Clarke Co. GA - Obits from the Athens Daily News/Banner-Herald 30 Apr 2000 Thanks for permission from the Athens Daily News /Banner-Herald http://www.onlineathens.com/ ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OBITUARIES Story last updated at 9:02 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Robert Boyd Mt. Airy Robert ''Bob'' Boyd, 70, died Saturday, April 29, 2000. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Mr. Boyd was a son of the late Graham and Florence Frazer Boyd. He was a long-time resident of Habersham County, worked for Hugh Rucker Realty and was a member of VFW Post 7720. He was a Navy veteran and a member of Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church, Cornelia, with the William Boyd and Father Daniel Brown officiating. Burial will be in the Church of Holy Cross Cemetery, Clarkesville. Survivors include his wife, Jimmie Harris Boyd; two daughters, Brenda Crunkleton, Thomson, and Lawana Pritchett, Baldwin; a son, Harold Hogan, Acworth; a sister, Mary B. Moore, Clarkesville; a brother, William Boyd, Washington; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. The family is at the residence and will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. today at McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home, Cornelia. Memorials may be made to the Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 490, Clarkesville, GA 30523, or the American Cancer Society, 4050 Highway 115 West, c/o Scarlett Whelchel, Demorest, GA 30535. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. OBITUARIES Story last updated at 9:02 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Tammy Ertzberger Carnesville Tammy Lea Bell Ertzberger, 39, of 13750 Georgia Highway 59, died Saturday, April 29, 2000. A native of Decatur, Mrs. Ertzberger was a daughter of Bonnie Lea Jeffers Clayton, Carnesville, and the late James Cicero Bell. She was a retired auto supply supervisor with the Gainesville Maintenance Shop of the Department of Transportation and a first responder with the Franklin County EMS. She was a member of the Fairview Baptist Church. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Ginn Funeral Home with the Revs. Steven Hamby and Darvin Slaton officiating. Burial will be in the Franklin Memorial Gardens. Survivors in addition to her mother include her husband, Daniel Ertzberger; stepfather, James B. Clayton, Carnesville; two brothers, Tim Bell, Tampa, Fla., and Allan Bell, Norcross; two stepsons, Wade Ertzberger and Wayne Ertzberger, of Carnesville; and a step-grandson. The family is at the residence and will receive friends from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Franklin County EMS First Responders. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. OBITUARIES Story last updated at 9:02 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Charles Cochran Madison Charles Jaboe Cochran, 88, of 1051 Brownwood Road, died Friday, April 28, 2000. A native of Morgan County, Mr. Cochran was a son of the late George and Maude Hebbard Cochran, and was the widower of Ruth Barker Cochran. He was a World War II Navy veteran and a dairy farmer. Services will be at 3 p.m. today at Madison City Cemetery with the Rev. Bonnie Peters officiating. Survivors include several nieces, nephews and cousins. Simmons Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. OBITUARIES Story last updated at 9:02 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 James Christy Macon James Harold Christy, 65, died Friday, April 28, 2000. A native of Lawrence County, Ala., Mr. Christy was a son of the late Robert and Irene Wilson Christy. He was a security guard at Reeves Construction, served in the Air Force, and a Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Baptist Church. Services will be at 11 a.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church. Burial will be in Middle Georgia Memory Gardens. Survivors include his wife, Laverne H. Christy; four sons, Scott Christy and Eddie Christy, both of Moulton, Ala., Dean Gattie, Jones County, and David Gattie, Watkinsville; a sister, Sandra Christy, Moulton, Ala., two brothers, Don Christy and Wayne Christy, both of Moulton, Ala.; 11 grandchildren; nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today at Ingleside Memorial Chapel. Memorials may be made to Immanuel Baptist Church Building Fund, 129 Yukon Road, Macon, Ga. 31217. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. OBITUARIES Story last updated at 9:02 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Wilbur Ratterree Athens Wilbur B. Ratterree, 88, of 1410 Ivywood Drive, died Wednesday, April 26, 2000. A native of Fulton County, Mr. Ratterree was a son of the late Urah and Florine Forrester Ratterree, and was preceded in death by a son, Richard L. Ratterree. He was retired as professor emeritus from the University of Georgia agricultural engineering department. He received a bachelor's degree and master's degree in engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from Iowa State University. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Athens. