Richard Gehrig Guenther
Richard Gehrig Guenther of Gainesville died Saturday in Gainesville. He was 53.
Mr. Guenther was born in Indianapolis, Ind., and lived most of his life in Gainesville. He managed an attorney's office, was a graduate of the University of Florida where he played on the baseball team, and was secretary for the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 4385 in Gainesville. He loved the outdoors and was a Methodist.
Survivors include his parents, Richard E. Guenther and Geraldine J. Guenther of Gainesville; one daughter, Amanda Jean Guenther of Gainesville; one son, Richard Adam Guenther of Gainesville; one brother, Dennis W. Guenther of Fort Meade; and one sister, Linda Y. Guenther of Gainesville.
Evelyn Cave Pope
MAITLAND -- Evelyn Cave Pope of Maitland died Friday in Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Winter Park. She was 82.
Mrs. Pope was born in Washington, D.C., and lived in Melrose for many years before moving to Maitland three years ago. She loved to cook and garden, and she was an avid animal lover.
Mrs. Pope was preceded in death by her husband, John T. Pope, a former Melrose postmaster.
Survivors include one son, John W. Pope of Maitland; one daughter, Leslie Murphy of Athens, Ohio; one brother, Robert "Bob" Cave of Washington, D.C.; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Sheila Chalker Price
Sheila Chalker Price of Gainesville died Sunday. She was 41.
Mrs. Price was born in Louisville, Ga., and had lived in Florida for 18 years. She was a tax accountant with Davis, Monk and Co.
Mrs. Price graduated from Louisville High School and earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Florida Southern University in 1987, graduating magna cum laude. She was attending the University of Florida for a master's degree and was a member of Westside Baptist Church and its Jeff Philpot Sunday school class.
Survivors include her husband, David C. Price Sr. of Gainesville; two sons, David Clark Price Jr. and Stephen Eric Price, both of Gainesville; her mother, Jennie Chalker of Louisville; her father, Ernest Chalker of Gibson, Ga.; one sister, Shannon Chalker Stokes of Macon, Ga.; one brother, William Cecil Chalker of Waynesboro, Ga.; and her grandfather, Cecil Chalker of Gibson, Ga.
Dr. Michael C. Zerner
UF chemist Dr. Zerner dies at 60
Dr. Michael C. Zerner of Gainesville died Wednesday at Hospice of North Central Florida after a long illness.
He was 60.
Dr. Zerner was a distinguished professor of chemistry and physics at the University of Florida. He also served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of captain.
Born in Boston, Dr. Zerner received his bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He earned his master's and doctorate degrees from Harvard University.
Dr. Zerner was a professor of chemistry at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, before coming to UF in 1981 and joining the Quantum Theory Project. From 1998 until 1994, he chaired UF's department of chemistry.
"He was an absolutely super person, " said UF physics professor Jack Sabin. "He had more energy than any other five people I could think of. His answer to any question that you might ask him was, 'We can do that.'"
Dr. Zerner was an Alexander von Humboldt Senior Fellow in Germany from 1992 through 1994, a Fulbright Professor in the former Yugoslavia in 1987, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. In 1993, he received an honorary doctorate from Tartu State University in Estonia.
From 1988 until 1990, he served as president of the International Society of Quantum Biology and Pharmacology.
He was an associate editor of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry and an editor of the series Advances in Quantum Chemistry, as well as serving as specialist editor for several other scientific journals. With his Quantum Theory Project colleagues, he co-organized the annual Sanibel Symposium.
Dr. Zerner also designed the chemical model software ZINDO, which is licensed in more than 2, 000 laboratories worldwide. Under his guidance, more than 15 students received doctorates.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Adam Paul Zerner and Niels Daniel Zerner.
Survivors include his wife, Anna Gunilla Zerner of Gainesville; his son, Erik Mark Zerner of Scranton, Pa.; his daughter, Emma Danielle of Minneapolis; his mother, Blanche Deutsch Zerner of Hull, Mass.; and his sister, Diane Zerner Kizner of Southboro, Mass.
A memorial service in Dr. Zerner's honor will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at the University Auditorium.
Memorials may be made in the form of donations to the Michael C. Zerner Memorial Fund at University of Florida Foundation. They can be sent to Jill Rench, UF department of chemistry, Gainesville 32611-7200.
Georgiana Messer Bullard
Georgiana Messer Bullard of Gainesville died Wednesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. She was 85.
Mrs. Bullard was a retired laundry attendant.
