Claude Everett Harpe Sr.
OCALA - Claude Everett Harpe Sr. of Ocala died Thursday at Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala. He was 85.
Mr. Harpe was formerly employed in the auto sales industry.
He was born in Tampa and moved from Gainesville to Ocala 10 years ago.
Mr. Harpe was a member of the First Christian Church in Ocala.
Survivors include his wife, Lila Harpe of Ocala; four daughters, including Jo Ann Robarts of Old Town; five sons, including Claude Everett Harpe Jr. and Gordon Harpe, both of Gainesville; a brother, Edward Harpe of Gainesville; several grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
Ira Francis Morgenstern
Ira Francis Morgenstern of Gainesville died Wednesday at Integrated Health Systems in Jacksonville. He was 52.
Mr. Morgenstern was a resident of Tacachale.
He was born in New York City.
Mr. Morgenstern was a Catholic.
Survivors include a sister, Vicki Larson of Jesup, Ga.
Willie S. Griggs
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - Willie S. Griggs of Keystone Heights died Thursday at St. Vincents Hospital in Jacksonville after a long illness. He was 70.
Mr. Griggs was a retired helicopter technician in the Civil Service of the Florida National Guard. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Samson, Ala., he moved from Jacksonville to Keystone Heights 22 years ago.
Mr. Griggs was a member of the First Baptist Church in Keystone Heights.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Griggs of Keystone Heights; five sons, Ronnie Griggs and Butch Griggs, both of Orange Park, Willie Griggs of Keystone Heights, Ray Jordan of Sneads and Richie Jordan of Dothan, Ala.; a daughter, Linda Griggs of Jacksonville; a brother, Challie Griggs of Lake Panasoffkee; 13 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
John Frederick Nims
CHICAGO - John Frederick Nims of Chicago died Jan. 19 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He was 85.
Mr. Nims was a translator and author of several poetry books. He was also a former editor of Poetry magazine and The Harper Anthology of Poetry. He was a former visiting professor at the University of Florida's English department.
He taught poetry at Notre Dame, the University of Toronto, the University of Illinois at Urbana, Harvard University, Williams College and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Mr. Nims also taught abroad as a visiting professor in Florence, Milan and Madrid.
He wrote "Western Wind, " a textbook for introductory poetry and creative writing courses.
Born in Muskegon, Mich., Mr. Nims was a winter resident of Gainesville until about two years ago. He was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Chicago.
Survivors include his wife, Bonnie Nims of Chicago; a son, Frank Nims of Chicago; two daughters, Emily Nims of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Sally Martin of Gainesville; and three grandchildren.
Jack Vanzant Parrish
LAKE CITY - Jack Vanzant Parrish of Lake City died Friday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City after a long illness. He was 81.
Mr. Parrish was a retired citrus farmer. He also served in the U.S. Army.
He was born in Parrish and lived most of his life in Manatee County before moving to Lake City 13 years ago.
Mr. Parrish was a member of the Third Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lake City.
Survivors include a son, James C. Parrish of Troy, Ala.; a granddaughter, Jackie Parrish of Tallahassee; and his guardians, Iva and Curtis Williams of Lake City.
James Alvin Richardson
HIGH SPRINGS - James Alvin Richardson of High Springs died Thursday at his home. He was 69.
Mr. Richardson owned Richardson Oil Co. in High Springs. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
He was born in Nettleton, Miss., and moved from Nettleton to High Springs 50 years ago.
Mr. Richardson was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the High Springs Lions Club.
Survivors include his wife, Doris Richardson of High Springs; a son, James Richardson Jr. of Lake City; a daughter, Doris Ann Imler of High Springs; seven sisters, Lillie Mae Anthony, Martha Millwood, Geneva Hall, Judy Richardson and Ophie Wildmon, all of Nettleton, Peggy Hill of Columbus, Miss., and Mary Sullivan of Tupelo, Miss.; and four grandchildren.
James Monroe Venable
ARCHER - James Monroe Venable of Archer died Thursday in Gainesville. He was 86.
Mr. Venable was a farmer and a former Archer City Council member.
He was a lifelong resident of Archer.
Mr. Venable was a member of the Shrine Hospital, the Black Camel Fund, the York Rite Masonic Lodge in Gainesville, the Archer Blue Lodge No. 197 and the Archer United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Nila Amos Venable of Archer; and a nephew, Lamar Crevasse Jr. of Micanopy.
Mary Helen Moore
MORRISTON -- Mary Helen Moore died Saturday at her residence in Morriston. She was 89.
Mrs. Moore was born in Dinwitty County, Va., and moved to Morriston from Miami 30 years ago.
She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Williston.
Survivors include a daughter, Joan Morse of Morriston; two sons, Roy L. McClain of Rio Vista, Texas, and John L. McClain III of Yankeetown; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Jack Hines Simmons
Jack Hines Simmons of Gainesville died Sunday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 73.
Mr. Simmons was a lifelong resident of Alachua County.
He was a retired superintendent for the city of Gainesville and a Methodist.
Survivors include his wife, Doris Williams Simmons of Gainesville; two daughters, Maryln Simmons Burchfield of St. Augustine and Becky Simmons Wetmore, both of St. Augustine; two sisters, Margaret Campbell of Daytona Beach and June Wesson of Greenville, S.C.; two brothers, Bill Simmons of Irving, Texas, and Harry Simmons of Newberry; and five grandchildren.
Wahanta Kuczenska
LAKE BUTLER -- Wahanta Kuczenska of Lake Butler died Sunday at North Florida Regional Medical Center following an extended illness. She was 65.
Mrs. Kuczenska was born in Hartford, Conn., and moved to Lake Butler four years ago.
She was a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Kuczenska.
Survivors include two daughters, Charlene Lyles of Lake Butler and Arlene Marsh of Worthington Springs; four sons, Michael Kuczenska and Marty Kuczenska, both of Lake Butler, Mark Kuczenska of Lake Worth and Vincent Centar of Lake City; a sister, Patty Green of South Carolina; a brother, Ricky Stieret of Connecticut; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
James R. Carroll Jr.
James R. Carroll Jr. died May 13 along with his father, James Roy "Jim" Carroll Sr., victims of accidental drowning at Moss Lake in Kings Mountain, N.C. He was 17.
Born in Palatka, James Carroll Jr. was a sophomore at Burns High School in Shelby, N.C.
He was employed with Taco Bell.
He is survived by his mother, Gail Blount Carroll of Shelby; A sister, Jamie Carroll of Shelby; his maternal grandparents, John and Ruth Blount of Palatka; paternal grandparents, James and Carol Carroll of Gainesville; and his great-grandparents, Donald and Nedra Blount of Palatka.
Clara Odom Williamson
Clara Odom Williamson of Gainesville died Monday at Shands at AGH. She was 95.
Mrs. Williamson was born in Hortense, Ga., and moved to Gainesville from Jacksonville 15 years ago.
She was a nursing assistant at Sunland Training Center, now Tacachale, and a member of the Church of God of Gainesville.
She is survived by a son, Cecil Curtis Carlton of Jacksonville.