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Bridges Funeral Home with Dr. Jon Appleton officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Denny Ratterree; a daughter, Susan Clum, Athens; a son, Barry Ratterree, Athens; a sister, Juanita Wilkie, Palmetto; a brother, Charles L. Ratterree, College Park; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be Bob Farrall, Upshaw Bently, Malcome Skinner, Harry Haynsworth, Del Wade and Joel Giddens. Honorary pallbearers will be the B & P Sunday school class of the First Baptist Church of Athens. Memorials may be made to the Agricultural Engineering Scholarship at the University of Georgia, or to the First Baptist Church of Athens. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. OBITUARIES Story last updated at 7:57 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Mrs. Marie Hornick McConnell Martin Mrs. Marie Hornick McConnell, 73, of Rt. 1 Box 104 Red Hollow Road, Martin, Ga., died Friday, April 28, 2000, at her home. Born July 9, 1926 in Oconee County, S.C., she was a daughter of the late William P. and Mary Fousek Hornick, and had lived in Fairplay, S.C. and Stephens County, Ga. most of her life. Mrs. McConnell was a homemaker and a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Ladies Guild. Survivors include her husband, W.A. McConnell; daughters, Judy Hallford of Martin and Teresa Brock of Lawrenceville; brothers, Roy Hornick, Johnny Hornick, both of Martin, and Howard Hornick of Toccoa; grandchildren, Ryan Brock, Chad Brock, both of Oakwood, Christopher Farmer of Flowery Branch, Kris and Erika Hallford of Port Hueneme, Calif.; great-grandchildren, Ezra Hallford and Larissa Hallford of Port Hueneme. The funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 1, 2000, from St. Mary's Catholic Church by Father Richard Tibbetts. Burial will follow at Martin Baptist Church Cemetery. The body is at the mortuary where the family will receive friends Sunday from 2-4 and 7-8:30 p.m. The Wake Service will be at 8:30 p.m. The family will be at the home. Whitlock Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. OBITUARIES Story last updated at 7:58 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Dr. John Denman Morton Fearrington Village, NC Dr. John Denman Morton, 92, died Friday, April 28, 2000, at his home in Fearrington Village, NC. Dr. Morton was professor and head of medicine and surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine before his retirement as professor emeritus in 1974. Previously, he practiced veterinary medicine in Callendar, IA, and Pine Bluff, AR. Dr. Morton was a native of Rockwell City, IA, and a graduate of Iowa State University. He was a founding member, president and elder of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA; a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida-Georgia District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; president of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association and the Southern Veterinary Medical Association; charter member of the Athens-Area Kiwanis Club; and member of the Advisory Board of Hope Haven School in Athens, GA. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, retiring with the rank of Major. Dr. Morton was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association in 1973; honored by the 1973 senior class of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine with the dedication of the school's Veterinarius yearbook; and recognized annually by the College with the presentation of the John Morton Humane Animal Care Award to outstanding seniors in the Departments of Large and Small Animal Medicine. He and his wife Alice were co-recipients of the Inspiration Award from the Athens Community Council on Aging in 1988. Dr. Morton was selected for membership in several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Aghon, Phi Zeta, Gamma Sigma Delta and Alpha Zeta. Dr. Morton was a son of Albert Edward and Winifred Denman Morton. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Alice Berg Morton; daughters and sons-in-law John and Barbara Morton Swanson of Greensboro, NC; Robert and Mary Morton Wallace of Albany, GA; Jean Morton Elia and Carol Morton Wood, both of Fearrington Village, NC; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; sisters Jean Morton Gannon and Mary Morton of Rockwell City, and Leone Morton Moore of Rio Rancho, NM; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, Robert Morton. Funeral services will be held Monday, May 1, at 2 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Athens, GA, with interment at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday, April 30, 7:30-9 p.m. at Bridges Funeral Home, Athens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church Building Fund, 2535 Jefferson Road, Athens, GA 30607, or Christ United Methodist Church (Habitat for Humanity Fund), 800 Market Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27541. Athens Daily News/Banner Herald, Sunday, April 30, 2000 send flowers to this funeral share your memories email the editor send this notice to a friend Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:42 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 This semester, UGA learns a lesson in loss 11 student deaths shake university community By Joan Stroer Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] A flower lies on a podium during an April 6 memorial