U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
James W. Gainer
Chief Master Sgt. James W. "Sam" Gainer, U.S. Air Force retired, passed away Tuesday morning, Dec. 7, 1999, after a bout with cancer.
He died at his home in Shalimar, Fla., with his family. He was 76 years old.
Sam was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather and friend. He will be remembered in the hearts of his family and all who knew him. Sam was born on Dec. 26, 1922, in Blountstown, Fla., to the late Hugh Patrick and Malzie McDaniel Gainer. His family were pioneers who settled North Florida with Andrew Jackson.
Sam served proudly in the U.S. Army Air Corps and the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a chief master sergeant after 26 years of service. During his service in the military he trained women pilots during World War II, participated in the Berlin Airlift and served in Saudi Arabia. At his retirement he was chief of maintenance at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich. After his retirement from the military he worked for Northwest Florida Office and School Supply in Fort Walton Beach.
Sam was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Walton Beach, where he served as an Elder. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge 172 F&AM and past Grand Master. Sam was an avid sportsman, skilled craftsman and a Seminole fan.
Sam is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Helen Purvis Gainer of Fort Walton Beach; daughters, Elizabeth Thomason and husband Mark of Bradenton, Fla., Jamie Reynolds of Punta Gorda, Fla., Marie Long and husband Louis of Tallahassee, Fla., and Patricia Patterson and husband Jim of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.; brother, Hugh Martin of Birmingham, Ala.; grandchildren, Rebecca Adams, Reggie Horn, Willie Eccleston, Terry Shipes, John Long, Michael Long and Calla Patterson; and great-grandchildren, Jesse Adams, Stephanie Horn and Savannah Shipes.
Graveside services will be conducted at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla., with full military honors.
A memorial service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Walton Beach with the Rev. Jack Walchenbach officiating.
The family will greet friends at the funeral home from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to First Presbyterian Church of Fort Walton Beach in memory of Mr. James W. Gainer.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, entrusted with arrangements.
Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward, age 97, of Freeport, Fla., died Friday, Dec. 10, 1999, in a local hospital.
Mr. Ward was a lifelong resident of the Freeport and Bruce, Fla., area. He was Assembly of God by faith and enjoyed gospel singing. He will be missed greatly by all who knew him.
Mr. Ward is survived by one son, A.C. Ward of Freeport; daughters, Altha Tullis of Freeport, Gearldine King of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., Earlene Gavin of Freeport, and Montez Carter of Bruce; sister, Anna Infinger of Freeport; 23 grandchildren; and numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mr. Ward will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at Clary-Godwin Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Louis Taunton officiating. Burial will follow in Hatcher Cemetery in Freeport.
A time of visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel.
Grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Flowers are being accepted and donations may be made to the Creek Indians of Bruce.
Clary-Godwin Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.
Mary Hilliard
Mrs. Mary Hilliard, age 65, of Pensacola, Fla., died Dec. 7, 1999, in a local hospital.
She was a native of Chipley, Fla., of the Lutheran Faith, and a retired Montoso employee.
Survivors include her sons and daughters-in-law, Thomas and Debbie Connors, Barry and Regina Connors of Pensacola, Joseph and Twanna Connors of Fort Walton Brach, Fla.; brother, Hilton Turner of Kokomo, Ind.; sisters, Evang. Gwen Sistrunk of Chipley, Fla., Pricilla Griffen of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Eleanor Turner of Tallahassee, Fla.; stepmother, Melissa Turner of Chipley; and 17 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 13, at Jehovah Lutheran Church in Pensacola with the Rev. Warren Davis officiating. The remains will lie in state at the church one hour prior to services.
Interment will follow in Northside Cemetery in Chipley, Fla.
Randall J. Fabacher
Randall J. "Randy" Fabacher, age 43, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1999, at his residence.
Born in Lafayette, La., Randy was the son of the late Clarence J. Fabacher and the former Theresa Hollier. He attended Northside High School.
For the past 11 years Randy had resided in Fort Walton Beach, where he worked for Marble Works. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and will be missed by his family. He enjoyed playing golf with his friends.
Survivors include his wife, the former Mary Granger of Fort Walton Beach; daughters, Tiffany Baker and husband Bryan, Brandy Adamic and husband Steve, and Lacey Fabacher; son, Colby Fabacher, all of Fort Walton Beach.
Services were held in Lafayette.
Evelyn Isabell McGary
Evelyn Isabell McGary, age 85, of Fort Walton Beach, passed away Friday, Dec. 10, 1999, at the St. Raphael Home.
Evelyn was born Jan. 5, 1914, in WeVaCo, W.Va., to the late Thomas and Rosie McGary. She has lived in the Fort Walton Beach area since 1980 and was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church.
Mrs. McGary was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her two daughters, Evelyn J. McCarron and her husband Thomas J. of Fort Walton Beach and Barbara Jean Miles and her husband William of Camp Verde, Ariz.; 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Evelyn will be 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13, at the Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Ashley N. Pogue officiating. Graveside services and interment will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, at Churchyard-Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress, Calif. Friends may visit with the family Monday, one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Raphael Home, 219 Alden Drive, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547, is in charge of local arrangements.
William Lloyd Hawley
William Lloyd Hawley, 84, died in a Destin nursing home Dec. 10, 1999. Mr. Hawley was born in Neosho, Mo., and was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn Hawley. Mr. Hawley moved to Fort Walton Beach from Indianapolis, Ind., in 1954. He retired from federal civil service after 31 years of service in Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Mo., Indianapolis and Eglin Air Force Base. He served in the U.S. Army, European Theatre during WWII. He attended Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Hawley was a former member of the Congregational Church of Neosho. Mr. Hawley's ashes will be interred at Fort Barrancas military cemetery in Pensacola, Fla.
