Joan Alma Fabrizio
March 22, 2016
Joan Alma Fabrizio, 85, of Cantonment, passed away Friday, March 18, 2016. Joan was born April 9, 1930, in Trenton, NJ. She married Tony Fabrizio and raised nine children. She enjoyed spending time with multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She worked in the food service industry and in retirement enjoyed many years of crafting and craft shows.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Anthony Michael Fabrizio; parents, Mildred and Rudolph Hillman; and her sisters, Evelyn Roso, Nancy Elsessor, Barbara Grzenda and Frit Shorley.
She is survived by her daughters, Toni Jennings and family, Victoria Douglas and family, and Sherri Fuqua and family; sons, Donald Fabrizio and family and John Bullaro; sister, Carol Mendicino and family; brothers, Hank Hillman and family and Charles Hillman and family.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 22, 2016, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Leslie Hardy
March 22, 2016
Leslie Hardy, 85, of Atmore, passed away Wednesday, March 16, 2016, in Pensacola. He was born on June 25, 1930, in Atmore to the late Joseph Benjamin and Hattie Phillips Hardy. He was retired from Higdon & Hardy Heating and Air-Conditioning. He enjoyed farming and gardening, was an avid cattleman, and dearly loved his family and his dog, Bo. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Atmore.
He was preceded in death by brothers, Louie Hardy and Lamar Hardy; and a sister, Lucille Zeringue.
Mr. Hardy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Florence Higdon Hardy of Atmore; two sons, Joe (Renee) Hardy and Billy (Vicki) Hardy, all of Atmore; two daughters, Bobbie (Steve) Mack of Cantonment and Melanie (Shayne Johnson) Hardy of Dallas, TX; one brother, Pete Hardy of Atmore; six sisters, Sarah (Hoyt) Coon, Betty (Gene) Singleton, Lois Hall, Nette Hardy, all of Atmore, Linda Garrick of Greensboro, NC, Tisha Phillips of Stockton, AL; six grandchildren, Jill (Bo) Franklin, Kelly (Tony) Benauer, Ben (Jamie) Hardy, Emily (Clay) Branch, Robert (Lena) Hardy and Jessi (Joseph) McDonald; and four great-grandchildren, Brooks Branch, Caroline Branch, Livia Hardy, and Gerard Benauer.
Services were held Saturday, March 19, 2016, at the First Baptist Church of Atmore with Rev. Arnold Hendrix and Brother Chris Pruitt officiating.
A private family graveside service was held at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Ben Hardy, Robert Hardy, Greg Hardy, Danny Hall, Steve Drew and Kelly Drew.
Honorary pallbearers were Bo Franklin, Clay Branch, Tony Benauer, and Joseph McDonald.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCFA) 733 Third Ave., Suite 510, New York, NY 10017 or the First Baptist Church Library Fund 310 South Main Street, Atmore, AL 36502.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Joyce Prestwood Henderson
March 22, 2016
Mrs. Joyce Prestwood Henderson, age 83, passed from this earthly life Saturday, March 19, 2016, in Jay. She was a native of McCullough, AL and a resident of Flomaton for most of her life. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Flomaton.
Joyce Henderson was a wife, mother and grandmother; she was the kindest, gentlest and strongest person who loved her family, her friends and her Jesus. She was a blessing to her family and all who knew her.
Joyce managed the office for Henderson Ready Mix, but she was never one to shy away from hard work, batching and loading cement, gravel, sand and water into the concrete mixers. Even with running back and forth from the home office to the concrete plant, she felt her most important job was in the home.
Her greatest accomplishments in life were being a wife to Allen for 65 years; raising her three children, Ann, Jimmy and Marie, as well as her daughter-in-law, Renita, and then watching and helping raise her seven grandchildren, James Francis, Layla, Christy, Amanda, Dorothy Zela, Allen and Beau; and nine great-grandchildren, Shayla, Leif, Crest, Ember Claire, Callum, Benjamin, Becca, Emory and Ian. Joyce could always be found in the kitchen of the Henderson home, crafting meals for her beloved family. She was eager to teach her children and grandchildren how to cook the perfect pot of lima beans, bake a prize-winning strawberry cake, and can insanely delicious fig preserves. Any family dinner was sure to feature her tender pot roast and always-in-demand shrimp creole.
