic and international airlines with its line of canned juices. While serving as director of sales and marketing, he obtained a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Central Florida.
Mr. Grady's family sold the business in 1982 to Campbell Soup Co. He and his father, along with partner Terry Simmers, bought the company back in 1999, with Michael Grady serving as president and chief executive officer.
"Coming back to Juice Bowl was a gift to him, " said his daughter, Kim Grady Brock, the company's current marketing director. "It was like coming back home. It was his passion."
The company's main business expanded into packaging for several national beverage brands, including Arizona Beverage Co., Sobe and juice products under different labels. It also had its own label of nine 100 percent juices and blends and processed oranges for frozen concentrate.
"Mike absolutely loved the business, " said Lisa Rath, the executive director of the Florida Citrus Processors Association in Winter Haven. "They have a small operation that has awfully big ideas. I think Juice Bowl is an icon in the Lakeland economy because of the Grady family."
Mr. Grady enjoyed spending time at his house on Anna Maria Island, boating, and spending time with his twin daughters and grandchildren. "Our last grandchild was born just three weeks ago -- a little girl named Lindsey Michael, " said his wife of 35 years, Lynn Grady said.
He also did a lot of work with the Community Foundation.
He belonged to First Presbyterian Church.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Grady is survived by his daughter, Kristen Milligan, New York; father, Jack Grady, Lakeland; brother, Paul Grady, Pennsylvania; sister, Suzanne Lincoln, California; five grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 4 p.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church, Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lakeland Regional Medical Center Foundation, the Watson Clinic Foundation or the Community Foundation.
Gentry Morrison Southside Funeral Home.
