Editor’s Note: This list consists of selected obituaries published in the Marietta Daily Journal from Jan. 1 to Dec. 19, 2025.
Over the course of the year, the residents of Cobb County have lost family, friends, coworkers and neighbors. As 2025 draws to a close, we take a moment to look back and remember the lives of some of our citizens once more.
JANUARY
Former Cobb County Superior Court Judge Reuben Green died on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Green was appointed to the Superior Court bench by former Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2010 and served until 2020, when he was unseated by Judge Angela Brown.
During his tenure, Green presided over the Cobb County Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court.
Before joining the Superior Court bench, Green worked as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia, working to prosecute drug trafficking organizations and violent career criminals. He was also an assistant DA for the Cobb DA’s office. His law career began at King & Spalding, where his practice focused on employment discrimination, product liability and general civil litigation.
Before receiving his law degree from Emory University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Lewis & Clark College, Green served in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his service, he received the Good Conduct and National Defense Medals and was honorably discharged after four years of active duty.
Terri Strickland Cole, 69, of Marietta, died on Friday, Jan. 3.
A Douglas native, Cole gradauted early from Coffee County High School, attended South Georgia College and earned an Associate Degree in Science. She then attended Valdosta State University attaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts and completed her education at The University of Georgia with a Master’s in Art Education, graduating Cum Laude.
She started her career as a teacher of gifted children in Madison, but moved to Marietta in 1980. She worked in managerial roles, eventually owning her own company, a distributor of Closet Maid, and retired in 1989.
At Roswell Street Baptist Church, she taught Vacation Bible School. She served on the Board of Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society as chair of the Furnishings Committee for over 30 years. In 2024, she was named Patron of the Year by the Georgia Association of Museums. She helped the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art secure special shows, but she staged each exhibit.
She was a member of a decades-old book club, a member of The Anne Hudgins Shakespeare Class and a member of the Colonial Dames of America.
Joseph “Joe” Charles Gavalis, 78, of Marietta, died on Monday, Jan. 6.
Gavalis’ father was a golf pro at the local country club and he played golf at an early age. He excelled at golf in high school and attended the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut on a golf scholarship, graduating with a degree in Business Administration.
After college, he moved to Atlanta and worked at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he was assigned to the U.S. Department of Justice, Organized Crime Strike Force in Atlanta. He conducted investigations of corrupt union officials, Employee Benefit Funds Crimes and other federal violations.
He was instrumental in setting up the Office of Labor Racketeering while assigned in Washington, DC.
He was recognized as one of the top experts in Labor Racketeering investigations and was sought after for assistance. He also received numerous awards for his work, including the highest award given in the U.S. DOL, the Secretary’s Honor Award. He retired in 1998 and started a private investigative service centered on labor related investigations.
In 2010, Gavalis was a founding organizer of the Cobb County Elder Abuse Task Force and was serving as the Law Enforcement Coordinator where he conducted over 80 training seminars for over 1,000 law enforcement officers and seminars for over 8,000 civilians concerning elder abuse and senior issues.
Charles William Burke Sr., 91, of Marietta, died on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
A Wrens native, Burke began his employment at age 7 when he milked cows every morning before school. At age 12, he began working in the local drug store, sweeping floors and as a soda jerk. He graduated from Wrens High School as third in his class and worked for the railroad in Augusta.
He enlisted in the Army and was stationed at Fort Gordon for the extent of his military career.
Working through college as a soda jerk in Decatur, he attended Oglethorpe University and graduated from Southern School of Pharmacy (Mercer) in 1960. He filled his last prescription at 90 and was the next oldest registered pharmacist in Georgia at his passing.
He grew up attending Wrens Presbyterian Church. After marrying his wife, June, he attended Cartersville First Presbyterian for several years before moving to Austell, where he attended and served as an elder for over 30 years at Austell Presbyterian. He was a member at Macland Presbyterian for 15 years before joining Due West Methodist, where he attended for the last 12 years.
Garvis L. Sams Jr., 72, of Marietta, died on Thursday, Jan. 9.
An Atlanta native, Sams was a lifelong resident of Marietta and graduated from Marietta High School in 1970. He was head of the yearbook staff. After high school, he attended the University of Georgia and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature before furthering his education with a law degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law in 1978.
He devoted 45 years to the legal profession, first practicing with his father at Sams, Glover & Gentry and then opening his own firm, Sams, Larkin & Huff in 1994.
He was admitted to practice before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He served as county attorney from 1979-1987 before shifting toward representing developers.
He became a preeminent zoning attorney in the metro area when he represented Jim Nalley of Nalley Automotive in a case that went to the Georgia Supreme Court in the early 1990s regarding the relocation of a private cemetery.
From 2011-2012, Sams was named one of Georgia’s Super Lawyers. In 2014, the state Senate honored him for over 30 years of legal excellence and his service to the community as one of the preeminent zoning and land development attorneys in metro Atlanta.
Father Fernando Molina Restrepo, 63, died Thursday, Jan. 9.
An Anserma, Caldas, Colombia native, Father Restrepo studied at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1999, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. He began his ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta at Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City. He also was a parochial vicar at St. Michael Church in Gainesville and St. Joseph Church in Marietta.
He was administrator at Our Lady of the Americas Mission in Lilburn and pastor at Christ Our King and Savior Church in Greensboro; St. Theresa Church in Douglasville; Transfiguration Church in Marietta; and most recently at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta. His longest pastorate was at Transfiguration Church, where he served as the community’s spiritual leader for over seven years.
Martha Ann O’Keefe Lamond, 86, of Kennesaw, died Thursday, Jan. 9.
A Lampasas, Texas native, Lamond attended Lampasas Public Schools. She was a majorette in the high school marching band, member of the LTP booster club and the Jr. Pierian Club. She was a charter member of the Town and Study Club in Lampasas. Three days after graduation, she enrolled at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas, where she pledged Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority.
She was a devoted supporter of her late husband’s naval career, moving 28 times in over 30 years, including duty stations in Hawaii and at the American Embassy in Australia. While raising three daughters, she found time to be active in the Officer’s Wives Club and was the Navy wives’ representative when her husband, Capt. Timothy Robert O’Keefe, attended the National War College in Washington D.C. Upon his retirement from active duty in the Navy, Texas Gov. Clements presented her with the Yellow Rose of Texas Award for her contributions to the country.
She had an active career that spanned over 44 years in real estate. She was a real estate broker and a certified commercial builder. At Town and Country Properties, she oversaw the New Homes Division in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. In northern Virginia, she was Vice President at Wills Commercial Builders. She was awarded the “SPIKE” award from the Northern Virginia Home Builder Association and received the MIRM Certification Award.
