OBITUARIES: In Memory
OWENS, Jr., Bill Odell
Mr. Bill Odell Owens, Jr., age 52, of Rome passed away Tuesday August 18, 2020 at his residence.
Memorial services will be held at 6:00 PM on Monday August 24, 2020 at Good Shepherd Funeral Home with Rev. Donald Lindsey, Rev. Keith Murphy, and 5HY -DPLH +RZHOO RI¿FLDWing. The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until service on Monday at Good Shepherd Funeral Home, 2750 Shorter Ave. Rome GA. 30165.
Parnick Jennings Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
ROPP, Robert Dale “Rob”
Mr. Robert Dale “Rob” Ropp, age 69, of Rome, GA, passed away on Thursday, August 20, 2020, at a healthcare facility in Atlanta.
Mr. Ropp was born in Washington, IA, on September 13, 1950, son of the late Omer Wesley Ropp and the late Lena Pearl Hochstetler Ropp. He was a graduate of Covenant College and before retirement, was most recently employed at Florida Hospital, DeLand, FL. Mr. Ropp was a Registered Respiratory Therapist and was Director of Cardiopulmonary Services. He was a member of the Goldwing’s Motorcycle Club and the “Hoglegs Club,” which is a club for retired healthcare workers. Mr. Ropp was of the Pentecostal faith.
Survivors include his loving wife, Mary “Sissy” Robinson Ropp, Rome; daughter, Ashley Rush (Logan), Daphne, AL; sister, Connie Waldron, Sarasota, FL; brother, Lonnie Ropp (Janice), Schaumburg, IL; 2 nieces, Ariel & Chantel Ropp, Chicago, IL; 3 nephews, Kevin Waldron, Richmond, VA, Eric & Dylan Waldron, Sarasota, FL; aunts and uncles also survive.
Funeral services for Mr. Ropp will be held at 2pm on Monday, August 24, 2020, in the Chapel at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, North Chapel, with Dale Miller of¿FLDWLQJ DQG 0U 5RSS¶V brother, Lonnie Ropp, delivering the eulogy. Following the service, Mr. Ropp will be cremated in accordance with his wishes.
Mr. Ropp will lie in state on Monday, August 24, 2020, from 12pm until 1:45pm, at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, North Chapel. Social distancing guidelines will be followed.
,Q OLHX RI ÀRZHUV WKH IDPily requests memorial donations to be made to either “The Society of Humane Friends of GA” in Lawrenceville, or to “Furget Me Not Animal Rescue” in Huntsville, AL.
Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, North Chapel, has charge of funeral arrangements.
Patricia Williamson Seymour, age 87, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family August 20, 2020. She was born March 6, 1933 in Sylacauga, Alabama to Buford and Estelle Williamson. She was married for 61 years to Jerry Seymour.
Pat, as she was known to her friends, was a dedicated PRWKHU ¿UVW DQG IRUHPRVW She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them. She was a supportive and loving wife, and she especially loved her role as “Maw Maw.” She was a member of First Baptist Church of Rome, Georgia and was a member of the “Joy” Sunday school class.
She is survived by her husband Jerry Seymour and her children Crystal Tuck of Monroe, North Carolina and her husband Tim, Lisa Baker of Calhoun, Georgia and her husband Jeff, and Mark Seymour of Rome, Georgia and his wife, Allison. She was a devoted grandmother to Patrick Tuck, Parker Tuck, Christopher Baker, Taylor Baker, Robert Seymour, Sydney Seymour, and Will Seymour.
A memorial will be held at Oak Knoll Memorial Gardens covered gazebo, Sunday, August, 23, 2020 at 3:00pm. Gwen Stephens will be the presiding minister. Friends and family are welcome. In OLHX RI ÀRZHUV GRQDWLRQV FDQ be made to the First Baptist Church of Rome or North Georgia Alzheimer’s Association, 922 East Morris St., Dalton, GA 30721; In honor of Patricia Seymour.
From staff reports
R. Randall Rollins, a Berry College trustee and benefactor whose family ranch in Cartersville forced a shift in the path of the 411 Connector, has died. He was 88.
Rollins Inc. made the announcement about its chairman of the board on its website this week.
“The loss of Randall is felt profoundly, not only by our family, his friends and me, but also by generations of Rollins’ employees and colleagues who had the privilege of knowing him during his over 70 years of devotion to the Rollins companies,” said his brother Gary W. Rollins in the release.
Gary Rollins, vice chair and CEO, and Henry B. Tippie, lead director, will continue in their respective leadership roles until succession plans are announced.
Now realigned as the RomeCartersville Redevelopment Corridor, the proposed U.S. 411 Connector between Floyd County and I-75 in Bartow County has been in the works for about 30 years.
The first attempt was scrapped in 1993 when the 5ROOLQV IDPLO\ ZRQ DQ LQMXQFtion against the use of federal funds on a route that would have bisected their Cartersville ranch. They fought off a second attempt that started about a decade ago.
The new route is slated to extend from the U.S. 411/U.S. 41 interchange on the west side of Cartersville to I-75 MXVW QRUWK RI WKH %XGZHLVHU brewery.
Under Randall Rollins’ leadership, the company started by his father and uncle expanded into a global force. In 1964, Rollins Broadcasting purchased Orkin Pest Control in what is described as the first leveraged buyout in American business history and soon diversified into other service industries.
In 1984, Rollins Inc. split into three separate public companies: Rollins Inc. (pest control), Rollins Communications Inc. (broadcasting and outdoor advertising), and RPC Energy Services Inc. (oil and gas services).
In 2001, Randall Rollins became chairman of Marine Products Corp. and also oversaw the operations of the family’s numerous private companies and investments, including Hydradyne, LLC. and Rollins Ranches, LLC.
His guidance was also valued on the boards of trustees of several educational institutions, including Berry College, Emory University and the Lovett School, as well as the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center Fund.
Rollins also participated in a number of philanthropic endeavors, which have deeply impacted a wide range of educational, health care and other community efforts.
Notable among these beneficiaries are Berry, Emory, Young Harris College, the Rollins Child Development Center, Winship Cancer Institute, Beebe Healthcare and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where he was an active, long-time member.