Walthum Vance Lord
SUWANNEE -- Walthum "Walley" Vance Lord of Suwannee died Saturday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville. He was 64.
Mr. Lord was born in St. Augustine and moved to Suwannee from Toomsboro, Ga., 35 years ago.
He was a net fishing guide.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and he was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Mr. Lord was a Baptist.
Survivors include a daughter, Anita Ramage Warner of Robbins, Ga.; a son, Walter Lord of Suwannee; his mother, Oveda Lord of Macon, Ga.; and two grandchildren.
Madeline L. McDougald
LAKELAND -- Madeline L. McDougald of Lakeland died Sunday at Carpenter's Home Manor in Lakeland. She was 93.
Mrs. McDougald was born in Jasper and moved to Lakeland from High Springs two years ago.
She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of High Springs.
Mrs. McDougald was preceded in death by her husband, Quitman "Daddy Mack" McDougald.
Survivors include two daughters, Jackie Fortner of Lakeland and Patricia McDougald of New York City; two grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Earl Lamar Raines Jr.
MIAMI -- Earl Lamar Raines Jr. of Miami died Sunday at Baptist Hospital in Miami. He was 71.
A native of High Springs, Mr. Raines moved to Miami 35 years ago.
Survivors include his mother, Myrtie Nettles of West Palm Beach; two sisters, Marcheta R. Holton of Brandon and Azilda Cooper of West Palm Beach; and a brother, Christopher L. Nettles of Dunnellon.
Mildred L. Etheridge
CHIEFLAND -- Mildred L. Etheridge, a lifelong resident of Chiefland, died Monday at Shands at AGH. She was 88.
Mrs. Etheridge was a homemaker and a member of Hardee Town Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 68 years, Jessie Auburn Etheridge of Chiefland; three sons, Franz Etheridge of Titusville, Frank Etheridge of Chiefland and Clayton Etheridge of Mesa, Ariz.; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great- grandchildren.
Trey Lvonnie Sceals
Trey Lvonnie Sceals, the 4-month-old son of Karri Elizabeth Sceals and Andrew Lvonnie Hill Jr. of Gainesville, died Monday at his home in Gainesville.
In addition to his parents, Trey is survived by two brothers, Tyler Jordan Sceals and Trevor Michael Sceals, both of Gainesville; his maternal grandparents, Verona and Brian Chittum of Gainesville and Gary and Barbara Sceals of Gainesville; his paternal grandparents, Andrew Williams of Gainesville and Anna Marie Crippen Hill of New York City; his maternal great-grandparents, Betty and Jimmy Summerall of Gainesville; and his paternal great-grandparents, Thom and Annette Crippen of Long Island, N.Y.
Wesley H. Sizemore
CHIEFLAND -- Wesley H. Sizemore of Chiefland died Sunday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City following an extended illness. He was 76.
Mr. Sizemore was born in Kewanee, Mo., and moved to Chiefland from West Plains, Mo., in 1990.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a lifelong member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Chiefland.
Survivors include his wife, Dolores Sizemore of Chiefland; a daughter, Evelyn Garcia Gray of Yellow Springs, Ohio; two sons, Wesley H. Sizemore Jr. of Key West and B. Wayne Sizemore of Fort Mill, S.C.; two sisters; four brothers; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Bernard Lee Thompson
CEDAR KEY -- Bernard Lee Thompson of Cedar Key died Monday at Oakview Rehabilitation Center in Williston. He was 68.
Mr. Thompson was born in Sylvania, Ga., and moved to Cedar Key 29 years ago.
He was an employee of Florida Power Construction. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Mr. Thompson was the founder of the Youth Athletic Team of Cedar Key.
He was a member of the National Rifle Association and the First Baptist Church of Cedar Key.
Survivors include his wife, Harriet Thompson of Cedar Key; three daughters, Mildred Day of Milledgeville, Ga., Rhonda Lombardo of Cedar Key and Laurie Meeds of Elsie; three sons, Thomas L. Thompson of Savannah, Ga., Hill Thompson of Milledgeville, Ga., and William Wheeler of Cedar Key; two sisters, Grace Mock and Betty Scott, both of Georgia; four brothers, John Thompson, Donald Thompson, Kelly Thompson and Lavonne Thompson, all of Georgia; and five grandchildren.
