Joseph Sestokas
Joseph Sestokas of Gainesville died Saturday in Gainesville. He was 71.
Mr. Sestokas was born in Ontario, Canada, and moved to Gainesville from Ohio in 1990. He was union printer and a Mason. He enjoyed ballroom dancing, bridge and helping others.
Survivors include his wife, Betty Sestokas of Gainesville; two daughters, Mary Rauer of Gainesville and Laura Kubu of Seattle, Wash.; three sons, Warren Sestokas of Louisville, Ky., Andrew Sestokas of Seattle and William Swenson of Minneapolis, Minn.; one sister, Margret Goudge of Toronto, Canada; and four grandchildren.
Vernon Snellgrove
Vernon Snellgrove of Gainesville died Friday night in his home of an apparent heart attack. He was 75.
Mr. Snellgrove was a lifelong resident of Alachua County. He was a member of Eastside Baptist Church; a charter member of R.T. Schafer Masonic Lodge 350, currently serving as senior warden; and was a member of the Gainesville York Rite Bodies, the Ocala Scottish Rite and Rob Morris Order of the Eastern Star Chapter 310, currently serving as worthy patron. Mr. Snellgrove volunteered at the VA Medical Center and was the assistant deputy director of Masonic volunteer services.
Mr. Snell was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Johnson Snellgrove. Survivors include his daughter, Mary Ann Williams of Lake Butler; grandson Lyn Williams; and his companion, Eloise Cook of Gainesville.
Eleanor Pearce Zabiloski
Eleanor Pearce Zabiloski of Gainesville died Saturday night in her home after an extended illness. She was 58.
Mrs. Zabiloski was born in Lulu and lived most of her life in Alachua County. She was a clerk and manager of a Lil' Champ convenience store.
Survivors include her companion of many years, Paul Summerland of Gainesville; two daughters, Teresa Talmadge of Hollywood and Janice Brown of McRae, Ga.; two sons, Bruce Kight of Worthington Springs and Clayton Kight of Alachua; three sisters, Evelyn Strickland of Jacksonville, Bonnie Parker of Gainesville and Dr. Mildred Keene of Atlanta; two brothers, Wayne Pearce of Gainesville and J.R. Keene of High Springs; her mother, Eva Mary Pearce of Gainesville; and 12 grandchildren.
Marilou Bache Swearingen
MELROSE -- Marilou Bache Swearingen of Melrose died Friday at her home. She was 86.
Mrs. Swearingen was retired from the University of Florida Athletic Association and the Gator Boosters.
Born in New York City, she moved from Gainesville to Melrose 21 years ago.
She was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the Gainesville Garden Club and the Gainesville Golf and Country Club Ladies' Golf Association.
Mrs. Swearingen attended most UF home football games until her 80th birthday.
Survivors include her husband, John E. Swearingen of Melrose; a daughter, Margaret B. Kidd of Cedartown, Ga.; three sons, Robert H. Bache of High Springs, William A. Bache of Archer and J. Emery Swearingen Jr. of Gainesville; a brother, John S. Clark of Gainesville; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Hospice of North Central Florida or to the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, both in Gainesville.
Evelyn Strickland Henry
STARKE -- Evelyn Strickland Henry of Starke died Saturday at Shands at Starke after a long illness. She was 88.
Mrs. Henry was a homemaker and a lifelong resident of Bradford County.
She was a Baptist.
Survivors include a son, Donald Henry of Elberta, Ala.; two sisters, Doris Harrison of Jacksonville and Edna Hayes of El Paso, Texas; and three grandchildren.
Dewain V. Railey
Dewain V. Railey of Gainesville died Friday in Gainesville. He was 71.
Mr. Railey was a retired building superintendent at North Central Baptist Church.
Born in Newberry, he moved from Trenton to Gainesville 54 years ago.
He was a member of North Central Baptist Church.
