Wilbur E. Van Ausdale
Wilbur E. Van Ausdale of Gainesville died Tuesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 77.
Mr. Van Ausdale was a retired fire chief. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Oberlin, Ohio, he lived there most of his life, retired to Fort Myers, and moved to Gainesville nine years ago.
Mr. Van Ausdale was a journeyman carpenter and past president of North Central Fireman's Association in Ohio.
He was a member of the International Fire Chiefs' Association, the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association, the Masonic Blue Lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star in Ohio.
Survivors include his wife, Peg Van Ausdale of Gainesville; a son, William A. Van Ausdale of Savannah, Ga.; a daughter, Susan Vickers of Pineville, N.C.; and three grandchildren.
Morton Everette Crosby
LIVE OAK -- Morton Everette Crosby of Live Oak died Wednesday at Shands at Lake Shore. He was 84.
Mr. Crosby was born in Quitman, Ga., and moved to Live Oak from St. Petersburg in 1968.
He was a meat cutter for Suwannee Packing Co. and a member of the Melody Christian Church of Live Oak.
Survivors include his wife, Rebecca Crosby of Live Oak; a son, Gene Crosby of Live Oak; a grandchild and two great-grandchildren.
Martha Alice Guditas
ALACHUA -- Martha Alice Guditas of Alachua died Thursday at Palm Garden of Gainesville. She was 85.
Mrs. Guditas was born in Madison, Ohio, and moved to Alachua from Thompson, Ohio, in 1980.
She was a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Joseph Guditas.
Survivors include three daughters, Carol A. D'Angelo of Alachua, Irene Guditas of Painesville, Ohio, and Shirley Eckerman of Houston; and three grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Fellowship Baptist Church in High Springs.
Terrance Dwyann McPherson
Terrance Dwyann McPherson of Cocoa died Sunday following a brief illness. He was 34.
Mr. McPherson was born in Gainesville and moved to Cocoa 20 years ago.
He was a group attendant and a Baptist.
Survivors include his mother, Teretha Meyers of Gainesville; a sister, Rhonda Newsome of Cocoa; and 10 brothers, Larry Ivey of Hawthorne, Thomas Ivey, James Starke and Charles Slater, all of Cocoa, Bryon Starke, Linfort Gipson, Lorenzo Meyers, Kelvin Meyers and Tony Richardson, all of Gainesville and Stanley Pearce of Clermont.
Julius Smith
Julius Smith, a lifelong resident of Gainesville, died Monday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center following a brief illness. He was 47.
Mr. Smith was a construction employee and he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. in Korea.
He was a member of the Holy Temple Church with God in Christ.
Survivors include his companion, Norma Fisher of Gainesville; his estranged wife, Judy Smith of Thomasville, Ga.; four daughters, Zena Gould, Glennis Chico Woods, LaJualia Smith and Juliet Smith, all of Gainesville; his mother, Margaret Reynolds of Gainesville; his father, Bobby Bryant of Kissimmee; his stepmother and her husband, Elsie and Johnny Carter of Gainesville; his stepfather, Elder Hiram B. Curtis of Alachua; three sisters, Mattie Richardson, Rose Curtis and Gena Curtis, all of Gainesville; six brothers, Nathaniel Curtis, Stevie Curtis, Hiram Curtis, Tony Curtis, Michael Curtis and Isaac Curtis, all of Gainesville; five stepsisters, Diana Bryant, Bertha Markham, Sylvia King, Rhunnette Walters and Vernita Brown, all of Gainesville; and two stepbrothers, Charles Dyson and Jessie Rutledge, both of Gainesville.
Colley M. Underhill
STARKE -- Colley M. "Bit" Underhill died Thursday at his residence in Starke. He was 72.
Mr. Underhill was a lifelong resident of Starke.
He was a correctional officer and he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
He was educated through the Bradford County School System.