Shirley Dene Witmer
OLD TOWN -- Shirley Dene Witmer of Old Town died Saturday at her son's residence in Cross City. She was 68.
Mrs. Witmer was born in St. Petersburg and moved to Old Town from Ruskin six months ago.
She was a furnace operator at a glass factory for Tropicana Orange Juice. She was a Baptist.
Survivors include three daughters, Dorothy Couch of Knights Town, Ind., Lela Fye of Largo and Paula Olsen of Norway; a son, Paul Witmer of Cross City; and a brother, Ray Bowren of Porterville, Calif.
Gerald Thomas Bennett
Dr. Gerald Thomas Bennett of Gainesville died Saturday at Shands at the University of Florida. He was 62.
Dr. Bennett was a UF professor emeritus at the University of Florida College of Law, where he served as a professor from 1968-1998.
Dr. Bennett was born in Miami and lived in Gainesville since 1964. He earned a bachelor's degree from St. Bernard's College in New York, a master's degree from Barry College in Miami and a doctorate degree from UF in 1966.
He was a coordinator for the advanced trial advocacy program with the American Bar Association from 1979-89 and served on the criminal rules committee of the Florida Bar Association from 1972 until the present. He was also a member of the 8th Judicial Circuit Bar Association and was a fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Science.
Dr. Bennett served on the Chester Bedell American Inn of Court XIV, the James C. Adkins Jr. American Inn of Court LXXVII, several Florida Supreme Court committees, the Governor's Task Force for Criminal Justice Reform.
He was director and instructor for the Criminal Trial Practice Institute, a training program for prosecutors and public defenders; and a consultant to the Florida Legislature and Governor's Office.
Dr. Bennett was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the Order of the Coif and the UF Law Review. He earned the L. Clayton Nance award from the Florida Public Defender's Association in 1985 and the Selig K. Golden Memorial Award in 1994 in recognition of his lifetime contributions to the criminal justice system.
Dr. Bennett attended Holy Faith Catholic Church.
He is preceded in death by his father, Luther C. Bennett.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Schlitt Bennett of Gainesville; one son, Kevin Gerald Bennett of West Palm Beach; one daughter, Katherine Cecilia Cone of Hawthorne; his mother, Cecilia M. Bennett of Gainesville and one grandson.
Chester McMillan Rodgers
Chester McMillan Rodgers of Orem, Utah, died Thursday in Orem due to a head injury suffered while playing flag football at Brigham Young University. He was 18.
Mr. Rodgers was attending Utah Valley State College in Orem. He was a 1999 graduate of Buchholz High School, where he was a varsity soccer player and was a member of the Chamber Singers, Drama Club, Thespian Honor Society and Classy Cats.
He was a lifelong resident of Gainesville and was an Eagle Scout. He was voted "Most Spirited" by his Buchholz senior classmates.
Mr. Rodgers was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gainesville.
Survivors include his parents, Dr. Lawrence Jr. and Marian B. Rodgers of Gainesville; a brother, Joshua M. Rodgers of Gainesville; four sisters, Laura K. Barton of San Antonio, Texas, Joy K. Gardner of Provo, Utah, Meredith G. Rodgers and Ashley E. Rodgers, both of Gainesville; his paternal grandfather, Lawrence W. Rodgers of Falling Water, W.Va.; his paternal grandmother, Mary Nealiecq Langford of Gainesville; his maternal grandfather, John Bacheller of Atlanta; and his maternal grandmother, Pucky Gee Bacheller of Seattle, Wash.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the Drama Boosters or Soccer Boosters at Buchholz High School in Gainesville.
Jenny Gilles Block
Jenny Gilles Block of Gainesville died Saturday at North Florida Rehab and Specialty Care Center after a long illness. She was 85.
Mrs. Block retired as director of general accounting at the Orlando Utilities Commission. She also formerly taught French and German in high school and college.
She was born in Brussels, Belgium, and moved from Orlando to Gainesville 13 years ago.
Mrs. Block attended college in Switzerland and later attended Boston University.
She was preceded in death by a son, Karl B. "Chip" Block Jr.
Survivors include a daughter, Marie Block of Gainesville; and two granddaughters.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the Block Memorial Law Fund, Law Center Association Inc. in Gainesville or to the Alzheimer's Association.