service for Ben Grantham. File [INLINE] University of Georgia senior Christi Fisher has already attended one memorial service at UGA this semester, for sophomore Ben Grantham, and she's planning to put aside preparations for final exams to attend a second one on Monday. As a member of a sorority, the Atlanta student was acquainted with more than one of the 11 university students who died this semester. She said the death toll has got her friends warning each other about safety every time they leave their sorority house for a long trip. What has surprised people across the state is the regularity of the deaths, with 10 of the students dying over the last eight weeks, a pattern that Fisher said seemed more mechanical than natural. ''It's strange how it's been happening,'' she said. ''It's been hard for a lot of my friends. It's almost like people are getting used to it. I don't know why it's been happening so much.'' The university will commemorate members who passed away in a memorial service at the university's historic chapel on North Campus Monday night at dusk. The names of 18 students, along with those of 10 faculty and staff members who have died since last May 1, will be read as the chapel bell tolls. Two students died as the service was being planned. ''It's very unusual to have this number in such a short time period; it's made students stop and think,'' said Jim Gaudin, a co-director of the UGA School of Social Work and a deacon at the UGA Catholic Center. Jeff Lakas Earlier this month, he found himself leading a memorial service for one of his former students, Tisha Abolt, who died in a car crash April 8 in Oconee County. ''We usually don't as a school do that sort of thing; it was very difficult for the students,'' said Gaudin, adding that it was a healing event for the students, Abolt's boyfriend and her family. ''You need this kind of ritual, this kind of mourning process,'' he said. In other parts of campus, professors were setting up memorial scholarships, consulting counselors on what to tell students and canceling classes so they and their students could attend funerals. Students from an entire floor of Creswell Hall attended Phil Walsh's funeral after the freshman died at the scene of a multi-car wreck in Gwinnett County on Good Friday. Some fraternities hung black mourning cloth over their houses' Greek symbols to mourn the death of Grantham in a March 30 auto crash. And after their classmate, Chris Moseley, died in an auto accident in March, students in Patty Hamilton's English class collected $150 for Jesup golf scholarship once won by Moseley, a Jesup native. ''Everyone has been incredibly thoughtful and kind and concerned for each other,'' said Rick Rose, assistant to the UGA vice president for student affairs. ''My sense is that it has made a lot more people thoughtful about their lives, and about each other.'' UGA students haven't been the only university members to be directly affected. Two faculty members in the school's botany department pitched in to serve as department head this term as the researchers coped with the death of their former department head, Alan Jaworski, who died Jan. 16 of a heart attack. The cooperation in botany, teachers say, was a tribute to their colleague, to whom they dedicated a student research symposium held earlier this month. ''Alan left a very happy department that he helped create,'' said Susan Wessler, a botany research professor who took over Jaworski's introductory biology classes before his death. Her students got lectures in more than biology this term. ''One thing I did was admonish them to wear their seat-belts,'' Wessler said. A UGA student has died in a car wreck on four straight weekends. The last highest student death toll in a recent UGA term was eight in fall 1997, UGA officials say, although the campus has undergone many seasons of grief in its 215-year history. Forty-seven Georgia students died during World War I, 300 to 400 others were killed in World War II and the Civil War eliminated the equivalent of the entire 100-member student body of 1861, said Nash Boney, emeritus UGA history professor. The number of students who died this school year is not inordinately high, considering the Athens campus had 30,912 students this fall, Rose said. Still, the stretch of tragedy this spring has administrators concerned, and looking for new ways to heighten safety. ''I do want to look and see if there's a common thread that we've been missing,'' UGA President Michael Adams said last week at a cabinet meeting. ''Too many situations are related to either automobiles or alcohol. I'm concerned about that. ''I've never seen anything like what we've had this spring in terms of loss of life.