Ernest R. Hughey
Ernest "Ernie" Hughey, 63, of Valpariso, Fla., passed away June 27, 2001, at Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville after a brief illness with his wife, Alice, at his side.
Born on September 26, 1937, in Selma, Ala., he was a retired Master Sgt. USAF and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD). He was a life member of Amvets Post 78, Elks Lodge #2747, and EOD Master Blasters.
He is survived by his beloved wife Alice; his step-daughter Pamela "PJ" Riggs-Pillitteri; son-in-law Tony Pillitteri; two grandchildren, Paul Anthony and Mary Frances, all of Robbinsville, N.J.; and three sisters, Marjorie C. McElroy of Selma, Ala., Norma J. Moore of Lawley, Ala., and Kathryne A. Reeves of Cottondale, Ala.
It was Ernie's wishes that he be cremated with a private family burial service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Amvets Post 78 Honor Guard, Valpariso, Fla.
Birdie Mae Wilson
Birdie Mae Wilson, born Aug. 19, 1913, passed away June 30, 2001, at her residence at Emerald Coast Center, Fort Walton Beach.
She is survived by her daughters, Frances (Layton) Clark of Pleasant Grove, Ala., Laura Polk Parkton of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Sandra (Edward) Dagostin of Selma, Ala.; grandchildren Dianne Bonner and Michael Clark of Trussville, Ala.; and great grandchildren Derek and Kyle Bonner.
Visitation will be held at Emerald Coast Funeral Home from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday.
Birdie will be interred in a private ceremony at Beal Memorial Cemetery, Fort Walton Beach.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Rd. NE, Fort Walton Beach, is directing.
Claude Wilson Rogers
Maj. Claude Wilson "Buck" Rogers, U.S. Air Force retired, died Friday, June 29, 2001, at a local hospital after a life of 82 years, five months and five days.
A resident of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., he lived in the area since 1986.
Mr. Rogers was born in Rush, Ark., on Nov. 24, 1918, to the late Judge General W. and Chlora Upton Rogers. As an infant, Mr. Rogers moved to Gainesville (Ozark County) Mo., where he grew to manhood. He attended the University of Arkansas.
A member of the Greatest Generation, Mr. Rogers enlisted on Dec. 12, 1941, just five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Commissioned at Yale University, Maj. Rogers' combined Army Air Corps and Air Force service spanned World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. His final duty assignment was as chief of aircraft maintenance at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where he was retired in 1967. After military retirement, he was a licensed master aircraft mechanic for Boeing Aircraft Factory in Renton, Wash., and later operated the Ozark County abstract office.
Mr. Rogers was a 50-year member and Past Master of Robert Burns Masonic Lodge No. 496, and Past Worthy Patron of the Order of Eastern Star Chapter 432 in Gainesville, Mo. He was also a long-term member of the Oddfellow Fraternity.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Judge Clyde W. and G.W. Rogers Jr.; sister, Irene Bridges; and son, Claude W. Rogers Jr.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Dona P. Rogers; stepson and wife, Thomas B. and Patricia Mallette; and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Rogers. He also leaves to mourn his passage four stepgrandchildren, Marcus W. (Kim) Mallette, Herbert D. (Katie) Mallette, Karen E. (John) Boyd, and Marie M. (Michael) Nygard; and 10 step-great-grandchildren.
The cremains will be transported to Gainesville, Mo., for interment in the family plot.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may contribute to the American Cancer Society; Hospice; or to their favorite charity in Mr. Rogers' memory.
"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die" - W.W. Campbell
Sara Elizabeth Pilcher
Sara Elizabeth Key Pilcher, born Nov. 14, 1918, in Senoia, Ga., passed into eternal life June 28, 2001, after a blessed and happy life of 82 years.
She was a graduate of Atlanta Womens College, and in her youth was an accomplished tennis player and teacher. She was a postmaster of the Wright Post Office for four years. She was a 41-year resident of Fort Walton Beach, and a devoted founding member of the Calvary Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years Hugh Wallis Pilcher, and her two loved brothers, and sisters. She was a generous person with a caring heart, and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by children: Joe W. Pilcher and wife Deborah H. of Atlanta, Ga., Carl R. Pilcher and wife Linda R. of Brooksville, Fla., grandchildren: Jayna R. Pilcher of Lenoir, N.C., Scott R. Pilcher of Birmingham, Ala., Meghan E. Pilcher of Brooksville, Fla., and one great grandchild, Robbie Pilcher of Birmingham, Ala.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Calvary Baptist Church, Wright, Fla., on Tuesday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Joseph Smith officiating. Interment will follow the services at Beal Memorial Cemetery.
Little Chapel Funeral Home, 910 Beal Parkway, Fort Walton Beach, Fla. entrusted with the arrangements.
Kenneth Starr Franklin
Kenneth Starr Franklin passed away unexpectedly at his home on June 28, 2001.
