Paul Arthur Keenan, 90
The memorial service for Paul Arthur Keenan, 90, of Albany, who died April 4, 2011 at Willson Hospice House, will be conducted Monday, May 16, 2011 at 11:30 AM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. There will be a reception immediately following the memorial service in the Parrish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make memorials to the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI-Albany, 2213 Chapman Road, Albany, GA 31707; Albany Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1436, Albany, GA 31702; Darton College Foundation: Servant Leadership Program, 2400 Gillionville Road, Albany, GA 31707.
Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors is handling the arrangements.
Edna Eames Merriam
Edna Eames Merriam, 103, of Albany, died Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at Palmyra Nursing Home.
Her memorial service was held May 9 at the Chapel of Byne Memorial Baptist Church. The Rev. Clay Bowden officiated. Mrs. Merriam’s remains were cremated and will be buried at a later date.
Mrs. Merriam was born in Millbury, Mass., and lived in Albany for several years, moving from Fort Myers, Fla. She graduated from Millbury High School and attended Post Business College. Mrs. Merriam worked at Norton Abrasives Plant in Worcester, Mass., for 19 years. She was a member of Olga Methodist Church of Fort Myers, Fla., and attended Byne Memorial Baptist Church of Albany. Mrs. Merriam loved cooking, cake baking, and decorating cakes. She enjoyed sending notes to family and friends. She was preceded in death by her first husband, George Eames; second husband, Charles Dana Merriam; grandsons, Gary Eames and Charles D. Merriam Jr.; parents, Stephen Franklin Stockwell and Alice May McCracken Stockwell; siblings, Bertha Grandone, Harry Stockwell, Mabel Cogswell, Frederick Stockwell, Francis Stockwell, Lottie Tupper, Willard Stockwell, Mildred Hunton, and Everett Stockwell.
She is survived by her son: Paul Edward Eames and his wife Dot, Albany; a stepson: Charles Merriam Jr., Lake Tahoe, Nev.; two grandchildren: Glenn Eames, Albany, and Stacey Eames, Atlanta; and a great grandson: Andy Eames, Albany .
Those desiring may send memorials to the Living Legacy Fund at Byne Memorial Baptist Church, 2832 Ledo Road., Albany, GA 31707, or to the Albany Community Hospice, 320 Foundation Lane, Albany, GA 31721. An online guestbook is at www.kimbrellstern.com.
Dr. Olalekan Ariyo
Dr. Olalekan Ariyo, 45, of Denver, Colo., and formerly of Albany, died suddenly on May 1, 2011.
Dr. Ariyo was a board-certified geriatrician at Albany Area Primary Health Care from 2004 to 2010; he was also involved in nursing home practice and its reform, and was the Medical director at Dawson Manor Nursing Home.
The Ariyos lived in Albany for six years, and were actively involved in the community and at Deerfield Windsor School, where their two children were students. Dr. Ariyo received numerous awards including “Excellence in Performance” by Medicaid in 2005 for his work in medical direction of the SOURCE waiver program for the frail and elderly. Between 2006 and 2009, he received the “Active Teacher in Family Medicine” award from the American Association of Family Practice. He was also appointed Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia. He was a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Geriatrics Society, the Georgia Medical Directors Association and the Albany Advocacy and Resource Council, which supports developmentally-delayed and physically injured individuals. He actively supported the Albany Alzheimer’s Association in an advisory capacity.
The youngest of three children born to Janet and Titus Ariyo in Ibadan, Nigeria, Dr. Ariyo attended high school at the prestigious Government College Ibadan (GCI) from 1976 to 1981, and entered the renowned University of Ibadan, Nigeria where he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology and later a Master’s degree in Chemical Pathology. He met Sade Adesina in 1988 during a “chance” meeting with friends and it was love at first sight.
He attended medical school on a Mobil scholarship at Ogun State University (OSU). In medical school, he became a Commonwealth Foundation Scholar, and received sponsorship for a medical elective to Dominica in the West Indies where he gained experience and found his passion for service investigating disparities in health care. He graduated from OSU in 1994 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). In the spirit of true service for which his life was marked, he elected to pursue an internship in the West Indies attending to the medical needs of the underserved communities of the British Commonwealth territories. During the 2 years in the West Indies, he also taught medical students and helped them prepare for qualifying exams.
Dr. Ariyo is survived by two children, Oreoluwa and Oreofeoluwa, and his wife Sade, whom he married in London, England on Feb. 10, 1996. In their typical modest style, their wedding reception took place in Sade’s tiny apartment attended by friends and family. In 1994, the Ariyos welcomed their beautiful twins, Oreoluwa (the gift of God) and Oreofeoluwa (the grace of God) into the world at Harold Wood Hospital, Essex, England. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Ariyo moved to Chicago where he completed a residency in Internal medicine at the Cook County Hospital, followed by a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
In 2000, the family’s traveling life continued with a move to Saipan in the North Pacific where for the next three years; Dr. Ariyo practiced medicine as the sole geriatrician in the Northern Mariana Islands of the US and was also personal physician to the Governor.
With a mixture of trepidation and hopeful anticipation for the future, the family had left Albany and moved to Colorado where he was appointed Medical Director at Total LongTerm Care, the PACE (Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) in February of 2010. He joined ActiveHealth Management at the end of 2010.
He was very proud of his beautiful wife and his multi-talented children. They traveled the world together making friends and memories and his passion for living infused every aspect of his life. An avid golf enthusiast, he shared his passion for the outdoors with his family running 5ks, hiking, cycling and kayaking. With the twins they formed the “RIO TRIO”, their own family triathlon team with Ore (swim), Ofe (run) and Lekan (cycling) while Sade participated in marathons and half marathons, crying, laughing and documenting their experiences all the way.
