Robert Roy Means
Robert Roy Means, 83, of Fort Walton Beach, passed away peacefully at the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center on Sept. 14, 2000, after a lengthy illness.
Robert was born May 15, 1917, to Roy and Rhea Means of Kansas City, Mo. Graduating from Southwest High School in Kansas City and in 1938 from the University of Kansas with a Ph.D. in engineering, "Bob" Means went on to serve for 42 years in civil service. During that period, he was a civil engineer at Air Force and Navy bases throughout the Pacific and U.S. After his retirement in 1980, Mr. Means moved to Pensacola and later Fort Walton Beach, where he continued to work as a consultant to engineering and contracting firms, including several in Pensacola.
He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Jayhawk Alumnus, and the MENSA intellectual society. He was also a Life Grand Master Bridge player and could sometimes be found looking for a card game at the Docie Bass Senior Citizen Center.
Bob Means is survived by his wife, the former Betty Jo (Bea Jay) Whiteside, of Fort Walton Beach; his son, Glen Means, of Navarre; two grandsons; and by his brother, William G. Means of Atlanta.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept, 18, 2000, at Emerald Coast Funeral Home, Fort Walton Beach.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Rd. NE, Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Sallie Summerlin
Sallie Summerlin, 70, of Crestview, Fla., passed away on Saturday morning, Sept. 16, in a local hospital.
She was born in Andalusia, Ala., on Jan. 31, 1930 to Walter Ray and Dollie Atkins Cotton and was a lifelong resident of Okaloosa County. Mrs. Summerlin was a retired certified nursing assistant and attended Westside Assembly of God.
Survivors include two sons and their wives, David and Theresa Summerlin of Crestview and Michael and Darlene Summerlin of Baker, Fla.; one sister, Julie Peaden of Baker; two grandchildren, Christy Hagstrom and Brandon Summerlin; and one great-grandchild, Aaron Hagstrom.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, 2000, from the Chapel of Brackney Funeral Service, with the Rev. T.V. Kolmetz officiating. Burial will follow in the Goodhope Congre-gational Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home.
Brackney Funeral Service, Crestview, is in charge of the arrangements.
Frank Beckham Taylor
Frank Taylor, 76, of Niceville, Fla., died on Thursday morning, Sept. 14, 2000, at home.
Frank, a retired Master Chief Boatswain's Mate, resided in Walton or Okaloosa county since 1992.
He is survived by his wife, Bobbie Taylor; three children; and two grandchildren.
There will be a celebration of Frank's life from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000, at the Tri-Village Volunteer Fire Department on Highway 20 in Choctaw Beach.
Please bring a covered dish and join us.
Instead of flowers, the family requests those desiring to make contributions in honor of Frank to the Tri-Village Volunteer Fire Department, 13837 Highway 20, Niceville, Fla., 32578.
Manuel Roy Seal
Manuel Roy Seal, age 62, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2000 at his residence.
Manuel retired from the Air Force in 1977 after 21 years of dedicated service. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked for Military Defense Contractors at Eglin for 23 years until his retirement in March of 2000.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Seal of Fort Walton Beach; two sons, William (Patti) Roy Seal of Vernon, Fla., James Andrew Seal of St. Croix, Virgin Islands; a daughter, Phyllis (David) Willis of Newton, Ala.; a brother, Leonard Ray Seal; and five grandchildren, Christopher Lee, Kristen, Riley and Jacob Seal, and Samuel Willis.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m. at Little Chapel Funeral Home with the Pastors David Willis and Michael Roberts officiating.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Internment will be in Beal Memorial Cemetery.
Flowers will be accepted but the family asks that a donation be made to a charity of your choice. Little Chapel Funeral Home, 910 Beal Parkway, Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of the arrangements.
Matthew Riley Partin
Matthew Riley Partin, age 2, passed away Sept. 15, 2000, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
He was born on Jan. 27, 1998, in Yokota, Japan, the son of Jonathan Brett and Jennifer Jones Partin.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by his siblings, Megan and Madden Partin of Yokota, Japan; maternal grandparents, Ken and Keiko Jones of Fort Walton Beach; paternal grandparents, Willard and Kathleen Partin of Maineville, Ohio; maternal great-grandparents, Kanji and Nobuki Shimanuki of Tokyo, Japan, and Dorothy Jones of Englewood, Fla.; paternal great-grandparents, Ethel Bockhold of Cincinnati of Ohio, and Edith Partin of Somerset, K.Y.; aunts, Stephanie and Aya Jones of Fort Walton Beach, Abigail Partin of Maineville, and Brandy Forrester and husband Brian of Cincinnati; and a cousin, Brody Forrester.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach with Pastor Howard L. Gates Ph.D. officiating. Interment will follow in Beal Memorial Cemetery.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Willie Mae Roberts
Willie Mae Roberts, a short-time resident of Crestview, Fla., passed away Sept. 14, 2000.
