Harvey Howard Jones
Harvey Howard Jones, age 81, a longtime area resident, passed away Friday, May 3, 2002.
Harvey was born in Germano, Ohio to John Miles and Ula Vern Jones. He was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to Eglin Field as a soldier in the Army Air Corps during World War II. While here he met and married Bobby Broxson of Holley.
He was honorably discharged as a tech sergeant at the end of the Second World War. He began a civil service career at Eglin's McKinley Climatic Laboratory while it was being built. There he was supervisor of electrical maintenance until retirement in 1977.
Harvey and Bobby have been members of the First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach since 1952. He served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and Sunday school superintendant for many years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge also for many years.
Harvey was preceded in death by his parents and son, Alan Michael Jones.
Harvey is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Bobby; son Howard and wife JoAnn; grandchildren Carson and Julie of Navarre; granddaughter Kimberly Brown and husband John of Fort Walton Beach; son Richard, wife Jean and their children Jason and Jamie of Des Moines, Iowa; granddaughter Heather Duke of Niceville; granddaughter Amie Parker and husband Brian of Fort Walton Beach; and great grandsons Trenton Tucker and Ethan Parker, both of Fort Walton Beach. He is also survived by his sister, Ula Mulhall of Euclid, Ohio.
Family will receive friends at Emerald Coast Funeral Home Monday, May 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. A service will be at First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach on Tuesday, May 7, at 2 p.m. Interment will follow at Harper Cemetery, Billory Baptist Church in Holley, Fla.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
James A. Duricy
Maj. James A. "Crush" Duricy of Niceville, Fla., was killed April 30, 2002, while conducting a flight test mission over the Gulf of Mexico. He was 35.
Graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989, Maj. Duricy would go on to hold positions as a T-37 instructor pilot, F-15 pilot and experimental test pilot. He had been conducting flight tests of air-to-air missiles since January 2001 at the 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base. His military decorations include the Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster.
Maj. Duricy was born Feb. 9, 1967, in the Cleveland suburb of Euclid, OH. He is remembered as an active member of Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Church in Niceville and a dedicated and loving husband and father.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine Armstrong Duricy of Niceville; daughters, Erin and Kate Duricy of Niceville; parents, Irene and Arthur "Art" Duricy of Willoughby, Ohio; and sister, Christine Benigar.
A military memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Eglin West Gate Chapel. The service is by invitation only to family, friends and co-workers. The Rev. J. Craig Williams will officiate a local service at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, at Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Church in Niceville.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the "James Duricy Family Education Fund," c/o Merrill Lynch, 3601 C. St., Penthouse Suite West, Anchorage, AK 99503, Attn: Wendy Wright.
Irene Langford
Irene Langford, age 84, of DeFuniak Springs, Fla., passed away Sunday, May 5, 2002, at a local care facility.
Irene was born on Aug. 10, 1917, in Walton County, Fla., to Perry Henderson and Maude Emmett Henderson. She was Methodist by faith. Irene was a lifelong resident of DeFuniak Springs.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Peck Langford; and parents, Perry and Maude Henderson.
Survivors include her brother, Robert Henderson and wife Peggy of Pensacola, Fla.; sisters, Lurie Born of Pensacola, Jeanette Wooten of DeFuniak Springs, and Finny Mason of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; nephews, Ken Mason of Fort Pierce, Fla., and Troy D. Mason Jr. of Fort Walton Beach; as well as two great-nephews, Kevin Mason of Miami, and Dustin Mason of Maitland, Fla.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, in the chapel of Clary-Godwin/Comander Funeral Home, 230 Park Ave., DeFuniak Springs, with the Rev. Robert Penton officiating. Burial will follow in Magnolia Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the chapel of Clary-Godwin/Comander Funeral Home.
Floral contributions will be accepted.
Clary-Godwin/Comander Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.
Anastasia Christakos
Anastasia Christakos, a longtime resident of Andalusia, Ala., and later Niceville, Fla., passed away Friday, May 5, 2002, at the Manor at Bluewater Bay.