She was a past President of the Roswell Historic Society, a member of the Roswell Historical Preservation Board and on the Board of Smith Plantation. She was a life member of the Roswell Woman’s Club.
Clem Melton Doxey Jr., died on Friday, Jan. 24.
A Natchitoches, Louisiana native, Doxey graduated from Natchitoches High School in 1954 while lettering in four sports. At Louisiana State University he majored in chemistry. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity serving as an officer and pledge trainer.
After graduating from LSU, he attended LSU medical school followed by a one-year internship in Oakland, California. For the next three years, he served as a naval flight surgeon for the First Marine Brigade in the Pacific theater including Hawaii, Japan and Vietnam.
After his Naval service, he returned to New Orleans for a dermatology residency. He founded Marietta Dermatology which grew to be the largest dermatology practice in Georgia. He served for many years as a clinical professor at Emory University Hospital, as the Chief of Staff at Kennestone Hospital in 1986 and as President of the North American Clinical Dermatological Society.
He worked closely with Sen. Johnny Isakson to pass legislation in Georgia that improved public access to dermatological care, particularly for melanoma treatment. He practiced medicine until he retired in 2013 at 77.
He received The Georgia Dermatology Physician Assistant Supervising Physician of the Year Award. He served as President of Marietta Rotary Club. He was a founding board member of Charter Bank of Marietta. He was active at First Presbyterian Church in Marietta, where he served as a deacon, later as an elder and taught Sunday School for young married couples.
Gail Brewer Giorgio, of Marietta, died on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Giorgio attended Fletcher High School in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She later moved to Pennsylvania, where she attended and graduated from Norristown High School.
Giorgio was a critically acclaimed journalist and New York Times Best-Selling Author. Her award-winning works include the Novel, Orion, The Elvis Alive Series, Footprints in the Sand, the Story Behind the Poem and many others.
FEBRUARY
Jeff Hollis, 81, died on Monday, Feb. 3.
Hollis was the winningest coach in Wheeler High School’s football history. He led the Wildcats to four region titles during a tenure from 1985-94 that included seven straight seasons of double-digit victories from 1987-93. During that time, Wheeler went 84-33 and advanced to the state quarterfinals on four different occasions.
He left Wheeler and went to Cherokee, where he spent three seasons as coach from 1995-97. He won only four games during that time.
Hollis, who coached for 43 years, including 23 as a head coach, was also the head coach at Lovett (1977-81) and North Forsyth (2002-06). Overall, he went 142-116 and won five region titles.
He also spent time on the coaching staffs at Northgate, Pope and Lumpkin County, along with being the offensive line coach under Bill Curry at Georgia Tech in 1982.
He arrived at Wheeler in 1984 and spent one season as an assistant under former coach Fred Sanderson before taking the reins as head coach.
A significant moment for Hollis and the program was the 1987 Region 5AAAA championship game at Walton. The Raiders had won three in a row in the series of east Cobb rivals, including a 23-9 earlier that season, and five of the previous seven. The 16-15 victory in the championship game started a string of 12 straight Wheeler wins over Walton. Hollis was a 2013 inductee into Wheeler’s Sports Hall of Fame.
William Joseph “Pepper” Kelly Jr. died on Monday, Feb. 3.
Raised in Marietta, he attended Marietta High School, graduating in 1964. He played football for the Blue Devils and was co-captain of the team his senior year.
He was a member of Troop 144 earning the rank of Eagle. He graduated from the University of Georgia, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
He started his career working for the family business, Kelly Chrysler. After college, he served as a Lieutenant in the Army working as a courier for the Pentagon. Upon returning home, he bought Kelly Liquid Feed.
Patricia Irene Martin, 88, of Smyrna, died on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
A Noblesville, Indiana native, Martin was a 1954 graduate of Noblesville High School. She started her career as a Federal Government employee on the Monday following her high school graduation. She started as a GS-2 Clerk Typist. Midway through her government career, she attended Vincennes University and Indiana University at Indianapolis, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and Organization from the Kelley School of Business, with distinction, in 1990.
She retired from Government Service after 44 1/2 years of service, with a career marked by many promotions and honors, at the rank of GS-13 Contract Administrator. She was named Regional Civil Servant of the Year for her effort to enforce strict adherence to government contracts, which saved U.S. taxpayers over $1 million dollars in the previous fiscal year.
Immediately after retiring from the Federal Government, she started a second career, as a tax preparer for H&R Block, where she worked for the next 20 years, rising to the level of Senior Tax Preparer.
Joni Greene Russell, 66, died on Friday, Feb. 7.
An Atlanta native, Russell graduated in 1976 from Fayette County High School, where she was a member of the Tigerettes drill team and attended Clayton Junior College before graduating from West Georgia College with a degree in Business Management in 1980.
While at West Georgia, she served as President of the Georgia chapter of Phi Beta Lambda. She worked as a personnel manager at Richway and at Thomas R. Hopson Company. Later, she worked at S.P. Richards Company and the United Way of Metro Atlanta. Her final career stop was at the RAM Partners corporate office, where she spent 20 years before retiring in December 2023.
Russell was a long-time volunteer on the board of Cobb Christmas and served as a volunteer leader with Boy Scout Troop 797. She was a successful Popcorn Kernel and completed the Wood Badge program. For her efforts in Scouting, she earned the District Award of Merit in 2010.
Dr. James Albert Sutherland Jr., 77, died on Monday, Feb. 10.
Sutherland graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1966. He continued his education at Vanderbilt University, earning his undergraduate degree in 1970, before pursuing his medical degree at the University of Kentucky, where he graduated in 1975.
Following medical school, he completed his residency in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1979. His dedication to women’s health led him to serve as a faculty member at the University College of Medicine in the Department of OB/GYN from 1979-1980 at the University of Kentucky. In 1980, he transitioned to private practice in Whiteville, North Carolina.
In 1987, he and his family moved to Marietta, where he continued his medical practice until his retirement in 2013 at which time he moved to Southport, North Carolina.
Lucille Snyder Turner died on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Turner was raised in the mountains of western Carolina where she met her husband, Ben, who brought her to Georgia.
Turner was dedicated to supporting her husband’s ministries as Pastor of several churches. The ministry of her heart was Calvary Children’s Home, which was founded while Ben pastored Calvary Baptist Church in Smyrna. She was a faithful employee of the Children’s Home until she was 96.
Mary Jo “Tracy” Franchini, 76, died on Sunday, Feb. 16.
Mary Jo “Tracy” Franchini, 76, died on Sunday, Feb. 16.
An Atlanta native, Franchini attended Therrell High School and grew up in the Oakland City community.