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:41 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Ben Grantham A proud Bulldog, fraternity brother always looked on the bright side By Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 20 From: St. Simons Island UGA affiliation: Sophomore majoring in business [INLINE] Ben Grantham was, as much as anyone, proud to be a Georgia Bulldog. Ben, a University of Georgia sophomore and member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, was deeply disappointed when he wasn't initially accepted to UGA, said longtime friend Daniel Wells. ''In high school, he never even considered another place; this is where he always wanted to go,'' Wells said. Ben spent almost a year at Truett-McConnell College in Watkinsville in order to qualify for the HOPE scholarship. He never lost sight of his goal: to become a Bulldog. ''He was a hard-working kid,'' said Wells, who grew up with Ben on St. Simons Island. ''He set goals, and he worked hard to reach those goals.'' Ben, 20, died in an automobile accident March 30. Jeff Lakas Wells and Ben worked together in summers past at Mullet Bay, a St. Simons Island restaurant where the vacation-season pace was often frenzied. Ben approached the job with the same dogged work ethic he took with him to college, Wells said. ''It was a crazy place, really wild in the summertime,'' Wells said. ''He was a really hard worker, no matter what he was doing.'' Wells remembers Ben as a generous, devoted friend who enjoyed throwing Frisbee, loved a wide range of music and liked to play cards on Thursday nights. As Ben grew more involved in his fraternity, Wells saw less of his old friend, but the two still stayed in touch, getting together for a card game or a night out at least once a month. ''He always had a grin on his face,'' Wells said. ''He was always looking on the bright side. He was a giver. Anytime he could do something for someone, he'd do it.'' Ben once took a fellow fraternity brother under his wing and let him live in his apartment for an entire semester. ''If there was one thing Ben truly had, it was the love of his friends,'' fellow ATO member Jimmy Taylor said in a letter read during an April 6 memorial service. ''I know that I'm going to remember that he was just a happy guy,'' Wells said. ''I'd like him to be remembered in a good light -- not just another number in a tragic string.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:41 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Tisha Abolt Social work student touched many lives By Lee Shearer Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Tisha Abolt, center, with friends Tara Guest, left, and Ann Larie Valentine on Tybee Island last summer. Special photo [INLINE] Tisha Abolt was a month away from graduating with a master's of social work degree when she died in an Oconee County automobile accident April 8. An unusually bright student and a leader, the 24-year-old Tisha was one of the school's best students, according to faculty and administrators. ''It's tragic to lose any member of the community, but it's particularly tragic when the student has such a bright future,'' said Bonnie Yegidis, dean of the University of Georgia School of Social Work. Tisha will receive her degree posthumously in UGA graduation exercises May 13. Jeff Lakas ''I would characterize her as full of life, very committed to helping,'' said social work professor Ed Risler, who speculated that Tisha's desire to help guided her choice of social work as a career. Born in Oregon, she had lived since high school in Savannah, where her father is county manager. She had three sisters, a dog named Solomon, a turtle named Droopy and a cat named Savannah Jane. Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 24 From: Savannah UGA affiliation: Graduate student in School of Social Work [INLINE] ''She loved animals. She was always asking people about their animals,'' recalled Ann Larie Valentine, one of several of Tisha's close friends at the School of Social Work. Valentine was touched to see the large number of people who attended a memorial service for Tisha at the Catholic Center at UGA. ''For one person who lived in Athens such a short time, that was a testament to how many lives she had touched,'' she said. Tisha was many things, Valentine pointed out: an unusually bright, deeply spiritual person as well as a talented artist who liked to hike up mountains with a sketch pad to draw landscapes. Tisha also was a ''real fun person, real bubbly,'' who equally enjoyed going to Jittery Joe's for coffee at 2 a.m., Valentine said. But one of the things she remembers most about Tisha is her thoughtfulness, even in small things. ''She would always unlock your car door -- guys or girls. If you had a difficult week, she would send you a card or give you a call,'' Valentine said. In death, Tisha has brought her friends closer, according to Valentine. ''It's really reminded us that we need to place friends above work and school and careers and your busy schedule. You have to make the time to do things like call and go out to lunch,'' Valentine said. send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:39 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Will Grist Someone who defined friendship By Lee Shearer Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 19 From: Travelers Rest, S.C. UGA affiliation: Freshman majoring in business [INLINE] Will Grist's best friend describes him like this: ''He was so incredibly nice, not like bouncy and glowing, but one of those quality people who are always there for you,'' said Kenneth Cosgrove. Cosgrove and Will were best friends since first grade and graduated together in 1999 from Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, S.C., where Will ran on the cross-country team. A year