Obituaries

Helen Marie Verplanck

 

 

HELEN MARIE VERPLANCK, 94
Postmaster

LAKELAND - Helen M. Verplanck passed away Sunday October 9, 2011 from natural causes. She was born in Remus, MI, moved to Boynton Beach, FL from Edmore, MI in 1979 and to Lakeland, FL in 1988.

Helen worked as Postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service for thirty years in Edmore. She was a former member of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Edmore, a member of Church of the Resurrection in Lakeland, life member of Edmore Women's Club and past president of Michigan Postmaster's Association.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Garrett who died in 1995. Survivors include her sons, Jim (Laura) Verplanck, Bill (Holly) Verplanck, both of Lakeland, Jon (Betty) Verplanck of Hobe Sound, FL, daughter, Susan (Ron) Kotenko of Edmore, MI, brothers, Charles W. Simon, Martin Simon, both of Edmore, MI, 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends Friday, 12 noon to 1:00pm at Resurrection Catholic Church. A memorial Mass will follow at 1:00pm. An additional memorial service will be held in Edmore in the summer of 2012. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice, 105 Arneson Avenue, Auburndale, FL 33823.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Homes, Southside Chapel.

Mary Ann Taylor

MARY ANN TAYLOR, 86

LAKELAND - Mary Ann Taylor, 86, died Sunday 10/16/11 due to heart failure.

Survived by son, John.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.

Donald Thomas Still

 

 

DONALD THOMAS STILL, 89
U.S. Army Veteran

LAKELAND - Donald Thomas Still, 89, of Lakeland, passed away Oct. 15 due to heart failure. Born in North Carolina, he moved to Lakeland in the 1930's.

He retired in 1984 after 30 years working as a sign painter for Goddard Sign Company. He was a WWII veteran serving under Gen. Patton throughout Europe. He was a member of All Saints Episcopal Church.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Pearl; his son William "Bill" Still and his wife Yvonne, his daughters Donna Taylor and husband Al, and Carol Perkins and husband Dave; his brother Thomas Still Jr.; his sisters Connie Bickford, Louise Glass, Jean Allen and Opal Melton; grandchildren: Brian Storch, Dustin Still, Levy Sheppard, Lacy Sheppard, Dylan Still, Ashley Reynolds; and 12 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011 at 11:00 am at the Socrum Cemetery in Lakeland. A visitation will be on Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside, 5245 US 98 N, Lakeland.

The family has requested that donations be made to Disabled American Veterans Chapter 28, 303 S. Veterans Ave., Lakeland, FL 33815.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.

Margaret "Peggy" Pater

MARGARET "PEGGY" PATER, 83
Homemaker

LAKELAND - Margaret "Peggy" Pater, 83, of Lakeland, passed away Oct. 12, 2011 in Brandon from complications of colitis.

Peggy moved to Lakeland from Valrico in 1989 and settled with her husband in Cypress Lakes where she was an original member of the Pioneers. She enjoyed playing golf and be a social member.

She was preceded in death by her husband John in 2004, and is survived by her son Raymond and wife Maryann, her daughters Debbie Byron and husband Lance and Kimberly Sadler and husband Brett; her brother Jack Spillane, sister Marie Rose; grandchildren Jason, Becky, Vicki, Samantha and Alexandra; and her 3 great grandchildren Brittany, Douglas and Michelle.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at St. Anthony Church at 8:30 am followed by burial in Serenity Gardens. A visitation will be held on Monday evening at the Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.

Alafaye Gordon Orlowsky

 

 

ALAFAYE GORDON ORLOWSKY, 78
Bookkeeper

LAKELAND - AlaFaye Gordon Orlowsky, age 78 passed away Monday, October 10, 2011 at Good Shepherd Hospice due to complications from Alzheimer's.

She was born in Blackshear, Georgia on October 3, 1933. She was a bookkeeper for the First United Methodist Church of Lakeland.

She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Peter Orlowsky; previous husband and father of her children, Wilburn Leon Borders Sr.; her sons, Wilburn Leon Borders, Jr., Ronald Borders; daughters: Lanette (Borders) Muehler and Brenda (Borders) Hays; brother, Milford Gordon; sisters, Wynell Nobriga and Ivalane Cook; four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be Thursday at 4:00pm at the First United Methodist Church, 72 Lake Morton Drive, Lakeland. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Southside Chapel.

Lucille Caroline Hinder Moss

LUCILLE CAROLINE HINDER MOSS, 89
Lakeland Public Library

TALLAHASSEE - Lucille Caroline Hinder Moss, 89, passed away on Tuesday October 11, 2011 from respiratory failure at Heritage Health Care, a former resident of Harbor Chase assisted living facility Tallahassee, FL.

Lucille was born on January 4, 1922 in Monkton, MD, to Joseph and Lillian Albright Hinder. She attended schools in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. She married Rex Moss in December 1945, after he returned from the war. Lucille was a longtime resident of Lakeland, FL, where she was employed by the Lakeland Public Library as secretary to the City Librarian for 23 years. They left their residence in Lakeland of 50 years in 2002 and moved to Tallahassee, FL.