She was a court reporter for the City of Atlanta, a banker at Commercial Bank & Trust, a marketing assistant at Printpack and was the 35-plus years spent as a real estate broker. Initially, she was with Coldwell Banker in Smyrna, then finally with Keller Williams Cityside. She was a member of the Atlanta Realtors Association Million Dollar Club and kept her license until her retirement in 2016. She also worked as a sales representative for Estee Lauder.
She took time away from her career to raise her daughter, Tracy, and care for her mother. During this time, she went back to college and completed her B.S. in Marketing with top honors at Kennesaw State University. To honor her legacy, the family created the Mary Jo Franchini Scholarship, the first at KSU for non-traditional students.
She was an active member of Smyrna First United Methodist Church for over 40 years. She led Disciple classes, participated in Walk to Emmaus and served in several other leadership roles, including Trustee.
Ann Hull Ramsey Cook, 91, died Friday, Feb. 28.
A Covington native, Cook grew up in the Salem community of Newton County.
A 1950 graduate of Newton County High, she attended West Georgia College and Georgia’s Teacher College (Georgia Southern University). She began her teaching career in DeKalb County and then spent a year teaching in Fernandina Beach, Florida. She taught for some 35 years, mostly in Cobb County at Kenwood Elementary and King Springs Elementary, where she was once named Teacher of the Year.
For over 60 years, she was a dedicated member of Collins Memorial United Methodist Church. She served as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, church leader and volunteered regularly with the church’s various food ministries. She loved Salem Campmeeting and was a lifelong tenter. In the early 1990s, she became the first woman to serve on the campground’s board of trustees.
MARCH
Donald “D.A.” Arthur King, died on Wednesday, March 5.
A Detroit, Michigan native, King graduated from Lamphere High School in Madison Heights in 1969. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, serving from 1970-1976. King described himself as “pro-enforcement” on immigration and borders, an issue on which he dedicated the last 21 years of his life as an activist, writer and public speaker.
Dr. C. Gary Bullard, 79, died on Sunday, March 9.
An Austell native, Dr. Bullard attended South Cobb High School and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia, graduating in 1969.
After graduating, he joined the Air Force, where he served as Chief of Veterinary Services at Hancock Field in Syracuse, New York. In 1972, he established Bullard Animal Hospital in Austell, where he worked for over 44 years.
He was one of the first veterinarians to bring animals to the psychiatric unit of the local medical center for pet therapy, offering comfort to patients unable to communicate. He also provided veterinary services to the Austell and Cobb County Police K-9 units. He served as the President of the Greater Atlanta Veterinary Medical Society, President of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association and the President of the State Board of Examiners.
He served on the UGA Alumni Association Board of Directors and represented Georgia as a Delegate in the AVMA House of Delegates for 16 years. He also contributed to the AVMA Legislative Advisory Committee for six years, the AVMA Political Action Committee for eight years and served as chair for the AVMA House Advisory Committee. He was honored to have represented the AVMA numerous times in Washington, D.C.
He earned the Distinguished Service Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, the JT Mercer Lifetime Achievement Award, GVMA Veterinarian of the Year Award, Cobb County VMA Achievement Award and the AVMA Impact Award. In his community, he was also honored as Business of the Year in Austell, Chair of the South Cobb Division of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, President of the South Cobb Optimist Club and President of the Austell Rotary Club.
Rev. Richard Edward Hemphill, 77, of Hiram, died on Thursday, March 13.
A Toccoa native, Rev. Hemphill lived most of his life in Cobb County. After graduating from Campbell High School in 1966, he joined the Army, having served in Korea during the Vietnam war guarding nuclear warheads.
After military service, he attended and graduated from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service while working as a Funeral Assistant for Sanders-Carmichael Funeral Home in Smyrna. He served as a licensed funeral director for many years.
His Christian ministry included working as a manager at the “Joyful Noise (Christian Supperclub),” working for WYNX Christian Radio Station in Smyrna. He was a part owner and manager for WFOM Christian Radio in Smyrna, served as the congregation leader of music at Trinity Baptist Church for nine years and served as the Senior Pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church for 35 years.
After retirement, he continued to serve and minister to families while working for West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory in Marietta.
George Russell “Russ” Nobles died on Thursday, March 13.
A Phoenix, Arizona native, Nobles moved to Georgia in his early twenties. He had a long career, spanning 33 years, with Sir Speedy Printing in Atlanta.
He was a long-standing member of the Masonic community, joining the Samuel S. Lawrence Lodge in Marietta in 1998 and serving as their Past Master. He was also Past Master of the Cobb County Masonic Convention. For many years, he served as an advisor to DeMolay.
Clifford Frank Moore Jr., 85, of Marietta, died on Wednesday, March 19.
A Fairfield, Alabama native, Moore spent his early years in the Central Park area of Birmingham, Alabama before moving to Hueytown, Alabama. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America and graduated from Hueytown High School in 1957.
He obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Alabama, where was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He later achieved a master’s degree in accounting from Georgia State University. After graduation, he joined the Army Reserves and served for six years with the 413 Finance Disbursement Section, separating as a Sergeant First Class.
He moved to Atlanta to begin his accounting career with Chevrolet. He later moved to Rome and worked as the plant accountant for the Celanese Fibers Company, then the company’s home offices in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1968, he joined Buddy Weiss and Harold Willingham in their accounting practice in Marietta. The firm grew into Moore and Cubbedge, where he was the Managing Partner for over half a century.
He was a member of Marietta First United Methodist Church for over 50 years. He served at Marietta FUMC as Chairman of the Administrative Board and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was Chairman of the Building Committee when the Southern Bell building was converted to the Discipleship Center, twice Chairman of the Finance Committee and Chairman of Marietta First United Methodist Church Endowment Foundation. For over 50 years, he was a member of the John Strother Sunday School class, where he taught intermittently over the years.
He served as President of the Marietta Country Club and was a founding member of the Georgian Club, as well as Chairman of the Board of Theater in the Square and a member of Kiwanis Club of Marietta for almost five decades.
Elizabeth “Betty” Logan Parker, 85, died on Wednesday, March 26.
An Atlanta native, Parker graduated from Druid Hills High School.
She was very involved with the Cobb County Genealogical Society, where she participated in the creation of the Cobb County Cemetery Preservation task force and created a map of all Cobb cemeteries. She was known for having visited each cemetery individually and many have given credit to Parker for spearheading Cobb’s efforts to legally protect each grave in the county.
She was also involved with Daughters of American Revolution, Northeast Genealogical Society and Association of Gravestone Studies. She studied family’s genealogy through state and county records, conversations and notes and searching through the lands for lost and abandoned cemeteries.