Joyce had a love for babies and was eager to hold any baby. She had a comforting way of loving on babies that would always soothe them, and she wanted to encourage all new mothers to trust their instincts. She was an advocate of breast feeding and encouraged other mothers to do so as well if they were able.
Joyce loved to sing and play the piano. She never took lessons, but over the years, she taught herself how to read music and play. She played a lot by ear and could hear almost any song and play it on the piano; she passed that love of playing on to her family.
Allen and Joyce both placed their first priority in life as a relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and both shared that joy with all they met. Joyce was a member of First Baptist Church of Flomaton for more than 60 years; an active member of a community prayer chain for many years, Joyce was quick to cover family and friends with the power of prayer. She always said that when someone crosses your mind, it’s God’s prompt to pray for them, and that’s exactly what she did, regardless of the time of day.
We cry because we miss our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, but we rejoice in knowing where she is today. She always told us that we shouldn’t worry about her when she left this world because she said, “I’m going home! I’m going to see my Mama and Daddy, and I haven’t seen them in over 75 years. I’ll see my family in Heaven, so don’t cry or worry about me because I’m going home.”
We take comfort in knowing that when she breathed her last breath on this earth, she was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus instantly, and that Allen, her beloved husband, was waiting right behind him to hug his sweetheart. They have been apart for six months now, which is the longest amount of time they had been apart since they married in 1950.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen Henderson, Jr.; parents, George and Sallie Prestwood; three brothers, Terry, Leon and Alex Prestwood; and seven sisters, Georgia Gibbs Cannon, Laurie Prestwood, Frances Prestwood, Carolyn Cave, Ethel Barnett, Ruby Wyse Olmstead and Dorothy Robinson Edmisten; and two great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Henderson is survived by one son, James Allen (Renita) Henderson of Flomaton; two daughters, Ann Henderson Schmitz of Birmingham, AL; and Zela Marie Henderson of Pensacola; seven grandchildren, Christina Ann, James Francis, Layla Ann, Amanda Joyce, Dorothy Zela, Allen, and Beaureguard Prestwood; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Esther Leonard and Faye Dickey; and one sister-in-law, Willneilia Wiggins Henderson of Flomaton.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at First Baptist Church of Flomaton with Rev. Earl Lee officiating.
Burial was at Little Escambia Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Allen Henderson, Beau Henderson, Francis Henderson, Jimmy Henderson, Buddy Roberson and Eric Waters.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
June F. Walker
March 22, 2016
June F. Walker, 75, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 19, 2016, the day before her 76th birthday. She was born on March 20, 1940, in Placerville, CA to Art and Nellie Hansen and grew up in the foot hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At the tender age of 18, she departed those foothills to seek a new life in the U.S. Navy. After basic training she found herself at NAS Norfolk, VA where she served as a clerk-typist in the Public Works Division. As fate would have it she met a younger sailor in Norfolk and after a whirl wind courtship, she and Michael Walker were married on November 21, 1959. As she would tell people the wedding was done on the cheap. Got married in the base chapel, the cake came from the Navy Galley, the photos were taken by a Navy photographer, developed in a Navy photo lab and the wedding reception was held in the Waves Barracks. But it must have worked, since that marriage lasted for over fifty-six years.
Over the years she was deeply involved with fishing, bowling, square dancing, RV’ing and finally motorcycling, making friends everywhere she went. Memberships included Sea Breezes; Waves Unit 52 of Military Women Across the Nation, The Lady Bugs of the Red Hat Society, Chapter FL1-D of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, and the Rovin’RV club, FMCA and FCOC.
She was a very patriotic person and justifiably proud of her military service. During those fifty-six years she gave birth to a girl, Rhonda E. Walker Malone; and a boy, Jeffery B. Walker. The family did a great deal of long distance moving as directed by the U.S. Navy from Virginia to California to Hawaii to Georgia to Key West to Guam and to Pensacola.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Rhonda Malone; and her brother-in-law, Louis Pledger.
