Clifton Griffin
Clifton Griffin of Gainesville died Wednesday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville.
He was 78.
A retired carpenter, Mr. Griffin was born in Alapaha, Ga. He moved to Gainesville in 1946.
He was Baptist.
He was preceded in death by his stepdaughter, Alice Norman, and two brothers, Thurston Griffin and Coy Griffin.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy N. Griffin of Gainesville; a daughter, Linda Coggins of Gainesville; a stepdaughter, Dorothy Hutto of Panacea; three sons, Johnny C. Griffin, Timothy M. Griffin and James J. Griffin, all of Gainesville; two stepsons, Postell Pons of Gainesville and Harry Pons of Newberry; three brothers, Wyman Griffin of Jacksonville, Fane Griffin of Atlanta and Gene Griffin of Alapaha, Ga.; a sister, Evelyn Rowan of Nashville, Ga.; 15 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a great-great- grandson.
David Lewis Hayes
David Lewis Hayes of Gainesville died Thursday at Shands at the University of Florida.
He was 69.
Mr. Hayes was born in Sterling, Ill., and moved to Gainesville from Orlando three years ago.
A truck driver for about 30 years with Stanley Home Products, he later became manager of John's Hardware in College Park.
He also served in the U.S. Marines and was a member of the American Legion Post 19 in Orlando. He attended College Park United Methodist Church in Orlando.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Hayes of Gainesville; two daughters, Susan R. Hayes of Gainesville and Nancy L. Hall of Daytona Beach; a brother, Donald Hayes of Winter Springs; a sister, Maryanna Johnson of Everett, Wash.; and a grandson, Matthew Hall of Daytona Beach.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Shands Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 100386, Gainesville 32610-0386.
Clyde Warren Joyce
MORRISTON - Clyde Warren Joyce of Morriston died Thursday in Gainesville. He was 80.
Mr. Joyce worked as a heavy-equipment operator for El Paso Natural Gas before retiring. Born in Martinsville, Va., Mr. Joyce moved to Morriston from Gallup, N.M., in 1985. He was a member of the Lebanon Masonic Lodge 22 and the York Rite of Free Masonry, both in Gallup, N.M., and Ballut Abyad Shrine Temple in Albuquerque, N.M.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Frances Joyce of Morriston; three daughters, Sue Carlton of Williston, Dixie Deffendall of Vero Beach and Jacque Huggins of Farmington, N.M.; a sister, Frances Bragg of Jonesboro, Tenn.; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Marylin Louise Thomas Meredith
BALDWIN - Marylin Louise Thomas Meredith of Baldwin died Thursday at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Jacksonville following a long illness. She was 62.
Born in Lake Butler, Mrs. Meredith lived most of her life in Duval County.
Before retiring, she worked as a clerk with Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Jacksonville. She was a member of Sardis Baptist Church of Worthington Springs.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Troy E. Meredith Sr. and Kathy Meredith, both of Bryceville; two sisters, Norma Jene Thompson and Myra T. Land, both of Lake Butler; and two grandsons, T.J. and Zachary Meredith, both of Bryceville.
Howard Kent Jameson
STARKE - Howard Kent Jameson of Starke died Saturday at his home. He was 64.
Mr. Jameson was born in Detroit. He worked as a commercial artist and served in the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Lori K. and Eddie Clemons of Gainesville; a granddaughter, Mollie M. Clemons of Gainesville; a grandson, Jeffery L. Flick of Starke and his fiancee, Cheri A. Hilliard of Starke; a great-granddaughter, Leann M. Hilliard of Starke; a brother, John Perkins of Titusville, Pa.; a sister, Barbara Abraham of Bloomfield, Mich.; and a special friend, Deloris P. Daily and her children of Birmingham, Mich.
Madison Leland Shaw
LACROSSE - Madison Leland Shaw of LaCrosse died Thursday at his home. He was 69.
Born in Brooker, Mr. Shaw moved from Murray, Ky., to LaCrosse in 1974. A retired employee of the Alachua County Public Works Department, he also served 22 years with the U.S. Army, retiring as a sergeant first class. He was a member of several groups, including the Murray Masonic Lodge 105 F&AM; in Murray, Ky., the Rizpah Shrine Club in Madisonville, Ky., and the Farm Bureau. He was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans. He was Baptist.
Mr. Shaw was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Irene Clay Shaw.
Survivors include his daughter, Charlene Star Latimer McWherter of Murray, Ky.; a son, Calvin Clay Latimer of Detroit; a brother, William Albert Shaw of Stockbridge, Ga.; and two grandchildren.
Ida Mae Whitby
CROSS CITY - Ida Mae Whitby of Cross City died Tuesday at the EMS Station in Old Town. She was 67.
Mrs. Whitby was born in High Springs and moved to Cross City from Michigan 28 years ago. She worked as a drugstore cashier. She was Baptist.