Marion Eugene “Gene” Jernigan, 87, died on Friday, March 28.
An Atlanta native, Jernigan was a graduate of North Fulton High School and one of the original “Buckhead Boys.” He went to Davidson College on a football scholarship but concussions did not allow him to follow through. While at Davidson, he joined Phi Delta Theta and then returned to Atlanta and attended Georgia State, lettering in basketball.
He enjoyed a successful career in the insurance industry as a Group Sales Manager for the Southeast and Vice President of the Life of Virginia. He was very active in the community serving as President of the Smyrna Lions Club, the Smyrna Zoning Board and volunteered in many Peach Bowls and the 1996 Olympics.
He also became very engaged in church going on mission trips to Kenya, Venezuela and Puerto Rico along with serving in the Disaster Response ministry as a CERT for Cobb County.
APRIL
Ronald “Ron” Storey died on Thursday, April 3.
A Cobb native, Storey enlisted in the Air Force and served during the Vietnam War after graduation. Following active duty, he was stationed in Texas before continuing as security police in the reserves upon returning to Georgia, where he retired from the Air National Guard.
His law enforcement career began with the Atlanta Police Department, followed by a pioneering role in the newly established Fulton County Police Department.
In 1986, he joined the Cobb County Police Department, his leadership and expertise propelled him through the ranks, culminating as Deputy Chief.
Storey completed his bachelor’s degree at KSU and later a Master’s at Columbus State University. He proudly graduated from the FBI National Academy. He earned multiple certificates from the Georgia Law Enforcement Professional Management Program and Command College through Columbus State University.
Upon retiring from Cobb PD in 2013, he joined the Cobb County School District to build a school police department.
Horace Eugene “Gene” Barrow, 92, died on Friday, April 4.
A Springville, Tenneessee native, Barrow lived most of his life in Cobb County. He was a star basketball player for Springville High in 1946, 1948, 1949 and Sports Editor for the Annual.
Shortly after high school, he enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to Air Training Command school specializing in aircraft mechanics at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas receiving a Certificate of Proficiency and to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois Technical School for Aircraft Jet Engine Mechanic Specialized Course receiving a Certificate of Achievement.
He thrived as a master mechanic and was sent to Northern Africa during the Korean War to be the last stop mechanical service for U.S. planes going into battle in Korea. He served 4 1/2 years in the Air Force and was asked to stay on for officer school but decided to go to Lockheed for the next several years, where he received three more specialized certificates on C-130 aircraft systems and advanced blueprint readings. While at Lockheed, he served seven years in the Air Force Reserves at Dobbins Air Force Base.
In 1961, he and his brother, C.D. Barrow, along with his wife, Emma, started Barrow Shell in Smyrna. They would go on to start and build two other life-long legacy businesses in Smyrna, Barrow Body Shop and Barrow Wrecker Service. C.D. retired, but Gene and Emma continued to run the businesses until they retired in September 1998. At that time, the businesses went to their son, Blake, who would continue to grow them with his sons.
Jimmy Wayne Jones died on Sunday, April 6.
A Paulding County native, Jones graduated from Dallas High School in 1954. He earned his law degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law in 1963 and practiced law in Cobb County for many years. He served in the Georgia Air National Guard and retired as a full Colonel. He also served as a Cobb County Commissioner. He was one of the founding members of Independent Bank and Trust, also known as United Community Bank, and served as Chairman of the Board for several years.
William “Bill” Harvey Kelly, 84, of Marietta, died on Saturday, April 12.
A Columbus native, Kelly was raised in Phenix City, Alabama and graduated from Central High School. He attended the University of Alabama and received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Upon graduation, he served his country in the Signal Corp of the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon in Augusta as a 1st Lieutenant. He returned to the University of Alabama to obtain a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance. Later, he attended Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University.
His career started in 1968 at the First Union National Bank in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1975, he came to Marietta as a Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer at the First National Bank of Cobb County. He retired in 2009 after over 40 years in banking.
He was a long-time active member of the Marietta First United Methodist Church and the John Strother Sunday School Class. He was actively involved with Marietta Metro Rotary, Cobb County Chamber of Commerce and various other volunteer positions such as MUST Ministry. He also spent time fostering dogs for Road Trip Home.
Larry Wayne Yarbrough, 75, of Marietta, died on Monday, April 14.
Yarbrough graduated from Jenkins High School in Savannah and received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1972 and a Juris Doctorate from Woodrow Wilson College of Law in 1976. Before graduating from law school, he was a Police Officer with the Cobb County Police Department and a Computer Programmer.
He practiced law in Marietta for 47 years. He was admitted to practice before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the U. S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. His first position as an attorney was as a prosecutor with the Cobb County Solicitor’s Office. He entered private practice of law in 1979. In the early years, he practiced mostly representing people in the area of criminal defense and domestic relations. In his later years, his practice consisted primarily of representing children in family disputes as a Guardian ad Litem and as a family law mediator.
Retired Col. Rufe L. “Robbie” Robertson Jr., 95, died on Saturday, April 19.
A Cotton Plant, Arkansas native, Robertson attended Cotton Plant High School where he played football and drove the school bus.
He enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 as a Private. In just 12 years, he rose to the rank of Master Sergeant. In 1965, he was commissioned as a Captain and achieved the rank of Colonel in 1983. He retired from the Air Force in 1990 after 40 years of service. He was decorated numerous times, including being awarded the prestigious Legion of Merit.
He also had a civilian career in Health and Human Services for over 20 years. He served as Director of Personnel for the Southeast region.
He was a longtime member of Marietta First United Methodist Church and was a member of the Jack Aaron Sunday School Class. He served as an election poll manager and was a charter member of the Lost Mountain Golden K Kiwanis Club.
Martha Ann Jarrett Wooten, 78, of Smyrna, died on Monday, April 21.
A Cartersville native, Wooten began her career in journalism after graduating from the University of Georgia. Using her experience as a reporter at the Athens Daily News and the Marietta Daily Journal, in the 1980s she opened a successful public relations business in Cobb County.
Serving mainly real estate clients, she freely donated her PR skills to charitable causes. In recognition of her service to the profession, she was presented multiple awards by the Women in Communications Inc. She also served on the YWCA of Cobb County board of directors.
She earned her Master of Arts in Communication and Storytelling from East Tennessee State University. She was a member of the Southern Order of Storytellers.
Jackie Melvin Vann, 82, of Acworth, died on Friday, April 25.
An Acworth native, Vann graduated from North Cobb High School and attended the University of Chattanooga on a football scholarship before enlisting in the U.S. Army, where he served from 1962-1965. He joined the Cobb County Police Department in September 1965 and retired in April 1999 as a Captain at Precinct One. He also served 28 years in the U.S. Air National Guard, retiring in 2002 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Barbara Collier Conrad, 80, of Marietta, died on Tuesday, April 29.