later, Cosgrove spoke at Will's April 1 funeral in Greenville. ''I suppose everyone knows someone who defines friendship and all the good qualities in life,'' Cosgrove said. ''Will was that someone to me.'' He used a Bible verse, Galatians 5:22-23, to describe his friend: ''The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.'' Will's friends, teachers and family mention repeatedly some of the same qualities. Jeff Lakas ''When one thinks of Will, one thinks of a tall, slender, smiling, hospitable and friendly young man,'' said Jackie Suber, Will's college counselor. Will graduated high school with a 4.0 grade point average, Suber said. The perfect GPA helped him achieve one of his childhood dreams: becoming a student at the University of Georgia, where both of his veterinarian parents attended. Will, 19, died March 28 of complications from testicular cancer. It's made cancer crusaders of his family -- especially of the younger of his three sisters, according to mother Marilyn Grist. ''The denial and embarrassment surrounding the disease are believed to contribute to making it one of the least-talked-about cancers,'' wrote Will's younger sister, Charlotte, in an article for the family's hometown newspaper. ''This closed attitude is very unfortunate because when detected early, testicular cancer is easily treated and curable.'' The loss has changed the lives of Will's friends forever. ''It's given all of our friends this feeling of loss of innocence,'' Cosgrove said. ''I've gotten a lot more close with my parents. It's just made me re-evaluate how I'm spending my time, because I don't know when it's going to run out.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:41 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Sims Hibbert Funny and thoughtful, he put his friends first By Lee Shearer Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Sims Hibbert had a knack for making people laugh. Special photo [INLINE] Friends said they never met anyone like Sims Hibbert -- tall, thin and attractive; a comedian with a sarcastic edge; smart; a talented, inquisitive writer and an unusually thoughtful friend. ''He was quirky; he just had different mannerisms. I don't know how to describe it, really,'' said friend Skye Mitchell, a University of Georgia junior from Savannah. ''He was a great person. He always managed to make people laugh. He was very funny, but it was a sarcastic sense of humor. Sims was well-liked, and a lot of people in Athens knew him.'' Sims, who played soccer and ran track at Atlanta's Galloway High School, went to Florida State University for two years before transferring to UGA, and remained an avid Seminole fan. He was a 22-year-old UGA junior in environmental design when he took his own life March 22. Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 22 From: Atlanta UGA affiliation: Junior majoring in environmental design [INLINE] In high school, Sims was set on being a lawyer, but like many college students, had a hard time settling on a college major, said his mother, Ann Latimer of Atlanta. At Florida State, he planned to study hotel management, later switching to political science, history and English, she said. Friends had no idea anything was troubling Sims. ''Sims was always the one who made us laugh. He always made you feel better no matter what kind of mood you were in,'' said friend Kami Shaw, also a UGA student. ''He was the one you wanted to hang out with.'' Sims made his friends laugh, but there was something deeper than that to the lanky young man, Shaw said. Jeff Lakas ''He always listened to you. He would totally get into what you were saying,'' she said. Sims could also be unusually considerate, Shaw said. Last summer, one of their group of friends had a summer job that didn't allow him much of a lunch break, so every day, Sims took him lunch, she said. ''I think he cared most about his friends,'' Latimer said. ''He was extremely sensitive. If other people were hurting, he could tell. He was just so loving. I was blessed to have a child like him. ''He cared about us. He always wanted to make everyone else feel better. I guess no one ever thought that he might need someone to make him feel better, too.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:42 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Wes Howell Always a source of strength By Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 28 From: Powder Springs UGA affiliation: Landscape architecture student [INLINE] In the final weeks of his life, Wes Howell faced his own mortality with unwavering courage and strength. Wes, a 28-year-old landscape architecture student who died of leukemia Feb. 2, was accustomed to enduring a lot, said his wife, Leslie Howell. Wes, of Powder Springs, had been diagnosed with Hodgkins disease when he was 14. ''He went through a lot of treatments to get rid of that,'' she said. ''It wasn't easy, because it was pretty advanced. He had to have chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He had been the one who was stared at -- the kid with cancer. I think it made him a very strong person.'' During his adolescent years, Wes found escape from his illness through fantasy role-playing games, and enjoyed painting miniatures. He was a member of a Napoleonic