Survivors include two daughters, one of Crestview, Ruby Powell and husband Elder Theodore Powell; two sons; 34 grandchildren, one of Crestview, Yvonne Johnson; 56 great-grandchildren, one of Crestview, Jessica Johnson; one great-great-grandchild; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at McKinnie Funeral Home, 398 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Crestview.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Church of God By Faith, White Road, Callahan, Fla. (Mrs. Roberts' hometown). Elder Robert McGriff, Pastor, Elder George Matthews will officiate.
Carol S. Luedecke
Carol S. Luedecke, age 53, passed away in her Destin, Fla., home on Sept. 19, 2000, following a courageous battle with cancer.
She was a native of Birming-ham, Mich., and came to Destin by way of Atlanta eight years ago.
Carol is survived by her husband, John Luedecke; and two sons, John Andrew "Andy" Luedecke, age 24, of Atlanta, and William Scott "Scotty" Luedecke, age 16, of Destin. Other survivors include her mother, Katy Spinning of Bloomfield, Mich.; her sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Patrick Shier of Burlington, Iowa; her brother and sister-in-law, William "Bill" and Laura Spinning of Salt Lake City; her stepdaughter, Kale Bowen of Victoria, Texas; and a long list of in-laws and their families who reside in Texas.
She was the owner and president of CSL Inc. Environmental Products in Destin, an international company that was recently profiled in both The Wall Street Journal and Florida Trend Magazine. The Smokers' Outpost, her brainchild, is currently shipped around the world.
Mrs. Luedecke graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, with a BA degree in education and art. Early in her career she was a #####er for Sanger Harris Federated Department Stores in Dallas, and later for JC Penney in Los Angeles.
She was a founding member of the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Board of Directors in Destin, and a member of the Destin United Methodist Church. Carol was presented with this year's "Sterling Award" - the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation's most prestigious award given to that special person who exemplifies commitment, purpose, spirit and vision to the foundation. She was honored for her "Courage in Spirit, Ambition for the Arts, Rich in Wisdom, Optimism through Challenges, and Love for All."
Before relocating to Destin she worked with the organizing committee that brought the Olympics to Atlanta, and co-chaired The Festival of Trees, Atlanta's largest fund-raising event to benefit critically ill children.
Her greatest legacy, however, will be as a positive mentor, motivator, spiritual warrior and friend to all who knew her. She will always be remembered for her boundless energy and enthusiasm, her marketing wizardry, and her love of family, staff, people, dancing, tennis and exercising.
A memorial service celebrating Carol's life will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, at Destin United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, or to a local charity of your choice.
John J. Pietenpol
Maj. John J. Pietenpol, U.S. Air Force retired, age 67, of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., died Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000, at his home in Santa Rosa Beach.
Mr. Pietenpol was a retired Air Force pilot with 20 years of service. He was born in Granton, Pa., on Aug. 1, 1933.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sandra Pietenpol of Santa Rosa Beach; children, Tim Pietenpol of Santa Rosa Beach, Scott Pietenpol of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Debra Premow and husband Ray of Santa Rosa Beach, and Dawn Duenas and husband Ken of Santa Rosa Beach; sisters, Yvonne Cole of Destin, Fla., and Carmen Wojnarowiez and husband Richard of Milwaukee; nephews, Paul Mehlos and wife Becky, Fred Mehlos and wife Diane, and Mike Kane, all of Destin; and nine grandchildren, Brandon, Kenny, Mark, Kevin, Matthew, Brian, Melanie, Samantha and Kathleen.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22, at McLaughlin Mortuary Chapel with an Air Force chaplain officiating. Burial will follow at 1:15 p.m. in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla., with military honors.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, is entrusted with arrangements.
Stacy Lynn Cooke
Stacy Lynn Cooke, age 28, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away Sunday, Sept. 17, 2000, at her home.
Stacy was a lifelong resident of Fort Walton Beach and a member of First Pentecostal Church of Niceville.
Survivors include her daughter, Crystal Whitehead; father, Gary Cooke, both of Fort Walton Beach; mother, Sherry Hord; brother, Chad Hord, both of Bunnell, Fla.; and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cooke of Fort Walton Beach, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Anchors of Niceville, Fla.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at First Pentecostal Church of Niceville with the Rev. Ken Boler officiating.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Pentecostal Church of Niceville, Little People of America (LPA), or to a charity of your choice, in memory of Stacy Cooke.
Brackney Funeral Service, Crestview, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.
Betty Jean Knippenberg
Betty Jean Knippenberg, age 69, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., went to join her husband, mother, father, brother and sister on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000, after an extended illness.
Betty moved to this area in 1992 from Dayton, Ohio.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin; twin sister, Nela Dean Mize; parents, Henry and Ida Garrett; and brother, Karl.
She is survived by her dearest friend, Dorothy McCarthy of Fort Walton Beach, who took care of her through her illness; and her nephew, Kelly Carrico of Crestview, Fla. She is also survived by a special friend, Kathy Strickland; and numerous other friends from Fort Walton Beach and Dayton, who will miss her dearly.
Betty was ready to go on to a better place and was greatly appreciative of the Hospice nurses who took care of her during her illness.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Emerald Coast Funeral Home.
Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, in Beal Memorial Cemetery with Chaplain Frank Dole officiating.
The family graciously accepts flowers or donations may be made to Hospice of Northwest Florida.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