A Santa Rosa County, Flordia native, Conrad moved to Atlanta in the late 1960s after beginning her elementary school teaching career in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Her teaching career spanned 40 years, mostly in Cobb County. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California with a Bachelors in Education.
While teaching, she obtained a Masters in Elementary Education from Georgia State University and achieved a six-year degree from Mercer University. She earned the distinction of National Teacher Certification. She was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to travel in a teacher exchange program to Tokyo, Japan. Later, she was chosen by the Japan-America Society to mentor a group of middle school students to Japan.
She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was a member of the group supporting reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
MAY
Frederick “Fred” Rulfs Keith Jr., 89, died on Tuesday, May 13.
A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Keith was his high school valedictorian and also earned the Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout. He received Bachelor Degrees in Industrial Management and Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and a Master of Business Administration Degree from George Washington University. He obtained his Professional Engineering licenses in Georgia and North Carolina in the field of Electrical Engineering.
As a retired Major General in the Air Force, he was a distinguished graduate of the Communications Officer Course and the Air War College. In 1959, he moved to La Plata, Maryland, where he worked at the Naval Propellant Plant in Indian Head, Maryland, as Program Manager of Naval Air solid rocket fuel production. In 1966, he moved to Atlanta where he became the General Manager, and in 1975, the owner and President of Acme Bonded Warehouse Corporation.
In 1969, he founded Colonial Cartage Corporation (refrigerated trucking), initially servicing the Atlanta area with one truck. Today, CCC consistently receives safety awards and has 65 tractors and 200 trailers servicing the Southeast.
In 1957, Keith joined the 116th Tactical Fighter Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, Dobbins Air Force Base and later that year transferred to the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron, North Carolina Air National Guard in Badin, North Carolina. He was commissioned in 1958 and assumed command of the squadron in 1976. In 1991, he was assigned as the Air National Guard Assistant to the USAF Deputy Chief of Staff, Command, Control, Communications and Computers and was the liaison between the respective communications units and functions of the Air National Guard and the Air Force.
His military decorations and awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon. After 35 years of service, he retired from the NCANG in 1992 with the rank of Major General and transferred to and completed his service in the Air Force Reserve in 1995.
Keith held a Federal Communications Commission first class radio-telephone license and was an amateur “ham” radio operator. In 1962, he applied for an FCC license to build a radio station in Asheboro. In 1971, the license was approved and he designed, built and co-owned WZOO (AM) and eventually two FM translators in Asheboro and Greensboro. Until recently, he also owned WKXR in Asheboro and previously built and owned WYRU in Red Springs, North Carolina.
He was a founding member and treasurer of the North Cobb Rotary Club, a member of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce since 1987 and was a member of the Kennesaw Business Association. He served on the Board of the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, was a member of the Armed Forces Communications-Electronics Association, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Clan Keith Society and was a Kentucky Colonel. He was also a member of the International Warehouse Logistics Association, the Southeastern Warehouse Association, the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, the Council of Logistics Management and the Warehousing Education and Research Council.
Carrie Elizabeth Wilson, 91, died on Wednesday, May 14.
A Milan, Georgia native, Wilson served in ministry for the Church of God of Prophecy across the eastern U.S. She later became a dedicated member of Mount Paran North Church of God. She returned to school as a young mother, completing high school and later earning her degree in Accounting from Georgia State University. She built a 46-year career in federal service, holding positions at Fort Knox, Robins Air Force Base, NASA, Strategic Air Command in Huntsville, the Veterans Administration and the IRS. She retired in 2006. She also worked part-time at Macy’s for 18 years.
William “Bill” Edward Callaway Jr., 88, died on Saturday, May 17.
A Danville, Virginia native, Callaway graduated from Dreher High School in Columbia, South Carolina, and then went to preparatory school in Washington DC before entering the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956. Upon his graduation from the Academy and pilot training, he flew C-130’s for the Navy for five years. Following his Naval service, he flew and trained pilots for Delta Air Lines for over 30 years, retiring in 1997.
He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Marietta where he served as both a Deacon and an Elder. He taught Sunday School and was on a variety of committees. He was always active in the Rotary Club. He was a member of the Marietta Club and then a charter member of the of the Marietta Metro Club, where he served on many committees and was president.
Dr. Gerald Eugene Sanders, of Kennesaw, died on Sunday, May 25.
A Bamberg, South Carolina native, Sanders served in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of Colonel. He was a flight surgeon during the Vietnam War and a graduate of Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. He went on to earn his PhD and became a founding member of the Marietta Eye Clinic.
JUNE
Dr. Emerson Bryan Cochran, 90, of Marietta, died on Saturday, June 7.
A Wilmore, Kentucky native, Cochran joined the Navy while in medical school and became chief surgeon aboard the U.S.S. Randolph, where he played a small part in history: performing the postorbital check-up on Astronaut John Glenn after he splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean.
After his naval service, he established his medical practice in Marietta as a General Surgeon at Kennestone Hospital. He held many leadership positions, one of which included the chief of surgery. He advanced the use of Laparoscopic surgery and established a training center for teaching.
After retiring from his private practice of 30 years, Cochran continued offering medical care whenever and wherever needed. The son of a Methodist Minister, he was a 59-year member of the First United Methodist Church in Marietta. Using his talent and resources, he expanded the church’s congregation, its local outreach and spread its mission around the world.
Daphne Duplessis Saddler, 38, died on Saturday, June 7.
A Boston, Massachusetts native, Saddler attended J.F. Kennedy Middle School in Randolph, Massachusetts and later attended Fenway High School. After graduating from high school, she continued her academic journey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Studies and West African History.
She was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. She came through the “Oh So Fly” Pi Xi Chapter in Spring 2005. She also served in student government and participated in a study abroad program in Senegal, where she studied sustainable development and deepened her passion for community advocacy.
She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville. During law school, she excelled as a student leader serving on the Law Student Council, joining the Corporate and Securities Moot Court Team and contributing to the Journal of International Law and Public Policy.
She began her legal career as a public defender in Lake City, Florida representing clients in high-stakes felony cases. She later transitioned into civil litigation, defending insurance companies and corporations in complex cases. She then turned to personal injury law, where she fought for the rights of injured clients at Morgan & Morgan and John Foy & Associates in Georgia.
In May 2024, she established a family legacy by founding Brick Law Firm in Marietta. She was also a board member of the McKleskey YMCA in Marietta.
Marilynn Carol Simms Palmer, 77, of Marietta, died on Thursday, June 19.