June is survived by her husband, Michael Walker; son, Jeffery (Jeanne) Walker; three grandchildren, Sean Malone, and Rachel and Alex Walker; sister, Shirley Pledger; and brother, Ron Hansen.
She was a wonderful woman who will be sorely missed.
A committal service will be held Monday, March 28, 2016, at Barrancas National Cemetery. Family and friends meet at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South at 10:30 a.m. for procession.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home South is in charge of arrangements.
Willard Beasley
March 22, 2016
Willard Beasley, age 73, of Allentown, passed away on March 20, 2016. He was a barber at Design One Barbershop in Milton. He was a member of the Jay Masonic Lodge and enjoyed gardening and fishing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Posey and Elendia Beasley; and brother, Austin Beasley.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce Beasley; children, Malcolm and Karl Beasley; grandchildren, Mary Katherine and Jackson Beasley, and Brittany and Tabitha Beasley and great-grandchildren, Anderson, Trevan and Gavin.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2016, from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. at Jay Funeral Home. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m.
Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Francis Lee Martin
March 22, 2016
Francis Lee Martin, 81, of Cantonment, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 20, 2016. He was a supervisor at Monsanto for 32 years. He was an expert woodworker and owner of his business building wooden toys. Work was his hobby.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Sue Humphreys.
He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Majorie Martin; sons, Francis (Pistol) Martin and fiancé, Violet, Jeffrey (Ann) Martin and Matthew (Amy) Olson; 12 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation to Gonzalez United Methodist Church.
Visitation will be held Thursday, March 24, 2016 at Gonzalez United Methodist Church beginning at 4 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 5 p.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Leon Sabol
March 22, 2016
Mr. Leon Sabol passed away peacefully on March 14, 2016. He was born on July 20, 1941, in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Dover, New Hampshire. He served for twenty years in the U.S. Navy, navigating ships to many destinations in South America and Europe. He was most rod of serving on the U.S.S Lexington out of Pensacola. He retired as a Chief QM. After retirement Mr. Sabol worked for ARC of Pensacola for many years. He enjoyed fishing, beekeeping, bird watching, and stamp collecting.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Nancy Gilbert Sabol; son, Matthew Sabol; daughter, Audra (Michael) Resler; grandsons, Nick and Brett Resler; sisters, Caroline McGlone and Ginny
(John) Astarita; brothers, Greg (Alice) and Richard (Laurie); special uncle, Albert Sabol; special brother-in-law, John McGlone; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his father, Boleslaw Sabol; his mother, Olga Dowhanczuk Sabol; and brother, Michael Sabol.
In memory of Mr. Sabol, memorial contributions can be made to the Joyce Goldenberg Hospice Inpatient Residence Facility.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2016, at 1:20 pm at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola
The family is inviting all family and friends for a gathering at Harold Baptist Church in the fellowship hall after the service.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Frances E. Black
March 22, 2016
Frances E. Black, 87 of Canoe, passed away Sunday, March 20, 2016, in Pensacola. She was a homemaker, born on April 30, 1928, in Canoe to the late Emmett Luther and Janie Lee McNeill Mixon, Sr. She was a member of the Canoe United Methodist Church.
She is preceded in death by her husband, William Black; brothers, Emmett L. Mixon, Jr., Charles R. Mixon and William R. Mixon.
She is survived by a daughter, Wanda (Randy) Clark of Canoe; granddaughter, Daphne Clark; and one great-grandchild, Braiden Peebles.
Graveside services were held Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at 10 a.m. in Canoe Methodist Cemetery with Bro. Larry Renfore officiating.
Interment was in Canoe Methodist Cemetery.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is charge of all arrangements.