Mr. Railey enjoyed fishing and hunting.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Lois Railey of Gainesville; two sons, Charles V. Railey and Timothy D. Railey, both of Gainesville; two sisters, Joyce Lyons of Mayo and Martha Smith of Cross City; and five grandchildren.
Narcissa Touchton Tomlinson
LIVE OAK -- Narcissa Touchton Tomlinson of Live Oak died Friday at Lafayette Health Care Center in Mayo. She was 94.
Mrs. Tomlinson was a homemaker and a member of Clayland Baptist Church in Live Oak.
Born in Howell, Ga., she moved from Statenville, Ga., to Live Oak 53 years ago.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin Sherman Tomlinson.
Survivors include six daughters, Grace Williams, Mavis Mims and Laurece Poole, all of Lake City, Oveda Williams of Live Oak, Cara Sawyer of Rockledge and Gwen Dixon of Tallahassee; three sons, Dallas Tomlinson of Live Oak, Darus Tomlinson of Jacksonville and Douglas Tomlinson of Orlando; 20 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Clayland Baptist Church.
Harold D. Burns Sr.
Harold D. Burns Sr. died Wednesday at his residence in New Braunfels, Texas. He was 75.
Mr. Burns was born in Brooksville and moved to New Braunfels in 1951.
He was a retired shop foreman for Aircraft Maintenance Equipment.
He served in the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Burns was preceded in death by his wife, Laura Weller Burns.
Survivors include a daughter; a son; two brothers, including Thomas Burns Jr. of Gainesville; and three sisters, including Onie Hernberger and Marion Ernst, both of Gainesville.
Mikel Gilmore Denton
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS -- Mikel Gilmore Denton died Friday at his residence on Little Lake Santa Fe in Keystone Heights following an extended illness. He was 56.
Mr. Denton was a lifetime resident of Bradford County. He was a retired postal carrier, a Baptist and a Seminole booster.
He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy Lee Denton of Keystone Heights; a daughter, Estella M. Denton of Starke; and a son, Mikel W. Denton of Keystone Heights.
Ty Cobb Drake
Ty Cobb Drake of Midland City, Ala., died Thursday at Southeast Alabama Medical Center following an extended illness. He was 58.
Mr. Drake was born in Bainbridge, Ga., and moved to Midland City at an early age. He lived in Gainesville for most of his life and then returned to Midland City in 1999.
He was a self-employed cabinet maker for many years before his retirement in 1997.
He was a Baptist.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Drake of Jacksonville; a daughter, Tammy Browning of Dothan; a son, Tommy Drake of Gainesville; a sister, Gayle Brooks of Jacksonville; and three grandchildren.
Jewett Drake Harrington
ALACHUA -- Jewett Drake Harrington of Alachua died Wednesday at Shands at AGH afterbeing under Hospice Care for a lengthy illness. She was 90.
Mrs. Harrington was born in Center, Ala., and moved to Gainesville from Rome, Ga., in 1929.
She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Alachua and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Thomas Harrington.
Survivors include three daughters, Bettye Harrington Purvis, Bobbie Jean Harrington Owens and Mary Frances Harrington McFarland, all of Alachua; four sons, James Thomas Harrington Jr. and Harvey Eugene Harrington, both of Miami, John Robert Harrington of Gainesville and Horace Lester Harrington of Alachua; a brother, William Harvey Drake of Rome, Ga.; 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Alvis McCoy Hilliard
TRENTON -- Alvis McCoy Hilliard of Trenton died Thursday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 77.
Mr. Hilliard was a lifelong resident of Gilchrist County and a Navy veteran of World War II.
He was a farmer and a businessman.
Mr. Hilliard was a member of William T. Carlton Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his former wife and the mother of his children, Alice Hilliard of Bell; a daughter, Margaret Bischoff of Suwannee; five sons, Larry Hilliard, McCoy Hilliard and Wendell Hilliard, all of Bell, Earl Hilliard of Gainesville and Harold Hilliard of Ocala; two sisters, Lois Arrington of Trenton and Catherine Williams of Gainesville; 19 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