An Atlanta native, Palmer attended North Fulton High School and then went on to University of West Georgia. She was an avid tennis player and was part of the Atlanta Lawn and Tennis Association, where she was a captain of her team for many years.
She served the Georgia State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, with distinction as the Service to America Committee Chair and as Vice Chair of the America 250! Committee. At the chapter level, she was an officer of the Fielding Lewis Chapter, NSDAR, serving as both Recording Secretary and Historian. As the chapter’s Public Relations Chair, she authored and published numerous articles in the MDJ.
She also played a leading role in securing proclamations from Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin and the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. One of her most lasting contributions was her involvement in the restoration and placement of the commemorative plaque at the historic Dobbins Chapel on Dobbins Air Force Base.
K. Drew Shaheen, 88, died on Thursday, June 19.
A Freeport, New York native, Shaheen was raised in Marietta. Her journey began when she volunteered to work at Jimmy Carter’s campaign headquarters. After he was elected, they sent her to Washington DC, which changed her life.
She started as a presidential appointee for President Carter in 1977 for five years and spoke to the Small Business Administration communities in all 50 states. Her duties with Presidents Ronald Reagan, Herman Walker Bush and Bill Clinton were numerous.
She was a Deacon in the National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC. She helped the homeless get jobs in DC and prepared resumes for others. She was listed in the Top 400 Women in Government registry, The Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Women and Who’s Who in Business and Finance.
Officer Alexi Anthony Breiner, 25, of Cobb County, died in an off-duty motorcycle crash on Saturday, June 21.
A Queens, New York native, Breiner was raised in Cobb County and graduated from Campbell High School in Smyrna. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2017, serving until 2022. He was a road patrol officer with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department.
Michael “Mike” Joe Reece, died on Wednesday, June 25.
Reece worked for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office for 34 years. Starting as a jailer, he rose through the ranks to retire as a Major. His tenure included roles as a Crime Scene Investigator and a member of the CID division.
Known for his musical abilities, he played guitar and even recorded a 45 single. Each year, he eagerly participated in the county fair, showcasing his skills as a master corn-boiler. He was an avid photographer. His collection included photographs of music legends such as Linda Ronstadt and Elton John. He was a member of the local Masonic chapter, East Point Lodge 288.
Janice Ruth Boyd Belcher died on Thursday, June 26.
A Maryville, Tennessee native, Belcher spent her early childhood in Tennessee before moving to White, Georgia. She attended school in Cartersville, graduated from North Atlanta High School and went on to earn her nursing degree from the Grady School of Nursing in Atlanta, graduating in 1961. She was an active member of Kennesaw United Methodist Church.
Professionally, she was a pioneer in the field of infection control. She played a critical role in establishing the departments of Infection Control, Quality Management and Utilization Review at Kennestone Hospital. Her expertise and leadership earned national and international recognition. She presented widely through her work with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and also contributed to teaching efforts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She retired from Kennestone/WellStar in 1997 after 30 years of service.
Effie Renee Petrie, 58, of Woodstock, died on Saturday, June 28.
Petrie was a graduate of Sprayberry High School and earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Emory University followed by a Master’s Degree in National Security Affairs Pacific RIM at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. She retired as a Commander after serving 24 years in the Navy as an Intelligence Officer. She participated in multiple combat deployments to include Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Effie served on the USS Blue Ridge, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the final cruise of the USS Enterprise. Petrie stayed busy after retiring from the Navy by volunteering with the Cobb Community Response Team and the Cobb County District Attorney’s Cold Case unit.
Rev. Joseph Watts Conyers Jr., 96, of Austell, died on Saturday, June 28.
A Columbia, South Carolina native, Conyers graduated from Gainesville, Florida High School and served two years in the Navy during the Korean War.
He was a graduate of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He was ordained into the Presbyterian ministry in 1957 by the Florida Presbytery in his first pastorate in Havana, Florida. In 1961, he was working in new church development for Westminster Presbytery, becoming the organizing pastor of the John Knox and Lake Seminole churches in Largo, Florida. In 1969, he became pastor of the Austell Presbyterian Church in Austell, where he served until his retirement in 1994.
After retiring, he was the interim pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Griffin, the McDonough Presbyterian Church in McDonough and College Park Presbyterian Church in College Park. On March 12, 2006, he was named Pastor Emeritus of the Austell Presbyterian Church. He was active in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, serving as moderator in 1983. He was a commissioner to the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly in 1960, 1968 and 1983.
He was a charter member of the Sons of Liberty chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was the first chaplain of the Sons of Liberty and received the certificate of appreciation in 2009 and 2010; the Bronze Good Citizenship Medal in 2009; the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010 and 2011; and the Certificate of Distinguished Service in 2013. In April 2004, he was given the Certificate of Merit by the Chaplaincy Corps of the Georgia Society of the SAR.
Conyers was a member of the South Cobb Rotary Club, serving as its president in 1992 and 1993. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow in 2003. He was selected as South Cobb Citizen of the Year in 1996 and in 2011 was presented the M.L. Lamar Lifetime Achievement Award by the Austell Business Association.
Brenda Abernathy Owenby of Acworth, died on Saturday, June 28.
Owenby was the first graduate of North Cobb High School in 1959. She was voted “Friendliest” as a Senior Superlative.
She went to work for Cobb County in the Superior Court Clerk’s Office on June 1, 1959. She retired after 50 years of full-time employment and then returned to work part-time for an additional 13 years. She was honored with a plaque, placed in the Superior Court Building, for her 50 years of service to Cobb County.
She was a dedicated member of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church for over 70 years. She held different offices in the church including a Sunday School Teacher of the Children.
JULY
John William Shern died on Tuesday, July 1.
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, Shern was born during a blizzard and his parents were forced to hitch a ride in the back of a milk truck to get to the hospital.
He went to Marquette High School where he played football, basketball and ran track. He turned down an appointment at the Naval Academy to pursue an architecture degree at the University of Notre Dame.
He served in the Navy in the Civil Engineer Corps during the Vietnam War. After his active service, he served in the Naval Reserves for eight years. He settled in Atlanta in 1973 where he started his career as an architect with Heery & Heery and eventually moved to Cousins Properties in Cobb County. He enjoyed building and creating with Trion Properties and with The Home Depot where he served as Director of Real Estate Development and Vice President of Construction.
He worked with the Cumberland Community Improvement District where he served on the Board for 36 years eventually as Chairman. He received the John Williams CID Award in 2022 and was selected as Cumberland Citizen of the Year in 2024.
Henry E. “Pete” Bagley died on Sunday, July 13.