One of her favorite hobbies was collecting cardinals, Hummels and crocheting. Many family members and friends have beautiful keepsakes she made for them. They will bring fond memories when they use them.

Lucille is survived by a daughter, Kathy Duval (and husband Paul); son Richard (and wife Diane); five grandchildren Robert Duval of Tallahassee, Deanna Duval of New York, NY and Caitlin Duval of Tallahassee, Jennifer Boyd (and husband Shannon) of Apopka, FL, great grandson Tyler Boyd and Matthew Moss (and wife Jessica) Oxnard, CA; brother Morris Hinder of Prattville, AL; sisters Ruth Schultz of Blossburg, PA and Loretta Schneider of Webster, FL; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Rex R. Moss; six brothers Joseph, Alfred, William, Charles, Robert and James; also two sisters, Margaret Gilbert and Dorothy Gneiser.

Visitation will be Sunday October 16, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home Southside, 1727 Bartow Rd in Lakeland. The funeral Mass will be Monday, October 17, 2011, 10:30 a.m. St. Joseph's Catholic Church with interment at Oak Hill Burial Park, Lakeland, FL.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Covenant Hospice, Tallahassee, FL.
We wish to express our sincere appreciation for the care, support and compassion offered by Harbor Chase, Heritage Health Center and Covenant Hospice.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Southside Chapel.

Thelma Mae Langley Medeiros

THELMA MAE LANGLEY MEDEIROS, 85
Tampa Tribune

FRANKLIN, N.C. - Thelma Mae Langley Medeiros, 85, passed away Sunday, October 16, 2011 at her home in Franklin, North Carolina of congested heart failure.

She was born in Lakeland, Florida, where she lived most of her life. She graduated from Lakeland High School in 1945. She worked as a secretary for the Tampa Tribune; was a charter member of the Chapel in the Grove Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, where she was a member of the choir for many years. In the 1950s and 1960s she was active in the Women's Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

She will be buried at Oak Hill Cemetery next to her husband, Manuel "Pete" Medeiros, who died in 2005, her mother, Mae Langley, and grandmother, Artie Langley. She is survived by her son Gerald Medeiros, two grandsons, Royce McDon-ald, Jr. and Chad McDonald (sons of her daughter, Donna Medeiros, who died in 2009) and two great-grandchildren, Allison and Trevor McDonald.

Visitation will be Wed. from 6-8 p.m. at Gentry-Morrison Southside Chapel, 1727 Bartow Rd., Lakeland. Funeral Service will be held Thurs. at 11 am at the Chapel In the Grove Presbyterian Church, New Jersey Rd, Lakeland. Rev. Jerry Connor will officiate.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Southside Chapel.

Mildred Gloria Lowery

MILDRED GLORIA LOWERY, 80
Homemaker

LAKELAND - Mildred "Gloria" Lowery, 80, Mother of Vickie L. "Patterson" Nickol, and formerly of Petal, MS, died October 11, 2011 of pulmonary fibrosis at her home in Lakeland.

She was born to William McKinley "Mack" and Gladys "Green" Rodgers on February 21, 1931 in Petal, MS. Gloria graduated from Petal High School in 1951. She was a loving wife, mother and homemaker.

She is preceded in death by her husband Larue G. Lowery. She is survived by her 3 children Gene Lowery of Long Beach, MS, Vickie "Patterson" Nickol of Lakeland, FL and Melinda O'Quin of Byram, MS. She is also survived by her sister, Mrs. Robert E. "Doris" James of Hattiesburg, MS, 6 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at Carterville Baptist Church in Mississippi on October 23 from 3-4:30pm. Memorials can be made to Carterville Baptist Church.

Gentry Morrison Funeral Home in Lakeland is handling arrangements.

Lucy Kerr

LUCY KERR, 97
Registered Nurse

LAKELAND - Lucy Kerr, 97, passed away of heart failure on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

Mrs. Kerr moved to Lakeland in 1960 from Coral Gables and was an RN employed by Mobil Chemical.

Mrs. Kerr was preceded in death by her husband Stephen. She is survived by son, Stephen and daughters, Marilyn Gelb and Elaine Sheehan along with 5 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and 6 great great grandchildren.

Arrangements by Gentry Morrison Funeral Homes.

Lillian "Jean" Hernandez

LILLIAN "JEAN" HERNANDEZ, 78
Homemaker

LAKELAND - Lillian "Jean" Hernandez, 78, of Lakeland, passed away Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, due to pneumonia.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011 at 12:00 noon. Viewing will be from 11:00 to 12:00 at the Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, 5245 US 98 North, Lakeland, with burial to follow at Serenity Gardens.

Jean was a resident of Lakeland since 1955 moving here from Alabama.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ignacio in 2005, and is survived by her 3 daughters, Brenda Gail Arnold, Ruby Letendre and husband Arnie, and Sandra Duff; a brother Jack Meredith and his wife Dollie; 3 grandchildren Shawn Duff, Amy Larson and Clint Letendre; and 3 great grandchildren, Paul, Preston, and Josie Larson.

Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.