Lucille Irene Epps
Lucille Irene Epps, age 70, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001.
She was born Jan. 31, 1931, in New London, Conn. Lucille was a resident of this area since 1969.
She was the daughter of the late Hugo H. Fitzpatrick and Edythe Strickland Fitzpatrick. Lucille was a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church of Mary Esther, Fla. She was also a member of the Mohegan Tribe, as well as the VFW Auxiliary (Fort Walton Beach) and the Air Commandos Association.
She is survived by a son, Thomas Patrick Epps; daughters, Majorie Petak and Rayne Ann Lanzing; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Thomasina Hollingsworth.
Memorial services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Thursday at McLaughlin Mortuary Chapel.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, is entrusted with arrangements.
Dorothea Mackown
Dorothea Leisner Mackown, age 97, homemaker and loving grandmother, died Dec. 14, 2001, in Titusville, Fla.
She was preceded in death by her husband Philip in 1995.
Dottie was born in Philadelphia in 1904, seventh of 12 children of George and Caroline Bergner Leisner. She lived in Chicago and Meriden, Conn., before moving to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., in 1955, where she was employed in sales and service by Mitchell and Stella Benaquis.
Dorothea is survived by a daughter, Patrica Mackown; son-in-law, Tony Shibly of Titusville and daughter Carolynrose Gentile; son-in-law, Nicholas of Atlanta.
Survivors also include grandsons, Philip-Elias and Gabriel-Maroun Shibly, and Nicholas Gentile Jr. of Chapin, S.C. Surviving granddaughters are Angela Elledge of Atlanta, Gina Gentile of Waialua, Hawaii, and Dorothy Houston-Gentile of Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Dorothea Mackown also had three great-granddaughters, Zoc and Dylan Rose Elledge and Isabella Gentile.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, and Saturday, Dec. 22, from 9 to 10 a.m. at McLaughlin Mortuary.
A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church with Father Mike Cherup officiating. Interment will follow in Beal Memorial Cemetery.
McLaughlin Mortuary is entrusted with arrangements.
Michael Chandler Cornwell
Michael Chandler Cornwell, age 51, a resident of Niceville, Fla., for over five years, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001, unexpectedly at home.
He was born on July 16, 1950, in Plymouth, Mass.
Michael was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Cornwell. He enjoyed the waters of Okaloosa County, camping and the outdoors. Michael was also a lover of all animals.
Michael is survived by his mother, Carol A. Cornwell of Pembroke, Mass.; brother, Alan A. Cornwell and wife Donna of Niceville; sisters, Bonney Cornwell Hanson and husband Steve of Niceville, Carleen Cornwell McCarty and husband Paul of Atlanta; nephew, Kevin Cornwell of Niceville, Brian Cornwell of Jacksonville, Fla., and Arthur McCarty of Atlanta; and niece, Kelly McCarty of Atlanta.
Visitation for family and friends will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home. A memorial service will begin from 6:30 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Empty Stocking Fund, Northwest Florida Daily News, P.O. Box 2949, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549; and also to Pet Welfare, P.O. Box 1914, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Interment will be at a later date in Pembroke Center Cemetery, Pembroke, Mass.
Arrangements entrusted to McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home in Niceville.
Russell Lee Luke
Russell Lee Luke, age 79, of Crestview, Fla., died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2001, at the Beverly Healthcare North Okaloosa in Crestview.
Mr. Luke was born in Svea, Fla., on June 21, 1922, to Alsa and Dora Ballard Luke and was a lifelong resident of the Northwest Florida area. Mr. Luke was retired from civil service and had been in the maintenance department of Water and Sewer. He was a member of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Crestview.
Mr. Luke was a loving husband, father and grandfather and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.
He was preceded in death by his sisters, Cleo Boyette and Carlene Luke; and brothers, Jay and Ollie Luke.
Survivors include his wife, Eva Luke of Austin, Texas; daughter, Roselyn Luke Locke of Crestview; brother and sister-in-law, Collis and Beatrice Luke of Campton, Fla.; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A time of visitation will be conducted at the funeral home on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.
Funeral services will be conducted from the chapel of Whitehurst Funeral Home at
2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, with the Rev. Dr. Billy Joy and the Rev. Dr. Donnie Cadenhead officiating. Interment will follow in Liveoak Park Memorial Cemetery in Crestview.
Floral tributes will be accepted at the funeral home.
Arrangements and services under the direction of Whitehurst Funeral Home in Crestview.
John Voss Sober
John Voss Sober passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 5, 2001, after suffering a recent mild heart attack.
John was born July 8, 1928, to Frances and Voss Sober. Upon completing high school, John served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He later attended Upsala College in East Orange, N.J., where he graduated in 1953 with a physics degree. His subsequent career included his position at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., from 1968 until his retirement in 1985.
John is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jean F. Sober; their four children, Jeff Sober, Aurel Perry, Steve Sober and Melinda Martin. In addition, he is survived by 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; as well as his three sisters, Virginia Petruzillo, Martha Kerr and Helen Pesci.
John loved his family, his dogs and a good game of golf. He will be fondly remembered by his family and friends as a person of ingenuity, moderation and giving. He will be greatly missed.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at McLaughlin Mortuary Chapel with the Rev. Harold Thomas officiating. Burial will follow at 1:15 p.m. in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla.
Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to PAWS, Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, 752 N.W. Lovejoy Road, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, is entrusted with arrangements.
Russell Kennedy
Russell Kennedy, 1920-2001.
A "Celebration of His Life" will take place at Point Washington Methodist Church, 1290 North Hwy. 395, at 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10. Call 231-4928.
Miriam Ford Whitehead
Mrs. Miriam Ford Whitehead, age 56, of Dailey Street in East Brewton, Ala., passed away Saturday morning, Dec. 8, 2001 at her residence after an extended illness. She was a native of Fairmont, W. Va., and a resident of Brewton, Ala., since 1997. She was an accounting clerk by trade and a member of The East Brewton First Church of Nazarene.
Survivors include her mother, Marabelle Reese (William Ray) Villers of Fairmont, W. Va.; her husband, Coy Whitehead of East Brewton, Ala.; son James Edward (Tammy) Herlihy of Fairmont, W.Va.; daughter Tiffani Nicole (Scott) Arrington of Williston, Fla.; brother Sammy Jo (Obetia) Bilotta of Tyler, Texas; sister Christina Marie (Richard) Watkins of Edmond, Okla.; three grandchildren, Michael Herlihy, Emily Herlihy, and Gabrielle Herlihy; and three nephews, Earl Bilotta, Christopher Bilotta, and Derek Watkins.
She was preceded in death by her father, James Bryan Ford, Jr.
Visitation will be held Monday night, Dec. 10, 2001 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Funeral services for Mrs. Whitehead are scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2001 at 10 a.m. at The East Brewton First Church of Nazarene, East Brewton, Ala., with Rev. James Meadows and Rev. Herbert Heller officiating. Interment will follow in Ft. Crawford Cemetery with Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Brewton, Ala., directing.
Juanita Wilda Fuller
Mrs. Juanita W. Fuller, age 84, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001 in a local hospital.
She was born in Bibb County, Ala., on Nov. 3, 1918 to the late Willis H. and Ida Shoults Smitherman. She moved to the Fort Walton Beach area in 1966. She was employed at the Coronado Hotel in Fort Walton Beach for many years.
Mrs. Fuller is survived by one son, Clifford E. Fuler of Fort Walton Beach; one sister, Dorothy Caroll of Birmingham, Ala.; and one brother, Robert Smitherman of Moscow, Texas.
The family will receive friends at Emerald Coast Funeral Home from 1 p.m. to
2 p.m. Sunday.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, 2001 in the Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Bill Reese officiating. Interment will conducted Monday, Dec. 10, 2001 in the Plantersville Christian Cemetery in Plantersville, Ala.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Rd. N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of local arrangements.
Col. Frank N. Emory
Frank N. Emory, age 83, of Valparaiso, Fla., passed away at a local hospital on Monday, Dec. 3, 2001. Frank was a fighter pilot. Born in Seattle, Wash., in 1918, he grew up on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. He entered the aviation cadet program shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked, and was commissioned in 1942 after completing flight school at Luke Field. While assigned to the 351st Fighter Squadron at Richmond Army Air Field in Virginia, before departing for England, he met his bride-to-be, Margaret Ann Carroll. They were married in February of 1942. Frank flew two tours in P-47s and P-51s from May of 1943 to May of 1945 out of southern England, primarily flying fighter sweeps, bomber escort and interdiction missions, including direct support of the D-Day invasion.
While assigned to the Spokane Air Depot following the drawn down at the end of World War II, his son Steve was born in 1947. Not long after, he got a flying slot with the new F-80s at March Field, Calif. Following a MAAG tour to Ankara, Turkey in the early 1950s, he was assigned to the 435th Eagle Squadron at George AFB, Calif., flying F-86s and F-100s as the operations officer and later commander. Following a remote tour to Korea with the 69th Fighter Bomber Squadron in 1957 and assignment to HQ 9th AF at Shaw AFB, S.C., he was assigned as squadron commander of the 356th "Green Demons" Tac. Ftr. Sq., at Myrtle Beach, S.C., flying F-100s.
Following his assignment to the IG team at Hq TAC from 1962 to 1965, he was selected to join the Tactical Air Warfare Center and command the 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (Prov) "Skoshi Tiger" project for the combat test of the F-5 in Vietnam, flying over 100 combat missions. Following the completion of the Skoshi Tiger project in 1966, Frank was assigned as vice commander of the 36TFW at Bitburg, flying F-4s, and was then appointed deputy director of operations for the 17th AF at Ramstein AB, Germany. Frank was selected vice commander of the Tactical Air Warfare Center at Eglin AFB, Fla., where he retired as a colonel in 1971 after 30 years of dedicated service to his country.
Frank spent his retirement making new friends, hunting, fishing, renovating the house he loved, and spending countless hours recounting ole days, ole times, ole friends.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret A. Emory of Valparaiso, his son Steve and daughter-in-law Peggy of Eden, Utah, as well as his nieces and nephews and their families, including Dr. Tom Carroll and Mike Caroll of Richmond, Va., and Thomas and Mark Emory of Seattle, Wash.
A memorial service will be held at the Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Walton Beach 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Frank will later be intered at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Rd. N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