A compassionate physician, considerate teacher and a devoted friend, he taught everyone he met what it meant to truly care for others. He also had the rare knack of making everyone around him feel special.
His sudden passing has left us bewildered and numb with shock. His life measured in years was all too short but he lived every moment with genuine kindness and to the fullest. He will be sorely missed by Sade, Ore, Ofe, his siblings Yemi, Ayopeju, Nike, Wunmi and Tola and a host of lifelong friends. The world is indeed a better place for his having been in it. Dearest Bamba, we love you and miss you. Rest in peace.
William Kelly Cromartie, 77
William Kelly “Bill” Cromartie, 77, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2011, at his home.
Born in Albany, he was the son of the late Hendrick LaFayette and Mary E. Wallace Cromartie. Raised in Leesburg, he was a graduate of Lee County High School Class of 1952. Following high school, Mr. Cromartie attended the Georgia Military Academy in Milledgeville. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in business.
After college, he joined Delta Airlines Reservations in New Orleans, La. He later transferred to Delta Operations in Louisville, Ky., before moving to Atlanta in 1960. During the early 1960s, Mr. Cromartie pursued a passion for advertising with the Burke Dowling Adams Advertising Agency in Atlanta.
A bachelor in 1965, he met in Atlanta Kay Robertson, whom he married in 1969. The Cromarties lived in the Vinings area of Northwest Atlanta for many years, as he continued his career in advertising. He worked primarily on ventures with Delta Airlines as their primary ad agency. Mr. Cromartie retired in 1993 from BDA as vice president.
An avid sportsman, he played and managed organized team adult softball from the 1960s through the 1980s in Atlanta. His team, called the “STRATS,” went to several national tournaments. Mr. Cromartie is a published author of eight books highlighting major college football rivalries to include: “Clean Old Fashioned Hate” (Ga. vs. Ga. Tech), “Braggin Rights” (Auburn vs. Alabama), “The Big One” (Ohio State vs. Michigan), “Annual Madness” (Texas vs. Oklahoma), and “The Greatest Rivalry in All of Sports” (Army vs. Navy).
He leaves behind his wife, Kay Robertson Cromartie of Fernandina Beach; two brothers, Dr. Hendrick Cromartie (Dorothy) of Rome, Ga., John Cromartie (Annette) of Albany; a sister, Mary Cromartie Johnson of Mission Viego, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held from the graveside in Leesburg City Cemetery on Tuesday with Dr. Biff Coker officiating. Following the funeral services he was laid to rest beside his father.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Community Hospice of N.E. Fla., 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257, or to the Memorial United Methodist Church, 601 Centre Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034. Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors handled the arrangements
Laura Giles Deyette, 25
The funeral service of Laura Giles Deyette, 25, of Albany, who died Saturday, May 7, 2011, will be conducted Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Wesley Kaylor will officiate. Interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery.
A native and lifelong resident of Albany, Laura graduated from Deerfield-Windsor School in 2004, attended Darton College and was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Albany.
Survivors include a son, William Deyette, her mother, Rachel A. Grace and her father and stepmother, Phillip and Belinda Giles all of Albany, GA, three brothers, John (Katie) Giles and Jesse Williams of Athens, GA and Matt Giles of Albany, her maternal grandmother, Aline Grace of Leesburg, and her paternal grandmother, Connie Giles of Albany.
The family is at the residence of Rachel A. Grace, 1810 W. Lakeridge Drive, Albany, GA, 31707 and Phillip and Belinda Giles, 510 Partridge Drive, Albany, GA, 31707. Those desiring may make contributions to Graceway Recovery Center, 412 Tift Ave., Albany, GA, 31701 or to Bridges of Hope, 10031 Coffee Road, Morven, GA, 31638. An online guestbook is at www.mathewsfuneralhome.com.
Nadine M. Parr, 77
Nadine M. Parr, 77, of Leesburg died Friday, May 6 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Funeral services were conducted Monday at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Billy Hanna officiated. Interment followed at Floral Memory Gardens Cemetery.
A native of Early County, Ga., Mrs. Parr lived most of her life in Lee County. She was a retired office manager with Albany Urology Clinic. Mrs. Parr was a 1952 graduate of Lee County High School, a member of First Free Will Baptist Church, the Joy Sunday School Class and Women’s Auxiliary of First Free Will Baptist. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Thomas Mathis and Carrie Belle Maples Mathis.
Survivors include her husband, Melvin Taylor Parr of Leesburg, GA, a son Melvin (Mel) T. Parr, Jr. of Albany, a daughter, Holli Parr Sigmon, of Lee County, a grandchild, Taylor Theron Roberts of Lee County, and a sister, Imogene M. Aleywine of Lake Butler, Fla.
An online guestbook is at www.mathewsfuneralhome.com.
Sheila Kay Thomas, 64
Sheila Kay Thomas, 64, of Albany, died Friday, May 6, 2011 at her residence. Funeral services were held Monday at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Ken Chancellor officiated. Interment was in Oakview Cemetery in Camilla.
A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Miss Thomas resided in Albany for the past 30 years and was formerly employed by J.C. Penney Co. Inc. Miss Thomas loved her church and church family and she was a member of Lakeside Baptist Church and the Pastor’s Sunday School Class.
Survivors include her parents, Aubrey (Bud) and Joyce Woody Thomas of Camilla, three sisters, Janice Sanders of Albany, Sandy and Harold West of Leesburg, and Beverly and Jeff Lawson of Albany, two brothers, Britt and Janine Thomas of Tallahassee, and David Thomas of Albany, and four nieces and two nephews.
A guestbook is at www.mathewsfuneralhome.com.