Anastasia was born on June 6, 1921, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, to James H. and Andonia Christakos, and was the oldest of eight children. She married Dr. James G. Christakos on Dec. 30, 1948. After living in Chicago for several yers, she and her husband moved to Alabama and lived in Andalusia from 1958 until 1991, when they relocated to Niceville. While in Andalusia, Mrs. Christakos was an active member of several garden clubs, serving multiple terms on the Alabama state board of garden clubs, as well as being an active member and officer in the Altrusa Club, the Sunshine Club, and the Friends of the Library. Anastasia was an accomplished artist and enjoyed arts and crafts. She had a beautiful handwriting and was frequently called upon to pen proclamations and documents for the city and other organizations. She was a lifelong member of the Greek Orthodox Church and active in the Mobile, Ala., church.
Anastasia was a devoted and loving wife and mother and was deeply affectionate toward her family, her sisters and brothers and their families. Anastasia leaves behind her devoted husband of 53 years, Dr. James G. Christakos; her son, Gregory and wife Starla; grandchildren, James and Michael; sister, Penny and husband Dr. Ignatios Voudoukis of Detroit; sister, Gloria and Jimmy Bazos; sister, Maria of Willowdale, Ontario, Canada; brother, Harry of Toronto; sisters-in-law, Helen Christakos and Katie Christakos of Sudbury, Ontario; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home in Niceville.
A private funeral service and burial will be held on Thursday, May 9.
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home, Niceville, is entrusted with arrangements.
Robert A. Childs
Robert A. Childs, age 67, of Niceville, Fla., died Sunday, May 5, 2002.
Mr. Childs was born in Hartford, Ala. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a senior master sergeant, having served over 24 years. He was an avid fisherman and loved to fish in any river.
Mr. Childs is survived by his loving wife, Marilyn Childs of Niceville; son, Robert A. Childs Jr., also of Niceville; daughter, Shelia Wood and husband Terry of Niceville; brothers, William J. Childs and wife Tish of Pensacola, Fla., and James B. Childs and wife Erika of Punta Gorda, Fla.; and grandchildren, Austin White and wife Beth, Jordan White, Jacob Wood, Lindsay Wood and Kyle Wood.
Friends and family will gather at noon Wednesday, May 8, at Sunset Cemetery in Valparaiso, Fla., for a brief time of visitation, followed immediately with graveside services and military honors.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Covenant Hospice, or to a charity of your choice.
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home, Niceville, is entrusted with arrangements.
Jean Crawford Miller
Jean Crawford Miller, age 81, of Niceville, Fla., died May 4, 2002.
Jean was married to Robert v. Miller for 39 years and he preceded her in death in 1988. Jean is survived by her brother, McSween Crawford of Niceville; sisters, Pauline C. Kinney of Freeport, Fla., and Geraldine C. Lewis of Jasper, Fla.; sister-in-law, Kathleen T. Crawford of DeFuniak Springs, Fla.; as well as several nieces and nephews.
A time of visitation will be held at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, at First Presbyterian Church of Niceville with Dr. Michael Swain officiating.
Active pallbearers will be officers of the First Presbyterian Church of Niceville, and honorary pallbearers will be members of Dorcas Circle of the Presbyterian Church.
Graveside service and interment will follow in Euchee Valley Cemetery in Walton County, Fla.
Flowers will be accepted, or donations may be made to Covenant Hospice.
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.
Donald Ralph Burnett
Donald R. Burnett was born Sept. 16, 1906, in Madison, S.D., and passed away May 22, 2002.
He was an Eagle Scout. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1931 with degrees in geology and mining and metallurgy. He married Beulah Wren in 1934; she passed away after 65 years of marriage.
Don joined the South Dakota National Guard when he was 15 and served in World War II. He graduated from the Army Command and Staff College; was a member of the Strategic Bombing Survey Team, and retired from the Air Force Reserve as a colonel.