He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was a valued friend, teacher and active member of Trinity United Methodist Church and a cheerful and effective leader in Trinity's Young at Heart Club. He was loved by many as a kind and "gentle" man.
Ken as born in Easton, Pa., on Jan. 26, 1918. He served his country during World War II in the U.S. Army, where he rose from buck private to first lieutenant. He served in the Quartermaster Corps in the Middle East in the Persian Gulf Command from 1943 to 1946. After the war, Ken worked for air conditioning supply companies Fielder and Warner Bellmar in New Jersey, and the Hussmann Corp. in St. Louis from 1956 until his retirement in 1983.
Ken loved to play golf, painted in oils, loved to fly, was an accomplished photographer, and was a "self taught" organist (was the organist for the local Elks Lodge 1795) ands together with Rita, his wife, genuinely enjoyed life. He was a lifetime member of RSES. Everywhere Ken lived he was active in church and community organizations and activities.
Ken is survived by his wife, Rita, and children, Ken Jr., wife Jill, grandchildren, Jeff, Tom and Charlie, Barbara Franklin, Dan Collins, wife Michelle, grandsons, Keith and Daniel, Donald Collins, wife Laurie and granddaughter, Shaina, and nieces, Paula Strickland and Valerie Windt, and nephews, Paul and Wayne Franklin.
Flowers are acceptable, or donations may be made to Trinity United Methodist Building Fund.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, July 7, at 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 403 Racetrack Road N.W., with the Rev. John H. Bonner presiding. The memorial service will be followed by a gathering of family and friends in Trinity's Memorial Fellowship Hall.
Ken was an organ and tissue donor. He requested cremation, which has been arranged by Emerald Coast Funeral Home.
Larry Marshall Ware
Capt. Larry Marshall Ware, U.S. Air Force retired, died June 29, 2001, in Sacred Heart Hospital after an extended illness.
Larry was born in Philippi, W.Va., on April 10, 1950, the son of Bradford D. Sr. and Eloise Cutright Ware.
Larry attended schools in West Virginia and enrolled in the ROTC program at West Virginia University. After graduation he joined the Air Force and served as an electronics warfare officer. Larry was stationed in California, Germany and most recently at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. He retired in 1993 and lived on the Emerald Coast for a number of years.
Larry is survived by his life partner, David Demery of Gulf Breeze, Fla. Also surviving are his father, Bradford D. Ware Sr. of Bedford, Va.; brother and sister-in-law, Bradford D. Jr. and Dorothy Ware of Martinsburg, W.Va.; brother and his life partner, Michael K. Ware and Gerard A. Machado of Bethlehem, Pa.; father-in-law, Robert Demery of Pennsville, N.J.; nephews, Jonathan and Patrick Ware of Martinsburg, Michael Kamenakis of Deepwater, N.J., and William Perry Jr. of Carneys Point, N.J.; great-nephew, Jordan Ware of Martinsburg; and several aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Linda Ware Pappas, and mother.
Larry was an active member of the Fairways at Tiger Point homeowners' association.
A service in celebration of his life will be held at Rose Lawn Funeral Chapel on Thursday, July 5, at 12:30 p.m., with interment following in Barrancas National Cemetery at 2 p.m.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, July 4, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Rose Lawn Funeral Home, Gulf Breeze, is in charge of arrangements.
Nell Dean Ballard
Nell Dean Ballard, born Sept. 19, 1920, passed away July 1, 2001, at Destin Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Destin, Fla.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Betty and Larry Ferris of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.; son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Beverly Reynolds of Fort Myers, Fla.; brother, Charles Bilbrey; sister, Willene Anderson of Russville, Ark.; granddaughter, Laurie Moore of Destin; grandson, Scott Ferris of Birmingham, Ala.; and five great-grandchildren.
Nell loved her family and friends and celebrated life to the fullest.
The family wishes to thank with heartfelt gratitude all the caregivers at Destin Health Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is entrusted with arrangements.
Jarrett Scott Silva
Jarrett Scott Silva, age 20, of DeFuniak Springs, Fla., died Saturday, June 30, 2001, at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Fla., as the result of an auto accident occurring May 29, 2001.
He was born on March 16, 1981, in Albuquerque, N.M., and lived in DeFuniak Springs for the past 10 years. He was a 1999 graduate of Walton High School and a member of the DeFuniak Springs Church of God.
Jarrett is survived by his father and mother, Bob and Judy Lee of Lafayette, La.; maternal grandmother, Aline Hall of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; sister, Nikki Silva of DeFuniak Springs; nephew, Austin Silva of DeFuniak Springs; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
A time of visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Comander Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 4, at Comander Funeral Home with the Rev. Troy Hare officiating. Entombment will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Sy Loman, Ray Short, Cody Osbourne, Johnny McCormick, Frank Parker, Brandon Coone, Pratt McHenry and Kirk McHenry.
