OBITUARIES
Recent Obituaries
Local Obituaries for Valdosta, Hahira, Lake Park, Lowndes County, GA & Surrounding Areas
Elizabeth Haley Hyatt
Dec 17, 2024
Elizabeth Haley Hyatt, 76, of Valdosta, passed away on December 17, 2024, at Colquitt Regional Senior Care and Rehabilitation Center in Moultrie, GA following an extended illness. Mrs. Hyatt was born on October 18, 1948, in Moultrie, the daughter of Howard W. Hall, Jr. and Sarah Elizabeth “Betty” Hall. Haley was a graduate of Moultrie High School and received a...
Jan Burch Kennedy
Dec 14, 2024
Jan Burch Kennedy, 86, of Valdosta, passed away on Saturday, December 14, 2024.
Funeral services will be held at 11am on Monday, December 23, 2024 at Carson McLane Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Sunset Hill Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared at www.mclanefuneralservices.com
Carson McLane Funeral Home
Betty Sue Fletcher
Dec 14, 2024
Betty Sue Fletcher, 88, of Valdosta, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at Langdale Hospice House. She was born in Valdosta on February 14, 1936 to the late James Arthur Brown and Alma Downing Brown. She was a member of Lake Park Church of Christ.
Mrs. Fletcher was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Maxie Fletcher;...
James (Jimmy) Curtis Manning, III
Dec 13, 2024
James (Jimmy) Curtis Manning III, 74, of Valdosta, Ga. passed away Friday, December 13, 2024, at South Georgia Medical Center. He was born on June 11, 1949, in Brunswick, Ga., to the late J.C. Manning, Jr. and Jacque Parker Manning.
Jimmy, a 1967 graduate of Glynn Academy, received a BS in marketing from Valdosta State College where he was a member...
Donald Eugene Kelley
Dec 10, 2024
Donald Eugene Kelley, 87, of Valdosta, Georgia, peacefully passed away in his home on Tuesday December 10, 2024. Born in Columbus, Georgia, to the late William Kelley and Betty Cook Kelley, Don went on to marry Marcia Buckner in 1960 and remained happily married for 64 years.
Don was accepted to the University of Georgia on a music scholarship; served honorably...
Sheila Elaine Wilkins Southall
Dec 9, 2024
Sheila Elaine Wilkins Southall, 75, of Hahira, died on Monday, December 9, 2024, at her residence. She was born on June 23, 1949, in Valdosta to the late Ewell and Maxine Lancaster Shiver. Sheila was a homemaker and a member of Fellowship Baptist Church in Cecil.
She is survived by her three children, Babette (Gary) Metts of Charleston, South Carolina, Amanda...
Jackie McCray Johnson
Dec 8, 2024
Jackie McCray Johnson, 55, of Valdosta, died on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at South Georgia Medical Center. Jackie was born on March 17, 1969, in Miami, Florida to Melvin Lawson and Ophelia Hatcher Brown. Upon graduation from high school, Jackie went on to earn a technical degree and secured a job as a legal assistant. She, along with her family,...
Janet "J.D." McCord
Dec 8, 2024
Janet “J.D.” McCord, 61, of Valdosta, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 8, 2024, at South Georgia Medical Center. Born on February 25, 1963, in West Point, NY, to the late Dominick DeCarlo and Mary Ann Webb DeCarlo, Janet cherished family and friends, indulging in her passion for the Atlanta Braves and creating joyful memories by the beach and through...
Jimmy Bennett, Sr.
Dec 8, 2024
Jimmy Bennett, 82, of Echols County, GA, peacefully passed away at his residence on Sunday, December 8, 2024. He was born on March 14, 1942, in Odum, GA, to the late Gervis Bennett and Idell Byrd DeLoach. Jimmy married Betty Jane Bennett, his beloved wife of 61 years. He dedicated 42 years to the PCA Papermill in maintenance while cherishing...
