Wilmer Vernon Chewning
SUWANNEE -- Wilmer Vernon Chewning died Sunday at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Lake City. He was 87.
He was a lifelong resident of Suwannee.
Mr. Chewning served in the U.S. Army and worked with furniture. He loved to work in his garden and fish. He was a member of Salt Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors include four daughters, Dolores Grinstead and Sue Hall, both of Dothan, Ala., Beverly Trautmann of Sedona, Ariz., and Cheryl Miller of Suwannee; two sisters, Vernera William of Jena and Thelma Hilson of Jacksonville; five grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Henry F. Dylla Jr.
MACINTOSH -- Henry F. Dylla Jr. died Saturday at his home in MacIntosh. He was 74.
He was born in Irvington, N.J., and moved to MacIntosh in 1989.
Mr. Dylla graduated from Cornell University and retired as a businessman. He was a veteran of World War II.
He was active in local and civic affairs, including the Boy Scouts of America and the Lenape Regional High School District Board of Education in Medford, N.J., and the Marion County Library Board.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Frances Farnsworth Dylla of McIntosh; a daughter, Linda Dyer of Medford; three sons, Fred Dylla of Poquoson, Va., Doug Dylla of Ithaca, N.Y., and Dan Dylla of Micanopy; and seven grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of donations to the Hospice of Marion County.
William B. Evans
WILLISTON -- William B. "Chuck" Evans died Monday at his Williston home after a long illness. He was 55.
He was born in North Carolina and moved to Williston 25 years ago.
Mr. Evans was a salesman. He was a member of the Pentecostal Cornerstone Assembly of God.
Survivors include his wife, Martha Jean Evans of Williston; two daughters, Tammy Horton and Leah Evans, both of Williston; two sons, Darrin Cavalletti of Williston, and Dean Clarke of Winston-Salem, N.C.; a sister, Annette Smith of Fayetteville; a brother, Mark Evans of North Carolina; and two grandchildren.
Patricia S. Hammill
Patricia Suomela Hammill of Gainesville died Sunday at Shands at AGH in Gainesville. She was 62.
Ms. Hammill, a retired legal secretary, moved from Vero Beach to Gainesville in 1993.
She was a Protestant.
Survivors include a daughter, Vicki Sabins of Vero Beach; two sons, Glenn Sanders of Vero Beach and Kenneth Sanders of Gainesville; her parents, Eino and Golda Suomela of Belle Vernon, Penn.; and three brothers, Marvin Scales, Rodney Scales and Harry Scales, all of Pennsylvania.
Lt. Col. Bernard B. Potthoff
Lt. Col. Bernard B. Potthoff of Gainesville died Saturday at his home. He was 83.
Lt. Col. Potthoff was retired from the U.S. Army, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II and earning a Bronze Star.
He was born in Houston and moved to Gainesville three years ago from Hilltop Lake, Texas.
He participated in the D-Day Normandy invasion in 1944 and served in campaigns in northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes and Central Europe.
For his service in Normandy, he was also awarded the Liberty Medal.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Faye Potthoff of Gainesville; a daughter, Rebecca Mitchell of Gainesville; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Mary Lillian Scott
WILLISTON -- Mary Lillian Scott died Sunday at the Hospice House in Gainesville. She was 68.
She was born in Jackson, Tenn., and moved to Williston from Miami eight years ago.
Mrs. Scott was an assembly line worker.
She was a Baptist.
She was also an associate member of the Pink Ladies Auxiliary and she served as a volunteer for the meals on wheels program for seven years.
Survivors include her mother, Flora Martindale of Williston; her brother, Jewel Smith of Williston; and her caregiver, Kevin Burke of Williston.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of donations to the Hospice House of Gainesville.
Allen George Smajstrla
Dr. Allen George Smajstrla of Gainesville died Sunday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 50.
Dr. Smajstrla was a professor of agriculture and biological engineering at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
He came to Gainesville 22 years ago after graduating from Texas A&M; University in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
As a young professor, Dr. Smajstrla was awarded the Nolan Mitchell Young Extension Worker award by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
This year, the same group awarded him the 1999 Distinguished Achievement Award for service to the society and the profession.
Dr. Smajstrla was also active in the Irrigation Association, the Soil and Crop Science Society of Florida and the Florida Horticultural Society.
He had been a coach for YMCA soccer for several years and was named coach of the year in 1997.
He was a member of the University City Church of Christ.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Smajstrla of Gainesville; a daughter, Shiloh Smajstrla of Gainesville; two sons, Michael Smajstrla and Adam Smajstrla, both of Gainesville; his parents, George H. and Lena Stark Smajstrla of Victoria, Texas; two brothers, John Smajstrla of Victoria, Texas, and James Smajstrla of Sugarland, Texas; and two sisters, Judy Elliott of Victoria and Jean Smajstrla of New Haven, Conn.
Priscilla Thomas
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Priscilla Thomas of San Antonio, Texas, died Aug. 6 after an extended illness.
She taught school for 31 years and upon retiring from teaching, she became a licensed professional therapist.
She received her bachelor of science degree from Texas Christian University and her master of arts from St. Mary's University.
Survivors include her sister, Penny Thomas Cherry of Gainesville; and three nephews, including Ellis Cherry of Gainesville.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of donations to the American Cancer Society.
Douglas E. Brown
FRUITLAND PARK - Douglas E. Brown of Fruitland Park died Wednesday. He was 53.
Mr. Brown was a welder for Avesta Sheffield Stainless Steel Tubing Co. in Wildwood. He also served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.
Born in Gainesville, he moved from Leesburg to Fruitland Park three years ago.
Mr. Brown was a Baptist.
Survivors include his wife, Valeria M. Brown of Fruitland Park; three daughters; his mother, Mary C. Kennard of Bronson; a brother, Jim Brown of Bronson; a half brother, Al Brown of Gainesville; and three grandchildren.
Edward W. Burke
Edward W. Burke of Gainesville died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. He was 26.
Mr. Burke was a chef at Rigatelli's Italian Grill.
Born in Port Jefferson, N.Y., he moved from Daytona Beach to Gainesville one year ago.
Mr. Burke was an Episcopalian.
Survivors include his father, David H. Burke of Sayville, N.Y.; his mother, Fran Mesick of Gainesville; and three brothers, David P. Burke of Long Island, N.Y., and Kevin Burke and Richard Mesick, both of Gainesville.
Julia Gray
LIVE OAK - Julia Gray of Live Oak died Thursday at Shands at Live Oak after a long illness. She was 93.
Mrs. Gray was a homemaker.
Born in Mount Vernon, Ill., she moved from Indiana to Live Oak 43 years ago.
Mrs. Gray was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in Suwannee, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Mount Olive Church of Christ in Live Oak.
Survivors include a sister, Hazel Ishmael of Moroa, Ill.; and several nieces and nephews.