William E. Curl
March 22, 2016
William E. Curl passed away peacefully on March 19, 2016. He was born on the outskirts of Birmingham, AL on July 20, 1921, into the home of Will and Verlie Curl who were just beginning their ministry in the North Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church. A couple of years later a daughter, Dorothy, would be added to the family. Bill, as he became known to most people, enjoyed the love of his mother and the fellowship of his father. They played together and prayed together. After graduating from Cherokee County High School in 1939, Bill attended Emory and Henry College in Virginia for a year and a half on a partial football scholarship. Due to an illness and the hospitalization of his mother, Bill left school to help care for her and assist the family financially. After a year, Bill entered Birmingham Southern College where he met Faye Little, the love of his life, while singing together in the operetta, “Iolanthe.” In 1943 during World War II, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps. While in the service Bill flew the B-25 Mitchell, the B-24 Liberator and the B-29 Superfortress. On December 18, 1943 he and Faye were married while he was stationed at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama. After the war ended, they became the parents of a daughter, Andrea. Bill returned home in February, 1946 to pursue his true calling, entering the Methodist ministry. After graduating from Birmingham Southern College, he attended Emery University where he received his Master of Divinity degree at Candler School of Theology in 1949. Bill served churches throughout the North Alabama Conference including Oxford, Vestavia, McCoy, Tuscaloosa First, Huntsville First and Canterbury from where he retired in 1987. He also served in other capacities including District Superintendent of the Florence District, chairman of the Board of Ministries of the Methodist Church and chairman of the committee on Rules. He was given an honorary doctorate from Birmingham Southern College where he served as the chairman of the executive committee of the board of trustees.
After retiring from the active ministry, he and Faye moved back to the Vestavia community where they lived until 2005. While there, they attended the Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, where Bill taught the Trinity Sunday School class for 15 years. In 2005 they moved to Pensacola to be near their daughter.
Bill’s great love has been his preaching and praying and serving as a pastor to the congregations where he was appointed. His writing ability was not only exhibited in his sermons, but in his book, “Seasons of Prayer.” He always placed great importance on his family, whom he loved dearly. He considered himself a most fortunate man whom God blessed beyond anything he could have dreamed.
Bill will be forever remembered as a wonderful and devoted husband by Faye, his wife of 72 years; a kind, loving and generous father, by his daughter, Andrea Edgar; an amazing grandfather by his granddaughters, Alissa Troike (wife of Ross Troike of Collierville, TN) and Deanna Lamarche (wife of Ted Lamarche, Pensacola). He shall also be dearly missed by his great-grandchildren, Marin Troike, Wyatt Troike, Paxton Lamarche, Aiden Lamarche and Hylan Lamarche and by his sister, Dorothy Yarbrough (Birmingham, AL) and his nephew and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial donations be made to the William E. and Faye L. Curl Scholarship at Birmingham Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254 or to First United Methodist Church, 6 East Wright Street, Pensacola, FL 32501. A memorial service will be planned at a later date.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Officer Involved Shooting Under Investigation; Suspects Identified
March 21, 2016
UPDATE: The suspects in Monday morning’s officer involved shooting have been identified as:
Donald L. May, 34, who has been arrested 21 times locally since 2000 on charges ranging from home invasion to petit fheft. This does not include the charges forthcoming from the crimes that were committed this morning.
Fred A. Jenkins, 54, who has been arrested 6 times locally since 2000 on charges ranging from aggravated assault with a deadly weapon to check fraud. This does not include the charges forthcoming from the crimes that were committed this morning.
An early morning officer involved shooting is under investigation in Escambia County.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Oak Lodge Mobile Home Park in 7500 block of Lillian Highway for a reported home invasion in progress. The victim told dispatchers that two black males were trying to enter their residence and were armed with guns.
The victim gave a detailed description of the pickup truck the suspects were driving. When deputies arrived on scene the suspects were trying to flee the area in the pickup truck that the victim described, according to the ECSO.
The deputies gave verbal commands to the suspects, the truck then accelerated towards the deputies at which time they fired their weapons at the vehicle. The pickup then crash into the side of the nearby Lillian Square Apartments. Two suspects were transported to local hospitals. Their conditions have not been made available. The resident of the apartment was not injured.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation, which is standard procedure in officer involved shootings.
The Oak Lodge Mobile Home Park is next door to the Myrtle Grove fire station.
Pictured top: The suspects’s truck crashed to the Lillian Square Apartments. Pictured below: FDLE has taken over the shooting investigation at the Oak Lodge Mobile Home Park. Photos by Ricki Vann, WEAR 3, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