Mr. Underhill was a member of the Bible Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Underhill of Starke; a daughter, Dottie "Sue" Underhill Balker of Dade City; two sons, Colley L. Underhill of Jupiter and Morgan S. "Steve" Underhill of Starke; a brother, Richard "Arley" Underhill of Starke; nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Harold E. Crews
FORT McCOY - Harold E. Crews of Fort McCoy died Monday at his home. He was 67.
Mr. Crews was a retired road construction worker. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
He was born in Baker County and moved to Marion County 34 years ago.
Mr. Crews was a member of the Church of God By Faith.
Survivors include his wife, Redith Godwin Crews of Fort McCoy; two daughters, Pamela Kaye Williams of Bryson City, N.C., and Mary Ann Crews of Green Cove Springs; four sons, Gary Lamar Crews of Sparr, Ronald Sidney Crews of Anthony, Timothy Harold Crews of Ocala and Roger Eugene Crews of Fort McCoy; a brother, Ernest Crews of Raiford; two sisters, Zelia Bell Bowman of Olustee and Bertie Mae Godwin of Lake Butler; 22 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
John Fleck
John Fleck of Gainesville died Monday at North Florida Rehab and Specialty Care Center. He was 85.
Mr. Fleck was a private investigator. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He was born in Vienna, Austria, and moved from New York City to Gainesville four year ago.
Mr. Fleck was Jewish.
Survivors include two nephews, including Geoffrey Fleck of Gainesville; and a brother, Walter Fleck of Gainesville.
Irene Lopucki
Irene Lopucki of Gainesville died Jan. 22 at her home. She was 78.
Mrs. Lopucki was a home designer and a sculptor.
Born in Detroit, she moved from Ann Arbor, Mich., to Gainesville 25 years ago.
Mrs. Lopucki received a fine arts degree from the University of Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti.
She was a Catholic.
Survivors include four sons, Tony Lopucki and Reece Lopucki, both of Gainesville, Lynn Lopucki of Los Angeles and Bruce Lopucki of Cupertino, Calif.; three sisters, Beverly Scott of Chandler, Ariz., Victoria Ridge of Romulus, Mich., and Faye Maretka of Belleville, Mich.; and three grandchildren.
Ona I. Garrison McGriff
STARKE - Ona I. Garrison McGriff of Starke died Tuesday at Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville after a long illness. She was 84.
Mrs. McGriff was a retired nurse.
She was born in Cullman, Ala., and moved from Auburndale to Starke five years ago.
Mrs. McGriff was a Protestant.
Survivors include a son, Jerry Lee McGriff of Starke; a daughter, Dorene "Dodie" Botkins of Covington, Va.; and one granddaughter.
Heywood Michael McLeod
LAKE BUTLER - Heywood Michael McLeod of Lake Butler died unexpectedly Monday at Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He was 47.
Mr. McLeod was an engineering supervisor for the PRIDE Metal Furniture Factory in Raiford.
He was born in Clearwater and moved from Largo to Lake Butler 25 years ago.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Louise Jones McLeod of Lake Butler; his mother, Loca McLeod of Worthington Springs; and two sisters, Alice Parrish and Melba Nettles, both of Lake Butler.
John Daniel Posey
John Daniel Posey of Gainesville died Tuesday at his home after a brief illness. He was 59.
Mr. Posey owned and operated Skampers Package Express in Gainesville and was the former owner and operator of Gainesville's Greyhound Terminal.
He was born in Brooks, Ga., and moved from Griffin, Ga., to Gainesville 47 years ago.
Mr. Posey was a member of the First Baptist Church of Gainesville and the Florida Cattlemen Association. He also was a volunteer coach for the Boys Club of Alachua County.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Sparkman Posey of Gainesville; three sons, John D. Posey Jr., Donny Posey and Lance Posey, all of Gainesville; his parents, J.D. and Maggie P. Posey of Gainesville; a brother, Paul D. Posey of Gainesville; three sisters, June McEachern of Gainesville, Patti West of Charleston, S.C., and Ruth Basil of Columbia, S.C.; and two granddaughters.
