Dr. William Gibbs Eden
Dr. William Gibbs Eden, a former chairman of the University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology, died Thursday at his home in Pell City, Ala. He was 81.
Dr. Eden was a longtime professor and retired captain with the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Born in Talladega, Ala., Dr. Eden earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Auburn University and his doctorate at the University of Illinois. He was a member of several scientific and academic honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta and Sigma Xi.
"He liked people, " said Dr. Jim Nation, a UF professor in the entomology and nematology department. "He worked well with all kinds of people. He was a very upbeat type of person as a department chairman. He was a very good person for that type of role because he looked out for people. He tried to help people."
"It's a great loss to the entomological community and a personal loss to all of us who knew him real well as a department chairman, " Nation added.
During World War II, Dr. Eden was commissioned as an ensign with the U.S. Naval Reserve and assigned to the U.S.S. LaVaca, commanding amphibious assault craft in the South Pacific until his ship entered Tokyo Bay for Japan's surrender ending the war.
Dr. Eden authored 69 scientific papers in the field of economic entomology. He was a professor at Auburn University from 1948 until 1965, and chaired the entomology and nematology department at UF from 1965 until 1975.
He later served as professor of biology and director of planning and development at Lawson Community College in Birmingham, Ala.
A pioneer in the application of radioisotopes in entomology, Dr. Eden was a leader in eradicating the screwworm from cattle herds in the United States. In the mid-1980s, he traveled the world to evaluate the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Quarantine program. Active in the Entomological Society of America, he served as its president in 1972. He also gave service to the National Academy of Sciences, Alabama Association for Control of Economic Pests and university programs in Vietnam, Jamaica, Panama, Chile, Brazil and Costa Rica. He was also involved in special United Nations missions to India and Africa.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ida Evelyn Smith of Pell City; two daughters, Brenda Ann Powell of Cartersville, Ga., and Evelyn Jane Buttram of Perdido Key; one brother, George Grover Eden of Pell City; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to Lakeside Hospice, P.O. Box 544, Pell City, AL 35125.
Leon W. O'Hara
CHIEFLAND - Leon W. O'Hara of Chiefland died Friday at Ayers Health and Rehab Center in Trenton.
He was 85.
Mr. O'Hara was a retired line foreman for Florida Power Corp.
Born in Inverness, he moved from Apopka to Chiefland four years ago.
He was a Mason and a member of New England Heights Harly Town Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Lilly Mae O'Hara of Chiefland; a son, Billy O'Hara of Chiefland; two daughters, Loreine P. Gilliard of Louisville, Ga., and Nancy A. Thornton of Sanford; a sister, Mary Lee Kearny of Lake City; 10 grandchildren; and 20 great- grandchildren.
Oba May Royer
Oba May Royer of Gainesville died Friday. She was 83.
Mrs. Royer was a retired high school teacher.
Born in Emporia, Kan., she moved from Miami to Gainesville nine years ago. Mrs. Royer belonged to Grace United Methodist Church of Gainesville.
Survivors include her husband of 53 years, Dr. Harold L. Royer of Gainesville; her son, Harold L. Royer of Miami; her daughter Carol E. Royer of Social Circle, Ga.; and one grandchild.
Ernest "Bud" Newhart
Ernest "Bud" Newhart of Gainesville died Saturday. He was 79.
Mr. Newhart was born in New Hope, Pa., and moved here six years ago from New Hope. He was the retired owner of a printing company, a World War II recipient of the Purple Heart, a charter member of the New Hope Exchange Club and attended Grace Presbyterian Church in Gainesville.
Survivors include his wife, Alice Newhart of Gainesville; two sons, David Newhart of New Hope and Stephen Newhart of Arlington, Texas; one daughter, Linda Newhart Lotz of Gainesville; a sister, Erma Newhart of Doylestown, Pa.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Thomas Edward Rain
NEWBERRY - Thomas Edward Rain of Newberry died Saturday at Hospice House of North Central Florida in Gainesville. He was 74.
Mr. Rain was born in Newberry and was a lifelong resident. He was a member of Corinth Baptist Church, the Ira Carter Masonic Lodge 150 of Newberry, Scottish Rite of Ocala and the Morocco Shrine Temple of Jacksonville.
Survivors include his wife, Martha Rain of Newberry; two daughters, Joyce Belinda Wetzel of Bell and Tomi Elizabeth Rain of Newberry; a stepdaughter, Kimberly Camille of Newberry; a stepson, Richard M. Greene of Ocala; five brothers, Maxie Rain of Gainesville, Herbert Rain of Bell, Eugene Rain and J.M. Rain, both of Newberry, and Marion Rain of Avon Park; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Pauline C. Allen
JACKSONVILLE - Pauline C. "Polly" Allen of Jacksonville died Wednesday at her home. She was 77.
Mrs. Allen was a homemaker and a Baptist.
Born in Thomas County, Ga., she moved from Gainesville to Jacksonville last year.
Mrs. Allen was preceded in death by her husband, Buford Allen.
Survivors include a daughter, Martha Fay Allen of Gainesville; two brothers, Clinton Crowley Jr. of Black Canyon City, Ariz., and Jack Crowley of Hanover, Mass.; three sisters, Mariene Sprague of St. Augustine Shores, Ruth Courson of Gainesville and Marcel Corvin of Mississippi; three grandchildren; and numerous great- grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Veterans of Foreign Wars in St. Augustine.
Allie L. Brown
OLD TOWN - Allie L. Brown of Old Town died Thursday at Hospice House of Gainesville. She was 75.
Mrs. Brown was a physical therapist and a member of Full Gospel Church of Chiefland.
Born in La Belle, she moved from Fort Pierce to Old Town four years ago.
Survivors include two sons, Raymond Taylor of Okeechobee and Ray Taylor of Fort Pierce; a daughter, Dee Hodges of Cross City; two brothers, Harvey McDaniel of Fort McCoy and Tifton McDaniel of La Belle; two sisters, Madaline Day of Daytona Beach and Avie McDaniel of Pine Island; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Olive V. Cooke
HAWTHORNE - Olive V. Cooke of Hawthorne died Tuesday at Putnam Community Medical Center in Palatka after a long illness. She was 89.
Mrs. Cooke was born in Birmingham, England, and moved from Silver Springs to Hawthorne 14 years ago.
She was a member of the Orange Springs Homemakers Club and the Friendship Bible Church in Keystone Heights.
Mrs. Cooke was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Ernest G. Cooke.
Survivors include a son, Alan V. Cooke of Cornwall, England; three daughters, Valerie J. Army of Grafton, Mass., Joyce Baker of Hawthorne and Lauren L. Benoit of Melrose; seven grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Ruth Moore England
LIVE OAK - Ruth Moore England of Live Oak died Thursday in Live Oak after a brief illness. She was 98.
Mrs. England was a retired teacher and member of the First Baptist Church of Live Oak.
Born in Lake City, she moved from Jacksonville to Live Oak five years ago.
Survivors include two sons, Julian "Carl" Moore of Live Oak and Robert Lee Moore of Gainesville; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