Comander Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ida Calhoun Burritt
Her active mind ravaged by Alzheimer's disease and her energetic body confined to a wheelchair, Ida Calhoun Burritt died peacefully in her sleep on June 23, 2001, in Austin, Texas.
Because she had directed there be no memorial service, her family is taking this opportunity to recall her long life of quest and achievement.
Ida Reid Calhoun was born on Oct. 18, 1907, in Nashville, Tenn., the seventh child of Tyler and Ida Calhoun. Her father, a civil engineer by training, was by then co-owner of Calhoun's Jewelry, a business inherited from his father. Her mother had, before her marriage, taught the natural sciences at Nashville College for Young Ladies.
Ida grew up in a large stone house several miles from town. Life was not one of luxury, but of comfortable and very pleasant circumstances, enhanced by the imagination and enthusiasm of her parents. Ida and her brothers rode ponies to Robertson Academy and she later attended Ward-Belmont. In 1925, Ida graduated from high school in Florence, Ala. A few weeks later she married Lt. Theodore Leslie Futch, beginning her life as an Army wife at Fort Sill, Okla., where her daughter was born.
Following her divorce in 1929, Ida began her college studies at William & Mary. In 1934, she married Lt. George Evans Burritt and resumed her Army life at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. During their 56 years of marriage, Ida and Red lived at many posts, including pre-World War II Hawaii and postwar Europe. They also traveled extensively for pleasure. Ida made the most of every opportunity, studying and enjoying all that each location had to offer.
Whenever possible, she also studied formally, exploring subjects as diverse as fashion design, history, radio repair, literature and building construction before finally earning a BA in journalism (magna cum laude) from Texas Christian University in 1962. Afterward there were graduate studies in psychology and nutrition in Alabama and Florida.
Ida was an innovative Girl Scout leader, a talented hostess, a fine horsewoman and an inveterate worker of Double Crostics. During World War II, she worked for the Red Cross and then for civil service. After her graduation from TCU she was variously a reporter, editor, publisher and columnist for newspapers in Texas, Alabama and Florida.
In 1973, Col. and Mrs. Burritt moved to Destin, Fla., to better manage property inherited from her father who had settled here in 1931. Both Burritts immediately plunged into volunteerism and civic activities. Ida served for five years as a volunteer librarian of the then all-volunteer Destin Library, which her parents had helped found. She was editor for the fledgling Destin Log and later was a columnist for the Daily News. Often controversial, Ida wrote on a wide range of subjects and was never timid about stating her opinion.
A spirited activist for women's rights, she served as president of the local chapter of NOW and was a driving force behind the establishment of Shelter House, where she regularly answered the Hot Line until she was well into her 80s.
In 1993, Ida was named one of Destin's "Outstanding Seniors," a recognition she greatly enjoyed. In 1998, she was inducted into the Okaloosa County Women's Hall of Fame.
Ida was preceded in death by her husband, Col. George E. Burritt; and by her sisters, Dorothy (Mrs. G.P.) Winton, Alice (Mrs. H.M.) Cox, Corinne (Mrs. J.E.) Bailey, and Maria (Mrs. W.F.) Winton; and by her brothers, Col. Tyler Calhoun Jr., George Reid Calhoun III, and Maj. Gen. William Roberts Calhoun.
Surviving are her daughter, Ida Calhoun Scott of Austin, Texas; grandsons, Hugh Calhoun Scott and wife Susi of Cypress, Texas, and Craig Baxter Scott and wife Lillian of Cape May Court House, N.J.; and great-grandsons, Tyler and Donald. Locally, she is survived by her niece, Ethel Calhoun Forrest; nephew, Sam Harlan Calhoun; and nieces-in-law, June Winton and Carolyn Cox.
If desired, appropriate memorials would be to Shelter House, P.O. Box 220, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549; Heritage Museum Association, P.O. Box 488, Valparaiso, FL 32580; or to any agency dedicated to children's wellbeing.
Linda Smith Anderson
Linda G. Anderson died peacefully at home on Thursday, July 5, 2001.
Her mother, a gracious caregiver, was always by her side during her two-year struggle with cancer.
Survivors include her mother, Doris Smith; sisters, Debbie Stiles and Carol Cain, all of the Fort Walton Beach, Fla., area; and brother, Steve Smith of North Carolina; as well as four nieces and two nephews. She is also survived by her longtime companion, Dennis Budzinsky.
She is preceded in death by her father, Stan; and brother, Gary.
A private service will be held in Beal Memorial Cemetery with Linda's brother-in-law, Bill Cain, officiating.
Linda was born in 1963 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio. Most of her childhood and high school years were spent in the Fort Walton area. She ran her own house cleaning business and was well liked by all her patrons.
Linda placed her faith in Jesus for salvation two months before she passed away.
In lieu of flowers, Linda asked that donations be made to Hospice of Northwest Florida.