He received the Certificate of Honor for Distinguished Service after working for the Bureau of Reclamation and serving as director, Project Development, in Washington, D.C., for 35 years. Don was assigned to Manilla, P.I., with Agency for International Development, where he headed up a major water resource development project. Following retirement, he consulted in Saudi Arabia, and eventually settled in Fort Walton Beach in 1969.
An avid golfer, Don was a longtime member of the Fort Walton Beach Golf Association, and also enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law, Judith and Jerry Ziegenhorn, Joan and Walt Humphrey and daughter, Lynne Allen; grandchildren, Gene and Pam, Joel and Anne Ziegenhorn, Douglas and Bruce and Carol Humphrey, David and Bryan Allen; and eight great-grandchildren.
No visitation. Private services will be held.
Donations may be made to Hospice of the Emerald Coast, P.O. Box 459, Crestview, FL 32536.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, is entrusted with funeral arrangements.
Aubrey C. Garrison
Aubrey C. Garrison, age 85, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Friday, May 24, 2002 in a local hospital.
Aubrey moved to this area 20 years ago from Atlanta, Ga., and was a retired Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force with over 20 years of service. He was preceded in death by this wife, Margaret Mitchell Garrison.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Carol Lynn and James H. Cameron, of Peachtree City, Ga.; brother Ed Garrison of Lanett, Ga.; one grandchild, Robert Todd Bennett of Newman, Ga.; and three great grandchildren.
No services are scheduled at this time.
Mr. Garrison requested that his body be cremated.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is entrusted with the arrangements.
Jeanne M. Sheppard
Jeanne M. Sheppard died at her home in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on May 23, 2002, after a two-year battle with cancer.
Born Jan. 25, 1929, Mrs. Sheppard was a retired school teacher who spent her final teaching years at Freeport Elementary.
Daughter of George and Marie Sheffield, Jeanne was born in St. Petersburg, Fla. She received her B.A. and master's degree from the University of Florida. She lived and taught in Gainesville, Fla., Augusta, Ga., Germany, and since 1972, Freeport, Fla.
Jeanne was an active member of the Christian Science Church in Fort Walton Beach and the Delta Kappa Gamma educational sorority. She was talented in ceramic painting and those who have some of her works will treasure them.
A loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Jeanne was surrounded by family and friends her last days.
She was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, Jean B. Sheppard, retired educator. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Michael and Ellen Sheppard, Cindy and John Tidwell, Patricia and Charles Williams, and devoted family friend, Jack Hicks. Grandchildren, Brian Whitledge, Melissa Earhart, Cari Sheppard, Chris Sheppard, Johnathan Tidwell, Jeffrey Tidwell and Logan Hicks. She is also
survived by three brothers and two sisters.
A memorial service will be held at St. Simon's Episcopal Church in Fort Walton Beach on Tuesday, May 28, at 3:30 p.m.
Donations may be made to Covenant Hospice, 101 Hart St., Niceville, Fla., in memory of Jeanne Sheppard.
Mamie Naomi Bowman
Mamie Naomi Bowman, age 82, born April 24, 1920 in Shirley, Ind., went to be with the Lord on Friday, May 24, 2002.
Naomi, known to all as "Granny Bo," was preceded in death by three loving children, David E. Bowman and wife Eunice of Elberta, Ala.; Carolyn S. Enzer and husband Raymon L. Enzer of Mary Esther, Fla.; Nancy L. Williams and husband Tom Williams of Pensacola, Fla.; nine granchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
Naomi attended Hollywood Baptist Church and was a loving mother and wonderful grandmother. Her presence will be deeply missed.
Family will receive friends Monday evening, from 6 to 8 p.m. at McLaughlin Mortuary. Funeral services will be conducted from Hollywood Baptist Church on Tuesday, May 28, at 10 a.m. with Rev. Willie Pace officiating.
Interment will follow in Rose Lawn Cemetery, Gulf Breeze, Fla.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is entrusted with the arrangements.