She is preceded in death by three brothers, Albert Floyd, Buddy Floyd and William Floyd; a sister, Marjorie Powers; and a daughter, Nina Kay Whitby.
Survivors include her husband, Charles Whitby of Cross City; a daughter, Cynthia Edwards of Gainesville; two sons, Charles S. Whitby and Ronnie W. Whitby, both of Cross City; a brother, Charles Floyd of Gainesville; and two sisters, Ethel Philman of Cocoa and Helen Black of Lake Butler.
Lt. Col. James Milton Jefferson
Decorated veteran flew in combat
Lt. Col. James Milton Jefferson of Gainesville died May 12, 1967, in Vietnam after a plane crash. He was missing in action for 32 years, but his remains were positively identified through DNA analysis on Sept. 13. He was 25 when he died.
Mr. Jefferson was born in Gainesville and grew up in Washington, D.C., as the son of an Army officer. He attended Georgia Tech for one year and then entered the Air Force Academy.
He went to Vietnam in October 1966 as a member of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He flew combat missions as a pilot until his aircraft crashed due to engine problems, surface-to-air missiles and MiG-17 attacks.
Mr. Jefferson was missing in action until May 14, 1999, when his remains were discovered near the crash site. His remains were transported back to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii and were positively identified through DNA analysis.
Mr. Jefferson earned the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart, among other honors. He was a first lieutenant when his plane crashed and was promoted to lieutenant colonel while missing in action.
Current survivors include two sisters, Laura Platter of Columbia, Md., and Patty Foxx of Decatur, Ala.; and a brother, Wayne O. Jefferson Jr. of Alexandria, Va.
Survivors at the time of Mr. Jefferson's death who have since died include his father, Wayne O. Jefferson of Gainesville, and his mother, Eleanor Kelly Jefferson of Gainesville.
Ivan Vincent Armitage
HIGH SPRINGS -- Ivan Vincent Armitage of High Springs died Monday at Tri-County Nursing Home. He was 84.
Mr. Armitage was born in Stroudsburg, Pa., and moved to High Springs from Sarasota in 1983.
He was a teacher and a member of Spring Ridge First Church of God.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Armitage of High Springs; a sister, Doris Armitage of Stroudsburg, Pa.; a brother, Francis Armitage of East Stroudsburg, Pa.; and several nieces and nephews.
Allie Churchman
WILLISTON -- Allie Churchman of Williston died Tuesday at Nature Coast Hospital after a brief illness. She was 94.
She was born in Jasper, Ark., and lived in Williston for nine years.
She was a retired dental technician and was a Baptist. She enjoyed crocheting.
Survivors include two sons, Jack Churchman of Wilder, Idaho, and James Churchman of Albuquerque, N.M.; and two daughters, Marie Akontieff of Williston and Wanda Brownmiller of Phoenix.
Walton C. Clemons Jr.
STARKE -- Walton C. Clemons Jr. of Starke died Sunday at North Florida Regional Medical Center following an extended illness. He was 74.
Mr. Clemons was a lifelong resident of Bradford County.
He was a farmer. He attended Union Primitive Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Todd Clemons of Starke; a daughter, Joy Thornton of Starke; two stepdaughters, Janet Nazworth and Nancy Norman, both of Starke; four sons, Wayne Clemons, Lamar Clemons, Dale Clemons and John Clemons, all of Starke; two stepsons, Lloyd Gilpin of Starke and Ralph Gilpin of Keystone Heights; 18 grandchildren and 16 great- grandchildren.
William Dampier Sr.
MELROSE -- William "Rudolph" Dampier Sr. of Melrose died Saturday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville. He was 72.
Mr. Dampier was a barber and a retired fire chief of the Melrose Volunteer Fire Department. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Born in Hague, he moved from LaCrosse to Melrose 45 years ago.
He was involved in numerous community organizations, including the Water Association, Melrose Business and Community Organization and Eliam cemetery Association. He was a deacon at Eliam Baptist Church in Melrose.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma Harpe Dampier of Melrose; a daughter, Darlene Dampier Armstrong of Melrose; two sons, William Rudolph "Rudy" Dampier Jr. of Keystone Heights and Steve M. Dampier of Brooker; a brother, Wintoncq Dampier of Gainesville; a sister, Mary Bass of LaCrosse; his stepmother, Myrtis Dampier of LaCrosse; three stepbrothers, Dick Landrum of Fort Myers, Wade Landrum of Old Town and James Landrum of Everglades City; and nine grandchildren.
Louis V. Means
BELL -- Louis V. Means of Bell died at his home Monday. He was 78.
Mr. Means was born in Dayton, Ohio, and moved to Bell from Hialeah 11 years ago.
He was a master electrician and a member of Mount Nebo Baptist Church. He served in the U.S. Army.
Survivors include a daughter, Valerie Means of Washington, D.C.; and a sister, Ethel Walters of Martinez, Ga.
