Geraldine Claire Heishman
Geraldine Claire Heishman of Gainesville died Wednesday at Shands at AGH. She was 75.
Mrs. Heishman was a secretary.
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., she moved from Carlisle, Pa., to Gainesville 25 years ago.
Survivors include her husband, Garrett Heishman Sr. of Gainesville; three sons, Garrett Heishman Jr. and John Heishman, both of Gainesville, and Bruce Heishman of St. Augustine; and two grandchildren.
Billie D. Meatyard
Billie D. Meatyard of Gainesville died Thursday at her home. She was 93.
Mrs. Meatyard was a bookkeeper for a real estate company in Pensacola.
Born in Williston, she moved from Pensacola to Gainesville 28 years ago. She attended school in Levy County.
She attended Methodist Faith Church in Pensacola.
Mrs. Meatyard was preceded in death by her husband, Edward E. Meatyard.
Survivors include two nieces, including Joyce Schafer Smith of Gainesville.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Hospice of North Central Florida in Gainesville.
Emmitt E. Perry Sr.
Emmitt E. Perry Sr. of Gainesville died Monday at his home after a long illness. He was 85.
Mr. Perry was a retired bellman. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Lake Butler, he moved from Tampa to Gainesville 52 years ago.
He was a member of Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church.
Mr. Perry enjoyed playing chess and checkers.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Martha Perry-Taylor.
Survivors include his wife, Terethra Perry of Gainesville; four daughters, Mary Isaac and Wilhelmina Blake, both of Gainesville, Harriet Davis of Newark, N.J., and Tracy Davis of Tampa; three sons, Emmitt E. Perry Jr. and Hugh Lester Bradley, both of Gainesville, and Saviol King of Denver; 17 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
Doris Burnsed Starling
LAKE CITY -- Doris Burnsed Starling of Lake City died Thursday at Vencor Hospital in Green Cove Springs after a long illness. She was 76.
Mrs. Starling was a homemaker.
Born in Moniac, Ga., she lived most of her life in Columbia County.
She enjoyed fishing.
Mrs. Starling was a Baptist.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ovie Starling.
Survivors include four sons, Johnnie Edward Starling, Arthur Lamar Starling and Joseph Boyd Starling, all of Lake City, and Larry Lee Starling of Savannah, Ga.; three daughters, Linda Faye Harris, JoAnn Altia Murray and Teresa Marie Prince, all of Lake City; 24 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Betty Jo Hamblin
LAKE CITY -- Betty Jo Hamblin of Lake City died Friday at Avalon Health Care and Rehabilitative Center in Lake City after a long illness.
She was 58.
Mrs. Hamblin was a convenience store manager.
Born in Pinetta, she moved 27 years ago from Jacksonville to the Lake City area.
Mrs. Hamblin belonged to the Church of God faith.
Survivors include one daughter, Linda Chapman of Alachua; four sons, Carl Thompson Jr. of Calahan, and Darrel Thompson, Thomas Thompson and Jerry Hamblin, all of Lake City; three sisters, Etta "Gerry" Groover of Lakeland, Lois Ann Harrington of Lake City and Frances S. Poore of Cross City; one brother, Alton M. "Gene" Strickland of Alachua; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Jesse W. James
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. -- Jesse W. James of Cedar Key died Friday at Peach Belt Nursing Home in Georgia. He was 72.
Mr. James was a retired instrument mechanic for Georgia Kraft. He also served in the Navy during World War II.
Born in Macon, Ga., Mr. James moved about 15 years ago to Cedar Key.
He was a Baptist.
Survivors include three sons, John Daniel James of Ocoee, Terry William James of Macon and Ronnie Gladin of Lizella, Ga.; two daughters, Linda Carol May of Warner Robins and Sandra Smith of Macon; a brother, John H. James of Macon; a sister, Betty Moore of Macon; and four grandchildren.
Violet Fern Juett Kyle
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- Violet Fern Juett Kyle of Altamonte Springs died Wednesday in Altamonte Springs. She was 85.
A longtime Gainesville resident, Mrs. Kyle was a homemaker. She also worked in the office of Service Manufacturing, an Indiana tool and die company owned by her husband.
Mrs. Kyle was born in Scott County, Ky., and moved to Muncie, Ind., where she graduated from Muncie Central High School.
She later came to Gainesville, where she lived for 40 years until moving last year to Altamonte Springs.
Mrs. Kyle was a Baptist and also belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Woodrow Kyle, in 1993 and her son Walter W. Kyle in 1997.
Survivors include her daughter, Ann Knadle of Longwood; her sister, Sallie Brown of Muncie; four granddaughters; and one great- granddaughter.
John L. Allen Jr.
John L. Allen Jr. of Gainesville died Sunday at Hospice of North Central Florida. He was 77.
He was born in Waycross, Ga. and came to Gainesville from Quitman, Ga., in 1958. Mr. Allen was a U.S. Marine and a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of the Carol Estates Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy L. Allen of Gainesville; a son, John L. Allen III of Gainesville; two daughters, Donna Brown and Denise Maturo, both of Gainesville; a sister, Anita Colgan of Fort Walton Beach; and four grandchildren.
Ruby Clark Brown
Ruby Clark Brown of Gainesville died Friday at The Oaks Residential and Rehabilitation Center in Gainesville. She was 75.
She was born in Oak Grove and came to Gainesville in 1971 from St. Petersburg. She was a legal secretary and a member of the Calvary Baptist Church of Gainesville.
Mrs. Brown is survived by two daughters, Janice Moore of Loudon, Tenn., and Tracie Sheppard of Gainesville; a sister, Lecrecy Archambault of Concord, Calif.; a brother, Theo Clark of Branford; and three grandchildren.
Reba Evon Drawdy
Reba Evon Drawdy of Steinhatchee died Friday at Hospice of North Central Florida. She was 63.
Mrs. Drawdy was born in Cross City and was a lifelong resident of the area. She was a homemaker and was a Baptist. She loved arts and crafts and gardening.
She is survived by two sons, George Drawdy of Salem and Ben Drawdy of Perry; two daughters, Delaine McCall of Salem and Nancy Todd of Perry; one brother, Dekle Stanley of Steinhatchee; two sisters, Catherine Stanley of Steinhatchee and Lucille Garaghan of Jasper; and nine grandchildren.
Daniel Patrick Henry Jr.
Daniel Patrick Henry Jr. of Windsor died Saturday at Shands at AGH in Gainesville. He was 78.
He was born in Ft. Bend, Ind., and moved to Windsor 30 years ago from Ocala. He retired from Shands at the University of Florida in 1983 and was a member of the VFW Post 2811 of Gainesville. He was a member of the Hawthorne Firefighters Aid.
Mr. Henry was a member of the St. Phillips Neri Catholic Church in Hawthorne and the Knights of Columbus.
He is survived by his wife, Bessie Faye Mullins Henry of Windsor; two sons, Dan Henry III of Ocala and John Mullins of Windsor; five daughters, Ruth Applegate of Atlanta, Ga., Hope Kelly of Ocala, Nola Ward of Newberry, Pat Sansbury of Trenton and Penny Wynn of Trenton; a brother, Dr. Richard Henry of Ingliss; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