She was a lifelong resident of Gainesville.
Mrs. Bullard was a member of the Farmers Aid and Benefit Society and of the Greater Liberty Hill United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene "Coot" Bullard.
Survivors include a son, Izell "Ike" Bradley of Gainesville; a sister, Ruby Clifton of Winter Garden; a brother, Elijah Messer of Gainesville; three grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; eight step-great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and five step-great-great-grandchildren.
John M. Galbraith
PANAMA CITY -- John M. Galbraith Jr. of Panama City died Monday at a Panama City hospital after a brief illness.
He was 82.
Mr. Galbraith was a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and served in World War II.
Born in Palmetto, he grew up in High Springs and graduated from High Springs High School. He graduated with honors in 1938 from the University of Florida's School of Forestry, a member of the school's first graduating class. At UF, he was president of the Delta Chi fraternity.
A prisoner of war in World War II, Mr. Galbraith survived the Bataan Death March. His military service earned him a campaign ribbon, seven overseas bars, a presidential unit citation with two clasps, a UN service medal, a Philippines Presidential Unit Citation, Korean service medal, an American Defense Medal with Clasp, a World War II victory medal, a Bronze Star medal with oak leaf cluster and several other medals.
He lived in Gainesville during the late 1950s, teaching ROTC at UF. He moved from Bandera, Texas, to Panama City about 30 years ago.
He belonged to the Church of Christ.
Mr. Galbraith's father was former Alachua County Commissioner John M. "Mac" Galbraith Sr.
Mr. Galbraith Jr. was preceded in death by his wife, Lamarine Dale Galbraith of Alachua and Panama City.
Survivors include his former wife, Effie H. Galbraith of Gainesville; his son, John M. Galbraith III of Gainesville; his daughter, Janine G. Cosson of Panama City; three sisters, Cate Thompson of Thomasville, Ga., Rora Cox of Orlando and Margaret Green of Tampa; and three grandchildren.
Edward A. Duke
Edward A. Duke of Gainesville died Thursday at Hospice House of Gainesville of a long illness. He was 50.
Mr. Duke was born in Hialeah and had lived in Gainesville since 1983. He was a personnel representative at the Central Employment Department at the University of Florida. He was also employed with Hertz Rent-A-Car for 18 years in Miami, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Tallahassee.
He was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife, Margie Duke of Gainesville; a son Christopher Klotschkow of Tallahassee; a daughter Sarah Elizabeth Duke of Gainesville; his mother, Florence E. Duke of Fort Pierce; and four brothers, William Duke of Fort Pierce, Kenneth Duke of Key Largo, Thomas Duke of Miami and Robert Duke of Port St. Lucie.
Ouida Clara Mikell
TRENTON -- Ouida Clara "T" Mikell of Trenton died Tuesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. She was 77.
Mrs. Mikell was a homemaker and a farmer.
She was born in Otter Springs and was a lifelong resident of the Trenton area.
Mrs. Mikell was a member of Joppa Baptist Church.
Survivors include four daughters, Laverne Paxton of Bronson, and Mary Arrington, Pamela Watson and Tonyacq Gainey, all of Trenton; a stepbrother, B.J. Simpson of Trenton; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Ava Roberts
BELL -- Ava Roberts of Bell died Wednesday in Jacksonville. She was 86.
Mrs. Roberts was a homemaker and a member of the Midway Church of Christ in Bell.
She was a lifelong resident of Bell.
Survivors include a son, Randall Roberts of Bell; five daughters, Nina Sue Shepherd of Bell, Menthacq Lee Darseycq of Jesup, Ga., Francine Barnes and LaRae Caudill, both of Jacksonville, and Jean Sigley of Jacksonville Beach; a sister, Alice Hilliard of Bell; 17 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Michael Raymond Slattery
RAIFORD -- Michael Raymond Slattery of Raiford died Wednesday in Starke. He was 24.
Mr. Slattery was a carpet installer.
He was born in Omak, Wash., and later moved to Florida.
He belonged to Walker Creek-Bethel Baptist Church in Branford.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa Slattery of Raiford; his father, Michael Slattery of Las Vegas; his mother, Linda Lawson of Branford; a son, Joshua Slattery of Raiford; two sisters, Tammy Collins of Lake City and Betty Johnson of Thomasville, Ga.; his paternal grandmother, Betty Marsh of Okanogan, Wash.; and Michael Raymond Slattery Jr., an unborn child due in April.