A Marietta/Cobb resident since 1942, Bagley retired from the U.S. Civil Service at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in December 1994 after 42 years of service. At retirement, he was the Aircraft Maintenance Superintendent and Command Chief/Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commander of the 116th Fighter Wing.
After four years of duty in the Air Force, he joined the Georgia Air National Guard on May 2, 1957, as an Air Technician jet engine mechanic, later becoming Aircraft Crew Chief. In 1961, the wing converted from fighter to transport aircraft, and he trained as a Flight Engineer Instructor on C-97 and C-124 aircraft, accumulating 7,000 flight hours during world-wide missions which included Vietnam and most of Asia. When the Wing reverted back to fighter aircraft, he returned to aircraft maintenance, serving as maintenance control, quality control supervisor, Aircraft Field Maintenance Superintendent and First Sergeant of the 116th CAMS.
In 1994, Bagley retired as a Command Chief Master Sergeant, receiving the Georgia Distinctive Service Medal. He received 24 medals and ribbons, his chief aircrew wings and master maintenance badge. He was most proud of the nine Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards received by his unit during his last 20 years in the 116th wing.
While serving with the Air Force, he also spent two years in Korea and Japan, during which he received a second degree (NiDan) black belt in Judo from the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo. He was a member of Eastwood Baptist Church, Kennesaw Masonic Lodge No. 33, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard, the NCO Graduate Association, the American Legion Post No. 29 and the 40/8. He was a life member of the Air Force Sergeants Association. He also served as national vice president for the Association Civilian Technicians during the 1960s.
His volunteer service included the Atlanta Downtown YMCA as judo director, Special Olympics, Eggleston Hospital, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, cancer drives, blood drives, the Dobbins Chapel Foundation and American Golf Ambassador for various charity drives.
Officer Chase Childers, 38, died on Sunday, July 13 after saving a family of five caught in a rip current near Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Childers was a 2005 graduate of North Cobb Christian School. Prior to his time with Cobb Police Department, he played professional baseball for the Baltimore Orioles. After his baseball career, he joined Cobb Police where he served from 2011-2014 at Precinct 2. In 2012, he received the department’s Life Saving Award for stepping in without hesitation to protect a life.
Retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Thomas A. “Tom” Ogletree, 86, of Marietta, died on Thursday, July 24.
Ogletree graduated in 1957 from Gordon Military Academy in Barnsville. He enlisted in the Navy before graduating and went on to serve 32 years, retiring as Master Chief Petty officer. During his years as a Naval Reservist, he worked for Lockheed Martin throughout the C-5A contract and retired from a position with the FAA after 22 years.
With over 60 years as a registered Boy Scout, he served in various leadership roles. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, served as Scout Master, Order of the Arrow Lodge Advisor to the Egwa Tawa Lodge 129 and was a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. He was a Master Mason for over 55 years and was a member and Standing Worshipful Master of Georgia Mountain Lodge No. 758 F&AM, Canton and attended Woodstock Lodge No. 246 in Woodstock.
AUGUST
Ralph A. Crain, 93, of Marietta, died on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
A St. Louis, Missouri native, Crain enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 and served much of that time at Thule Air Force Base in Greenland, where he was a lab and medical technician. Much of his mission at Thule was classified, but he reminisced frequently about his team that diagnosed and treated tuberculosis among the Inuits as he traveled to native villages and towns.
During his Air Force years, Crain earned an Associate Degree through a joint University of Maryland/DoD program and also studied engineering at Rutgers University. He later took a position as a draftsman with Western Electric and relocated his family to the new Southeast Regional Headquarters in Atlanta, where he worked his way up to Systems Engineer. As part of a team that designed and installed telecommunications systems, he traveled to South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and China. He took early retirement from AT&T in 1989. He was a life member of the American Legion Post 160 in Smyrna. He was a charter member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, the first fully integrated parish in Cobb County.
Robert E. “Bob” Brown of Marietta, 98, died on Thursday, Aug. 7.
A Waycross native, Brown grew up during the Great Depression. He enlisted in the Navy as a Seaman on PT boats toward the end of WWII and was stationed in Japan as the occupation force at the conclusion of hostilities. After returning to Georgia, he spent a year at Georgia Tech University and transferred to the University of Georgia to study Business.
During the Korean war, he reenlisted as an officer in the Army. After his discharge as a Captain, he returned to East Point where he began career selling Aviation insurance. As a requirement of his occupation, he learned to fly and received his pilot license beginning a lifelong love affair with aviation.
He was elected as the only Republican Mayor of East Point in 1968. He enrolled in Georgia State University and received his MBA in Finance. In 1972, he became the CEO of Northside Aviation, an aircraft services company and flight school at McCollum Airport which later became Cobb County International Airport. He held this position until 2000 when he retired.
He served as President of The Georgia Air Transportation Association, Commissioner of the Atlanta Regional Commission, President of Kennesaw Business Association, President of South Fulton Chamber of Commerce, lifelong member of the Rotary Club and active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta where he was an Elder and taught Bible/Sunday school well into his 90s.
Roy William Clark, 68, of Marietta, died on Friday, Aug. 22.
Clark was a star athlete, graduating from Martinsville High School and later playing baseball at Ferrum College (1977-78) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received his degree in Bachelors in Recreation Administration.
He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft. He played in the Minor Leagues from 1979-82, reaching the Triple-A(AAA) ranks. He transitioned into coaching with the Seattle Mariners minor league system in 1984 before transitioning into scouting with the Mariners in 1985. He proceeded to scout with the Cleveland Indians before he transitioned to an area scout with the Atlanta Braves. He began with Atlanta in 1989 and rose through the scouting ranks to become the club’s director of scouting in 2000, a tenure that established him as a cornerstone of their player-development pipeline. His on-field honors included being named a Ferrum College first team All-American in 1977 and later induction into the Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 as well as the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, Georgia Sports H.O.F and Mid Atlantic H.O.F, formal recognitions of a life devoted to baseball.
At the University of North Carolina, he helped lead his team to the 1978 College World Series and was given honors as an All-ACC second-baseman.
Dr. Nelson Lynn Price, 94, died on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
Price served as the pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church for 35 years, where the church grew to be one of the largest in the Southern Baptist Convention. For 25 of those years the Sunday morning worship known as “Come Alive” was broadcast locally on NBC Channel 11. In addition to regular church ministries, there were also multiple community ministries including the Women’s Pregnancy Center and the Clay Home for unwed mothers; and the Roswell Street Baptist Christian School for pre-K through 5th grade.
He did motivational speaking in all the county high schools on many occasions, authored over 20 books, wrote a weekly column for the Marietta Daily Journal for over 50 years and prayed for and maintained positive relationships with as many political leaders as he could. He served on multiple Boards of Trustees and in various roles over time including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the Georgia Baptist Convention, the Southern Baptist Convention and Shorter University in Rome.