re-enactment group. ''He had a great imagination,'' his wife said. Wes earned a degree in animal science at the University of Georgia, then decided to switch career paths and enrolled in the College of Landscape Architecture, where he was scheduled to graduate this spring. He will be awarded a posthumous degree, said his adviser, Scott Weinberg. Weinberg described Wes as a dedicated, goal-oriented student. Jeff Lakas Weinberg remembered the January day Wes came to his office after Christmas vacation. Wes needed only one more class to graduate, but had been feeling ill and had seen a doctor over the break. ''He told me he wasn't going to be able to attend this semester,'' Weinberg said. Wes was reluctant to say why, but the adviser pressed him on the subject. ''He looked at me straight in the eye, and said, 'The doctor called me and told me I had three weeks to live.' It's a tough thing to have a student tell you that,'' Weinberg said. Doctors told Wes they could prolong his life through medication, but the long-term prognosis wasn't good. ''He faced his death with amazing grace and peace,'' Leslie Howell said.Wes tried to live his final weeks as normally as possible. He went to dinner with friends, and visited his professor, Weinberg. During their final visit, he gave the professor drawings he had done as part of his studies. Leslie Howell credits her husband's faith in God and strong family ties as a source of strength in his last days. ''I think he will be remembered for his amazing, big heart, and the ability he had to love people; the way he loved his family, and the way he loved me,'' she said. send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Katie Turner Bright student had gift for working with kids By Lee Shearer Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Katie Turner looked forward to a career helping children with hearing problems. Special [INLINE] Faculty in the University of Georgia's communication sciences and disorders program were glad to have Katie Turner as a student. ''We thought she was going to have a great future in our profession because she was so motivated and dedicated,'' said UGA professor Bob Nozza, one of her teachers. The youngest of three sisters in her Columbus family, Katie's goal was to be a pediatric audiologist, working with infants and young children to detect hearing impairments, figure out what was causing them, then fit her clients with hearing aids or some other appropriate remedy. Katie, 23, died April 22 of lymphoma, just about a month after she became ill. Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 23 From: Columbus UGA affiliation: Graduate student in communication sciences and disorders [INLINE] To those who loved her, her death opened up a rip in the fabric of life. ''She was the best girl I ever knew. I never met anyone like her,'' said close friend Chad Fowler. ''She was a huge magnet for people. She had more friends than anybody I've ever seen. She was just funny as hell. She made you want to be around her all the time.'' Katie was very athletic, he said. A jogger, she had played soccer at Pacelli High School in Columbus and met Fowler one summer several years ago when both were working as lifeguards at the Thomas Lay Park swimming pool in Athens. ''She was just a bright and shining person,'' said Abby Turick, a friend and fellow student in the small, 16-student audiology program at UGA. Jeff Lakas Katie had a special gift for working with children, Turick said, recalling a recent day when two little girls showed up at the UGA Speech and Hearing Clinic for their regular appointment with Katie, who was working there as part of her graduate studies. ''They were so excited to be coming to see Katie. She truly made a difference to the patients she worked with,'' Turick said. Turick and Katie had been friends since they met four years ago, when both were UGA sophomores. She will never forget Katie, Turick said. ''She was the most genuine, truest friend that anyone could ever have. Every part of my day is different now because she's not there. I will carry her with me for the rest of my life.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:41 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Chris Moseley No place like home for outdoorsman By Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Chris Moseley enjoyed spending time on the Altamaha River near his Jesup home. [INLINE] Chris Moseley loved his hometown of Jesup. The 19-year-old University of Georgia freshman loved to hunt deer and turkey in the woods of Wayne County, and loved to ski and boat in the Altamaha River. Even when he went off to college, his heart wasn't far from home. ''Almost every weekend he would come down to Jesup,'' said his mother, Selena Moseley. ''I thought he'd be the one who went to college and never would come home. But both my boys are homebodies.'' Jeff Lakas Chris died in the same South Georgia town where he was born, in an auto accident March 11. ''His whole family's in Jesup, his friends are there,'' said Chris' girlfriend of three years, Raegan Yeomans. ''I think he would have moved back (after college).'' Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 19 From: Jesup UGA affiliation: Freshman [INLINE] Chris came to Athens to major in business. A graduate of Wayne County High School, he won the O.A. Hunter Golf scholarship from the local men's golf association for his high grades and contributions to the community. He was a member of Students Against Drunk Driving and was a Georgia Honors Society graduate. ''He had a big smile, a good personality,'' his mother said. ''He was very caring. He was a real family-oriented person.'' Chris called his 16-year-old sister back home, Katie, every day from Athens. On weekends, he would wait for his brother, Brent, to finish classes at Southern Polytechnic Institute in Atlanta before the two rode down to Jesup together. ''He would do anything for anyone he cared about,'' Yeomans said. ''I think everyone will miss seeing his smile.'' Yeomans said the tragedy has reunited a circle of friends from Jesup who had drifted apart. ''All of us from Jesup have pretty much gotten closer,'' she said. ''We had lost touch with a lot of our friends, and after this, we all came together to help each other out.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:41 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Jennifer Thompson An 'ember that burned brighter' By Lee Shearer Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 19 From: Cumming UGA affiliation: Freshman majoring in business [INLINE] Jennifer Thompson was one of those people who just seemed to attract others, becoming the center of a whole network of friends. Her bedroom in the basement of her parents' Forsyth County home became the place where her friends gathered. ''She was kind of like the coordinator,'' said friend Kristen Geisler. ''About eight or nine of us, mainly people we played sports with, we always hung out and went to concerts and movies together.'' They called themselves ''The Crew,'' and Jennifer sort of took care of them, Geisler said. ''She was the funniest person you'd ever meet, always making sure people are having a good time. I'll always remember her with a smile on her face. She was always just laughing, or making other people laugh, trying to make everybody happy.'' ''She was just one of those fun people, one of those embers that burned brighter than a lot,'' said UGA pharmacy student Stacy Geisler, Kristen's older sister. Jeff Lakas At 5-foot-10, Jennifer looked athletic, which was no illusion. ''She was definitely a competitor,'' Stacy Geisler said. Before heading off to the University of Georgia last fall, Jennifer helped take her South Forsyth High School team to the state basketball tournament's quarterfinals before losing in overtime. ''She was a go-to girl,'' said Kristen Geisler, Jennifer's basketball teammate and now a freshman at Georgia Tech. Jennifer, a shooting guard, held the school record for three-pointers -- six in one game -- and was No. 2 in both rebounds and scoring in her senior year. But her athletic skills went beyond basketball. An avid golfer, she placed fifth in the state tournament her junior year, and also lettered in tennis and softball. Though Jennifer, 19, was a freshman business major at UGA, Kristen Geisler would not have been surprised to see her become a teacher. ''She wanted to work with kids. She loved kids. She talked about being a teacher or a principal,'' Kristen Geisler said. When Jennifer, an only child, died in an automobile accident April 15, the world was forever altered for her friends and family. ''It puts a lot of things in a different perspective,'' said Kristen Geisler. ''You think you have all this time, but you really don't.'' It has motivated her to keep in closer touch with other friends and her family, Geisler said. ''We've got to try really hard,'' she said. send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:39 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Jake Bern Searched for a deeper meaning By Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 19 From: Dahlonega UGA affiliation: Freshman [INLINE] Jake Bern was never satisfied with the simple, pat answers. Jake, 19, of Dahlonega was always looking for the deeper meanings in life -- searching for the elusive beauty in truth. ''He was very smart, very intense,'' said Jason Hatch, a night manager at The Grill who developed a bond with Jake. Jake worked at the downtown Athens restaurant as a cook and attended classes at the University of Georgia. ''Me and him, we seemed to have good talks. I think I sort of took his mind off (the problems) he was thinking about.'' Jake was known by his co-workers as a quiet, unassuming young man who dressed in black and had an equally dark view of the world. His endearing quirkiness and wry sense of humor will be missed, they said. Jeff Lakas ''Basically he was really quiet, but he always joined in for the joke,'' said Kevin Shockley, another manager at The Grill. Jake ''had a dark demeanor, but I didn't really understand why he was like that,'' Hatch said. ''It seemed that he was looking for the beautiful things in life. He had this intuition about him, and he saw through a lot of the facades. He knew all the things that weren't true, he just didn't know what were true. He just couldn't find the one thing to hold onto.'' Jake died March 23 from an apparent drug overdose. send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Phil Walsh A Christian with a passion