Judge Robert Carter Passes Away

1917-2012

Robert L. Carter, a former federal judge in New York who, as a lawyer, was a leading strategist and a persuasive voice in the legal assault on racial segregation in 20th-century America, died on Tuesday morning in Manhattan. He was 94.  Often toiling behind the scenes, Mr. Carter had a significant hand in many historic legal challenges to racial discrimination in the postwar years. None was more momentous than Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that led in 1954 to a Supreme Court decision abolishing legal segregation in the public schools. Robert Lee Carter was born in Caryville, in the Florida Panhandle, on March 17, 1917, the youngest of nine children. His family moved to New Jersey when he was 6 weeks old, and his father, Robert L. Carter, died when he was a year old. His mother, Annie Martin Carter, took in laundry for white people for 25 years.

Mr. Carter recalled experiencing racial discrimination as a 16-year-old in East Orange, N.J. The high school he attended allowed black students to use its pool only on Fridays, after classes were over. After he read in the newspaper that the State Supreme Court had outlawed such restrictions, he entered the pool with white students and stood up to a teacher’s threat to have him expelled from school. It was his first taste of activism, he said.
He attended two predominantly black universities: Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he enrolled at 16, and Howard University School of Law in Washington. He then went to Columbia University as a graduate student and wrote his master’s thesis on the First Amendment. He used parts of the thesis in preparing for the school segregation cases in the 1950s.              

     

Juanita Brown Carter Passes Away

Ms. Juanita Gwendolyn Brown Carter passed away on Friday December 23, 2011 in Gainesville, FL.  She was born in Jacksonville, FL September 13, 1929 to the late Elsie Mack and Charlie Brown.  The funeral was held at Hopewell MBC in Fort Union, Suwannee, FL and burial followed in the church cemetery.  She is survived by 3 children:  Doredion, Elsie Ann and Clifford Brown(Yon Cha).  Also she leaves many grandchildren and great children to cherish her memory.
D M Udell's Funeral Home was in charge of final arrangements.

Elder Cleo Bernard Williams a Live Oak resident passes away

Elder Cleo B Williams a life long resident of Live Oak, FL passed away in Tallahassee, FL on Friday, November 25th, 2011 at 6:15 pm.  He was born in Monticello, FL on July 24th, 1940 to Elliott Williams and the late Martha Hogan Brown.   He was also the foster son of the late Bishop David and Easter McCray of Live Oak, FL.  His funeral was held Triump the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ where Elder Lee Ann Charlton is the Pastor.  Burial was in Monticello, FL at the Bolen Community Cemetery.   The Tillman Funeral Home, Inc of Monticello, FL directed.

He was an outstanding member & Minister of the Holy Temple Church where he devoted many years of faithful service under the leadership of the late Bishop David A McCray.  At the time of his demise he was a member under watch care at the PCR of Live Oak, FL  where Elder Pendergrath is the pastor.  He possessed an unyielding passion for working in the church.  While living in Tallahassee, FL he attended the College Hill COGIC and was a devoted member of the FAMU Gospel Choir.  He was a very caring person and was always willing to lend a helping hand.  He was devoted caregiver to many including his late wife and mother.
He will be missed by his family and many devoted friends.

Leroy Cunigan a former resident of Live Oak, FL Passes Away

1946-2011

Mr Leroy Cunigan a former resident of Live Oak, FL passed away on  Sunday, November 6, 2011 in Orlando, FL   He was born on August 30, 1946 and was the first born of Titus Cunigan and Josephine Johnson. .  He graduated asValedictorian of OBrien High School as well as class president.  He was a 1972 Graduate of the FAMU School of Business. He was formerly married to Ethel Lugenia Graham and they had one son together.  In his latter years he returned to Live Oak, FL and became a Tax Consultant for the community at large.  When his health declined he returned to Orlando, FL and there is where he passed away on November 6, 2011.   He was very interested in the family genealogy and worked deligently to procure a wealth of Family Info for the Family Tree.  He will be dearly missed by many relatives and sorrowing friends.  His Funeral was held at Bethlehem AMEC of McAlpin,  FL where Rev Charles Burke was the Eulogist and burial followed in the Bakersville Cemetery (aka Smith Cemetery).  The Bennie Thomas Funeral Home of Live Oak, FL directed.

Ancestral Note:  Leroy was the Nephew of Charlie Hawkins and the Grandson of Roxie Hawkins Smith

Gerald Haynes of Madison, FL Passes Away

Deacon Gerald Dale Haynes, a Madison, FL resident, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, September, 23, 2011.  He was the son of Timothy and Lillie Rea Haynes and husband of Shirley Haynes and was born on June 18, 1964.   He operated his own Lawn Service business and was employed by Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. for over 30 years.  He graduated from Madison High School in 1981 and later went on  to Jacksonville, FL to become a certified meat cutter.  He loved greeting and meeting people and oft times offered words of encouragement to those he met.  He will be greatly missed by his family, community and those in his workplace.
He was funeralized at Damascus Baptist Church on October 21, 2011 and was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery.  Cooks and Cooper Funeral Home of Madison, FL. directed.

Josephine Bryant Hughes Passes Away in Georgia

1934-2011

Ms. Josephine Bryant Hughes who was the youngest daughter of the late Johnnie Bryant and Arleslie Hawkins Bryant passed away in Austell, GA. on September 11, 2011.  She was born on February 22, 1934 in Fort Union, Suwannee, FL and was raised by close relatives after the death of her mother when she was about 5 months old.  She was retired from her former occupation as a supply technician at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL.  Prior to her death she was living in Tallahassee, Leon, FL and was a member of the Tabernacle MBC.  Her funeral was held at the Tabernacle MBC and was buried in the Tallahassee Memory Gardens.  Richardsons' Family Funeral Care of Tallahassee, FL directed.

She is survived by her loving children; Freddie Jones (Alfreda), Pamela Wiggins, Herman Bryant, Daphne Bryant, Rhonda Bryant Valentine, Derrick Bryant, & Cedric Bryant; a sister Ethel Carr; a very special cousin, Addie Lee Burkett; and a host of grands, great-grands, and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her daughter Dava Okon.

Rev Dr. Zachery Tims Found Dead in New York Hotel

Rev. Zachery Tims Senior Pastor and Founder of New Destiny Christian Center was found dead in a New York Hotel on Friday morning August 12, 2011.  The Funeral was held at the First Baptist Church of Orlando, FL on Saturday August 20, 2011.  He was 42 and he is survived by four children.  The 2 Churches he pastored at the time of his death when combined together were considered to be a Megachurch for the Orlando Community.  One of the several ministries of the Church was an all encompassing outstanding youth progam.  He will be dearly missed.  Servant of God Well Done.

1969-2011