McLaughlin Mortuary, Fort Walton Beach, entrusted with arrangements.
Robert Raymond Briggs
Robert Raymond Briggs of Destin, Fla., passed away at his home Dec. 2, 1999, after a long illness.
Robert was born on Dec. 13, 1922, in Pittsfield, Mass. After graduation from Pittsfield High School, he studied trombone at the New England Conservatory of Music with John Coffey of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He played professionally with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and later with the San Antonio Symphony before becoming a teacher of instrumental music in the Lee and Lenox Public School Systems. He was instrumental in forming the Pittsfield Community Concert Band and served as its conductor for many years. In addition to his music career, he was co-owner of Custom Cleaning, a residential cleaning business in the Berkshires. In 1986 he moved to Destin, where he thoroughly enjoyed his retirement years.
Robert was preceded in death by his father and mother, Raymond and Celia Briggs; and his sister, Dorothy Briggs. He is survived by his wife, Sharleenne Briggs of Destin; son, Thomas Briggs and wife, Gail of Ivoryton, Conn.; a daughter, Linda J. Briggs of Pittsfield; step sons, Tod L. Niedeck of West Cummington, Mass., and Jeffrey Niedeck of Canaan, Conn.; two granddaughters and four step-granddaughters.
Graveside memorial services will be conducted Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. in the Destin Cemetery. The Rev. Dave P. Dabria, priest associate at St. Andrew's By-The-Sea Episcopal Church in Destin will conduct the services. The Brackney Funeral Service, Crestview, Fla., is in charge of arrangements. There will be no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Robert's name to Bay Medical Hospice, 155 Crystal Bech Drive, Suite 135, Destin, FL 32541.
Guy Anthony Zoghby
Guy Anthony Zoghby, age 65, of Niceville, Fla., died Friday, Dec. 10, 1999, at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center after an extended illness.
Guy was born in Mobile, Ala., to Herbert M. Zoghby I and Laurice Haik Zoghby.
He had an independent legal practice of Mediation and Arbitration in Niceville after retiring as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of PPG Industries, Inc. Previously, he worked as an attorney for the IBM Corporation for 21 years. He was an Army officer from 1955 to 1965, serving in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He was one of the founding directors of the American Corporate Counsel Association and past president of American Judicature Society. He was active in the following organizations: American Arbitration Association, National Center for State Courts; Center for Public Resources; and the American Law Institute. He was on the Board of Visitors, University of Cincinnati College of Law.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Monday at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, with Guy's brother, Father James Zoghby officiating. The family will receive friends and relatives at the church following the service.
Guy is survived by his loving wife, Judy-ann Zoghby, of Niceville; daughter, Madelyn Zoghby of Silver Spring, Maryland; sons and daughters-in-law, Guy and Nancy Zoghby of St. Louis, Mo.; and Greg and Kathy Zoghby of Richmond, Va. He also has six grandchildren, Michael, Christopher, Benjamin, Nicole, Samantha and Andrew. His immediate family includes sisters, Mary Z. Haffner of Kennesaw, Ga., and Louise Z. Buckley of Metairie, La.; brothers, Herbert M. and James F. Zoghby of Mobile and John H. Zoghby of Crosby, Texas. He also has 10 nieces and nephews: Amy, Abby Judy, Mary, John, James Jeriad, Jessica, Erik and Eva.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to either Jubilee Association, 11141 Georgia Ave., Suite 324, Wheaton, MD 20902, or International Myeloma Foundation, 2129 Stanley Hills Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
McLaughlin Twin City Funeral Home, Niceville, is entrusted with arrangements.
Marvin J. Knippenberg
Marvin Knippenberg, age 69, of Fort Walton Beach, went to be with the Lord late in the evening on Friday, Dec. 10, 1999, in Gulf Breeze Hospital.
Mr. Knippenberg, originally from Indiana, had served in the United States Air Force in 1951, was honorably discharged in 1955 and moved to the Fort Walton Beach area in 1962. He later met and married Betty J. Garrett and they moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he worked for General Motors. Upon his retirement in 1993, they returned to the Fort Walton Beach area. Mr. Knippenberg was a member of the American Legion Post No. 235.
Marvin is survived by his wife, Betty J. Knippenberg, brother, Carl Knippenberg and his wife Carolyn of Lawrenceberg, Ind.; nephew, Kelly Carrico and his wife Pauline of Crestview, Fla; and other numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and good friend Dot McCarthy of Fort Walton Beach.
Funeral services for Marvin will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel. Friends may visit with the family Monday evening from 5 to 7 p.m.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547, is in charge of arrangements.
Ronnie Edward Baxter
Ronnie Edward "Bantie Rooster" Baxter, age 33, of Navarre, Fla., died Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999, at home.
Mr. Baxter lived in the Navarre area for the past 13 years. He was an avid pool player; founder of Stingray Pool Team; and shot in a pool league for 10 years. He also loved to fish. He was a wonderful husband and father and will be missed greatly.
Survivors include his wife, Janett Baxter of Navarre; son, Zachary Baxter; stepdaughter, Kandiss Glidden; parents, Harry and Brenda Baxter, and Dewayne and Linda Lanham; brothers, Curtis Baxter and Michael Lanham; and sister, Terry O'Neal.
Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Beal Memorial Cemetery with the Rev. George Keller, pastor of Billory Baptist Church, officiating.
Lewis Funeral Home, Navarre Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