for sports, he was devoted to his family By Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Age: 19 From: Atlanta UGA affiliation: Freshman [INLINE] Phil Walsh, not born into privilege or wealth, made personal sacrifices to attend the University of Georgia. Phil, 19, attended UGA on a HOPE scholarship. He paid for all additional school and living expenses from money he saved by working at a sporting goods store in suburban Atlanta. Phil, the oldest of three siblings, was always the responsible one, putting his studies and work first, said his mother, Ruth Paschal-Walsh. A student in the Meadowcreek High School gifted program, he shared a car with his mother during his senior year. Phil, a freshman, died April 21 in a Gwinnett County car accident. He didn't own a car, and his father, Barry Walsh, picked him up at Creswell Hall to take him home for the Easter weekend. They were involved in a multi-car wreck on I-85 that left the elder Walsh seriously injured. Phil was a quiet Christian with a passion for sports, especially baseball. He played second base for his high school team, and was commissioner of a fantasy baseball league. ''He loved sports of all kinds,'' his mother said. ''That was the thing that was so great about him going to Georgia -- the sports. He really loved that. He went to several away (football) games.'' Jeff Lakas Phil was a mentor to his 14-year-old brother, Daniel, and sister Laura, 16. His parents had gone through a divorce in 1998, and Phil served as an emotional rock for the family, his mother said. Phil encouraged his little sister with her school work, and Daniel with his baseball. ''He looked after them a lot,'' Paschal-Walsh said. ''Laura was struggling a lot with her grades, and Daniel just looked up to him totally. He wanted to be just like his big brother.'' Phil's Christian faith was a big part of his life, his mother said. He was an active member of Skyland United Methodist Church's youth fellowship, and attended the Methodist Camp Glisson in Northeast Georgia for several summers. At age 16, he got his first job at the Atlanta Bread Company. ''He was very good about doing things for me,'' his mother said. ''I could always count on him.'' send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc. LEADSTORIES Story last updated at 9:38 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2000 Jeff Lakas Skilled tennis player was devoted to fitness By Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Photo: studentlife [INLINE] Jeff Lakas, from left, with brother Scott and friend Matt Hahn at an Atlanta music festival last year. [INLINE] Jeff Lakas, an avid tennis player who worked out five times a week at the Ramsey Student Center, was in peak physical shape when he traveled to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for spring break. Jeff's penchant for physical fitness made his death from a heart attack March 16 in Destin, Fla., that much more difficult to understand. ''It was just his time -- the Lord took him home,'' said his brother, Scott. ''It was a freak thing; there's no explanation.'' Jeff Lakas Jeff, 21, will be remembered as a smart, physically active young man who made the grades but was always up for a good time with friends. He was a junior majoring in management information systems who had made the University of Georgia's dean's list more than once, his brother said. At Providence Christian Academy in Atlanta, Jeff played the No. 1 position on the school's tennis team. A tennis player since middle school, he was a state-ranked junior player and was active in various independent amateur leagues in the Atlanta area. He graduated with honors from Providence Christian. ''He was a good kid,'' recalled his former tennis coach, Sean Chapman. ''He worked hard for us at practice. He was the kind of tennis player who was fun to watch. He knew how to play using his brain.'' ''He was bright, he knew right from wrong, and I think he had some good morals,'' Chapman added. ''He was kind of a free spirit, which is kind of fun.'' Age: 21 From: Lawrenceville UGA affiliation: Junior majoring in management information systems Scott Lakas said his brother's cheerful demeanor will be missed by Jeff's wide circle of friends at the university. He had been a member of Delta Chi fraternity but was inactive at the time of his death. ''I'll miss seeing that big smile,'' Scott Lakas said. ''He never thought bad of anybody, and that's a characteristic not many people have.'' Jeff's devotion to fitness never waned. ''He lived right down the street, and always used to call me every day to come work out with him,'' his brother said. A weightlifter, Jeff was ''pretty ripped for his size,'' Scott Lakas said. But tennis was his passion. ''He played all the time.'' Academics also seemed to come naturally for Jeff. ''He had this real high GPA and got really good grades, but he never really cracked the books,'' Scott Lakas said with a laugh. The suddenness of Jeff's death came as a shock to his former coach: ''I want to make sure the kids that I coach now understand that anything can happen at any moment; we're not guaranteed anything. It was a big lesson to me,'' Chapman said. send this story to a friend discuss this story email the editor Šopyright 2000 Athens Newspapers Inc.