Kevin Rowson, 72, of Kennesaw, died on Saturday, Aug. 30.
A Fredonia, New York native, Rowson graduated from the University of Detroit and spent over three decades in news. He built a reputation as one of Atlanta’s most respected reporters. He began his media career in radio in mid-1970, then transitioned to television. First at WCSC-TV in Charleston, South Carolina then on to WWOR-TV in Secaucus, New Jersey and WNBC in New York City. He moved to Atlanta in 1994 to join WXIA-TV, 11Alive.
He was inducted into the Southeast Chapter National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Silver Circle — an honor recognizing over 25 years of broadcast excellence. He was also recognized as a recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award for his outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism.
After his departure from 11 Alive, he embarked on a second career as a Public Affairs Specialist for the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.
SEPTEMBER
Judith Hubert Manning died on Friday, Sept. 5.
An Atlanta native, Manning was a graduate of Marietta High School and the University of Georgia.
Dedicating over 15 years to public service, she represented District 34 in the Georgia House of Representatives and chaired committees for the Department of Natural Resources, Child Services and Appropriations.
She was a Stephen Minister at First Presbyterian Church, involved with Devereaux, Marietta Educational Garden Center, Cobb Family Resources, March of Dimes, Girls Inc. and Cobb Republican Women. She also donated to Manning Kitchen at Wellstar Kennestone and the Garden of Hope/Respite Area at Tranquility.
One of her most cherished accomplishments was co-founding the Pink Ribbon Golf Classic in 1997 alongside her dear friend Marietta Mayor Ansley Meaders benefiting breast cancer research and awareness.
Delree N. Friant, of Austell, died on Monday, Sept. 15.
An Atlanta native, Friant was a graduate of Yokohama American High School in Japan.
After moving to Austell in 1971, Friant became interested in local government. She was the first woman to serve on the Austell City Council, where she became president of the Cobb Municipal Association. She served on the Northwest Cobb Hospital Health Foundation and was a member of the Austell First United Methodist Church, where she was on several boards and committees. She served on Austell Woman’s Club, Cobb-Marietta Girls Club, Cobb Service for the Blind and Visually Impaired, YWCA, South Cobb Improvement Association and Cobb Chamber’s Youth Leadership Steering Committee.
OCTOBER
Carole Jean Kell died on Thursday, Oct. 16.
ell served as an English teacher and middle school principal in Cobb County schools for 33 years. This included East Cobb Middle, Dodgen Middle, Dickerson Middle and Hightower Trail Middle Schools.
She was a longtime member of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. She was involved in Cobb education, high school athletics, Wellstar Health System and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. She was named East Cobb Citizen of the Year in 2006. She was Chairman of the “Give Our Schools a Hand” Committee in 2009 and was a member for 18 years.
She was Chair of the Wellstar Cancer Council, Vice Chair of the Wellstar Kennestone Regional Board, Chair of the Wellstar Foundation Board of Trustees and Chair of the YMCA Cobb Executive Board. She served many years with the Cobb/Douglas Board of Health, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre ArtsBridge Program Committee, Cobb Chamber Business Education Steering Committee, Cobb Boys and Girls Club Board and the Cobb Republican Women’s Club.
Her husband was the late husband Carlton “Corky” Kell. Following his death, she supported athletics and academics at Carlton J. Kell High School. She founded the Carlton J. Kell Teacher Scholarship program and the Corky Kell Excellence in Coaching Award; as well as served on the advisory committee for Kell High School and the Corky Kell Kickoff Classic. She was a member of the Capt. James Kell chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
NOVEMBER
Pamela Fay Reardon, 71, of Marietta, died on Saturday, Nov. 1.
A Calgary, Canada native, Reardon grew up on a farm and loved her horses. While growing up she was very active in sports including Barrel Racing. She had two degrees in Chemistry and Finance from the University of Calgary. She was active in swimming and tennis with her children.
She emigrated to the U.S., became a citizen and was a resident of Georgia for the past 37 years. She worked in Real Estate with Keller Williams until she retired. She was a well know activist in Cobb for Republican causes. She devoted a great deal of her time working under the Gold Dome with candidates and causes.
She also devoted a good portion of her time volunteering for many charities in the area including St. Ann’s Church and the Family Life Restoration Center.
Robert “Pete” Fisher Woodruff, 84, of Marietta, died on Monday, Nov. 3.
A Hamilton, Ohio native, Woodruff served 20 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Major. Early in his career, he was posted to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) in Washington, D.C., and earned the rare distinction of serving as both a Sentinel and Relief Commander at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from 1964-1966.
After his service at the Tomb and completion of Officer Candidate School, Woodruff undertook two tours in Vietnam — first as an infantry company commander and later as an Army aviator flying helicopters. Among numerous awards and decorations, he received the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and three Oak Leaf Clusters for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat.
After returning home from his second Vietnam tour, Woodruff completed his degree at The Ohio State University while on Army bootstrap assignment. His later military posts included assignments at the Pentagon with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Military Command Center, and with the U.S. Army Safety Center at Fort Rucker in Enterprise, Alabama.
Following his military retirement, Woodruff and his family settled in Marietta, where he spent 15 years as a safety engineer with Lockheed. While still in the military, he raced with the Sports Car Club of America in his Datsun 240Z and Formula Vee, a single-seater, open-wheel race car, often alongside his wife, Marie. He was instrumental in developing the U.S. Army’s motorcycle safety and testing program and was honored with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s John E. Harley Memorial Award in 1983. He continued this work through the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, where he founded a local chapter in Marietta, and later served as National Director of Rider Education
He was an active member of The American Legion for many years, serving for a time as Adjutant and then Commander of Post 29 in Marietta, in addition to leadership roles at the district, state and national levels.
Iverson Branch Cook died on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
An Atlanta native, Cook grew up in Ansley Park and attended Spring Street Elementary School. As a teenager, she danced with the Atlanta Ballet Company and modeled for Rich’s and Davidson’s department stores. She graduated from The Westminster Schools and matriculated at the University of Georgia where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
After her children were grown, Cook worked with Cobb County Elections and Registration for over 20 years and was on the Board of Elections for nine years. For almost 18 years she worked at Stein Mart as a Boutique Lady who modeled in fashion shows and built a roster of regular customers.
An early member of The Episcopal Church of St. Peter & St. Paul, Cook was instrumental in the building of the church from the ground up. She served as President of the E.C.W, was on the vestry and was the first female senior warden. Over the past 20 years, she was an active member of Christ Church in Atlanta. She was past president and long-time member of The Gardenia Garden Club in Atlanta.