Mark Cowart
Dec 5, 2024
Mark Cowart, 51, of Valdosta, died suddenly on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at his residence. Born in Decatur, GA, he grew up in Newport News, VA. After graduating from high school there, he began a career in the restaurant business. Mark worked for a number of different restaurants in the Newport News, Hampton and Richmond, VA area in the early...
William Gerald Wilkerson
Dec 3, 2024
Mr. William Gerald Wilkerson, 54 of Valdosta, passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at South Georgia Medical Center after a short illness. He was born in Valdosta on September 3, 1970 to the late William Carroll Wilkerson and Geraldine Whitley Wilkerson. Mr. Wilkerson was the 2012 Opticians Association of Georgia Optician of the Year, and was named General Manager...
Leroy Westmoreland
Dec 3, 2024
Leroy Westmoreland, 80, of Valdosta, passed away surrounded by his family on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at his residence. Leroy was born on July 30, 1944, in Copperhill, TN, to the late George Edward and Mamie Leo Westmoreland. Leroy was never seen without a smile on his face, he was very genuine, witty and had a way with words. He...
Jessie "Pearl" Atkison
Dec 3, 2024
Jessie “Pearl” Atkison, 82, of Lake Park, passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at Langdale Hospice House. She was born in Valdosta, on December 3, 1942 to the late Harvey M. Hardee and Jessie Crews Hardee. Mrs. Atkison worked as a schoolteacher and school administrator with her husband at Victory Baptist School for 20 years. She was a caregiver,...
Maynard Herring
Dec 2, 2024
Maynard Herring, 86, of Valdosta, died on Monday, December 2, 2024 at Fellowship Home. Born in Lake Park to the late Leland & Marie Tomlinson Herring, he had been a lifelong resident of this area. Growing up in Lake Park, he graduated from Lake Park High School in 1956. At a young age, Maynard began helping his father on the...
Leon Albert Swilley
Nov 30, 2024
Leon Albert Swilley, 88, of Valdosta, died peacefully on Saturday, November 30, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was born in Lowndes County on May 6, 1936, to the late Leon Alphonso and Opal Newsom Swilley and has been a lifelong resident of this area. Upon graduating from Lake Park High School, where he served as president of the school...
Michele Lynn Gardner
Nov 28, 2024
Michele Lynn Gardner, 63, of Nashville, passed away on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at South Georgia Medical Center following a lengthy illness. She was born on March 26, 1961, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to Noel Leitzman and the late L. Marlene Leitzman. Michele was a bookkeeper with Stevens and Keesling P.C. in Valdosta, and she was of the Christian faith.
She...
Thomas Rudolph Austin
Nov 26, 2024
Thomas Rudolph Austin, 79, of Lake Park, passed away on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at the Lakeland Villas, in Lakeland, GA. He was born in Milledgeville, GA on August 13, 1945, to the late James and Lynnette Austin. Tom graduated from the University of Georgia in 1968, and he had many fond memories of his time in Athens, especially watching...
Leonard Ira Jacobs
Nov 21, 2024
SMSGT Leonard I. Jacobs, Ret. USAF, 85, of Hahira, passed away on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at his home. He was born in Clothier, West Virginia on August 2, 1939, to the late Ira Jacobs and Maude Ethel Hatfield Jacobs. He was the oldest of eight children, and a very joyful person. He was a proud veteran of the U.S....
Daniel Keith Godfrey
Nov 20, 2024
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Daniel Kieth Godfrey, 70, longtime resident of Wakulla County, Florida. Born on December 30, 1953, in Greenwood, South Carolina, the son of Haskell C. Godfrey, Sr., and Ada Lila Godfrey, Daniel was a man of deep faith, boundless love for his family, and an adventurous spirit.
Daniel was preceded in...
Irvin David Casey
Nov 20, 2024
Irvin David Casey, 78, of Quitman, passed away at his home in Brooks County on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Born in Doerun, Georgia on August 18, 1946, Irvin was the son of the late Dave and Blanche Casey. He retired after 34 years of working as a service technician for Colquitt EMC. He was a member of First Church of...