Pulaski County
MARIE TISDALE ABNEY, 95, is dancing with The Lord. Marie passed away Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014
Celebration of Marie’s life will be held at a later date in Shreveport, La.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct., (501)224-2200. Marie’s online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
––––– ––––– VALDINA L. BENNETT, 65, of Little Rock, Ark., transitioned Nov. 27, 2014. She is preceded in death by her father, Birttie E. Bennett.
She leaves to cherish her memories: daughter, Lezlie Bennett; mother, Willie B. Johnson; stepmother, M. Dee Bennett; siblings Recco Bennett, Sherryll Thompson, Dwan Bennett, Birtenna Bennett, Valeria, Veronica, Velma, Velda, Don, Dwight; four grandchildren; a host of family and friends.
Visitation: 10-12 noon, Tuesday. Service: noon, Tuesday both at Robinson Mortuary, LR. Services entrusted to Robinson Mortuary, 1201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive, LR (501) 371-0111. Sign online guest book at www. robinsonmortuary.com. “Service You Can Trust.”
––––– ––––– GARY MICHAEL BEST, 58, beloved son and brother, has departed this life peacefully to join his Savior on Nov. 13, 2014. The graveside service will be Monday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. at Rest Hills Memorial Park in Sherwood. A service will be held on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, 8300 Kanis, Little Rock. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Andrew’s. Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct., (501)224-2200. Gary’s online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
––––– ––––– BARBEREY STARR BROOKE ATWOOD, 77, of Little Rock died Friday, Nov. 28, 2014. She was born Nov. 7, 1937 in Washington, D.C., to the late Major Charles Mitchell Brooke (USMC Ret.) and Mildred Offterdinger Brooke. Mrs. Atwood served her country as a nurse and later as a nurse anesthetist in the United States Air Force and in the mid 1970s earned her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Chapman University. She was a volunteer for Hospice and worked as a nurse anesthetist for the VA Hospital from 1996 until her retirement on July 31, 2014. She was a military wife for 30 years supporting her husband, Colonel Daryl Gene Atwood (USAF Ret.) who died in October of 1996 after 37 years of marriage. In addition to her parents and husband, Mrs. Atwood was preceded in death by a son, David Glenn Atwood in 1967; her step-mother, Thesa Brooke; her sister, Adair Louise Brooke and brother, Roger Taney Brooke.
Mrs. Atwood is survived by her daughter, Thesa Starr Atwood Roepke and husband, Gus of Santa Maria, Calif.; her son, Daryl Lawrence Atwood of Crossett and her grandchildren, Cole David Carpenter, Charles Mitchell Carpenter, Cameron Gene Carpenter, Gunnar James Roepke and Ashley Starr Roepke, all of Santa Maria, Calif.
Memorials may be made in Mrs. Atwood’s name to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org/give or Baptist Hospice at 11900 Colonel Glenn Road; Suite 2000; Little Rock, AR 72210. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home and Crematory (501)9822136. Please sign the online guestbook at www.mooresjacksonvillefuneralhome.com.
––––– ––––– MICHAEL J. CAFFEY, 32, of Little Rock, Ark., transition Nov. 25, 2014. He is preceded in death by his dad, Dan Caffey.
He leaves to cherish his memories: fiancee, Tiffany Grimes; daughter, Micah Caffey; parents, Rena Caffey; siblings, Angie Cleveland, Miranda Holloway, Cheryl Caffey Givens, Kim Caffey, Derrick Caffey, Eric Caffey, Nigel Caffey, Dan Caffey Jr., Naudia Caffey, Brendan Caffey, Mikyel Caffey, Amber Caffey; a host of family and friends.
Family Hour: Friday, 5-6 p.m. at Robinson Mortuary. Funeral: Saturday, 10 a.m. at Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church, 3824 Antioch Blvd, LR. Services entrusted to Robinson Mortuary, 1201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive, LR (501) 371-0111. Sign online guest book at www.robinsonmortuary.com. “Service You Can Trust.”
––––– ––––– MONICA DAVIS, 50, of Little Rock, a LRCH class of 1984 graduate, departed this life in Grand Prairie, Texas Nov. 23. Preceded in death by father, Ira Davis; sister, Carla Grimes. Her memories cherished by children, Jamison Thomas (Rhealynn), Brittany Holden; two grandsons; special friend, Bobby Holden, all of Texas; mother, Bobbie Davis; siblings, Paula (Douglas) Williams, Cheryl Moore, Venita (Dennis) Harris, Teressa, Dwayne, Clarence (Gladine), Marcus (Carla), Ira, Ricky Heard, all of Little Rock; and a host of relatives and friends. Funeral: Wednesday, noon, Second Baptist Church 5615 Geyer Springs Road. Services entrusted to Gillespie & Kelly Funeral Home 2420 Arch Little Rock, Kelly Smith Director in Charge. “Serving families before, during and after.” 501376-7892/612-5607 gillespieandkelly@gmail.com
––––– ––––– MARY LEE SPURLIN EVANS, age 91, of Little Rock, was born in North Little Rock, Ark. on Aug. 27, 1923 to Elmer S. and Sadie Cole Spurlin. At the age of 10 she went to live with her grandparents, Hiram “Bud” and Mary Alice Cole in the East End Community. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, brother, sister and her husband of 61 years. Mary was a member of East Union Missionary Baptist Church from age 13 and taught Sunday School there for 50 years and she was a member of Iron Spring Order of Eastern Star.
She is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 12 to 1 p.m. Tuesday before the services.
Funeral services will be held at East Union Missionary Baptist Church at 1 p.m. Tuesday with burial at Salem Cemetery in East End by Ashby Funeral Home. Minister will be Bro. Paul Roberts.
On-line guest book at www. ashbyfuneralhome.com.
––––– ––––– ELIZABETH ELLIS FOWLER, 93, of Mabelvale passed away Friday, November 28, 2014 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
She was a member of Life Line Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by husbands, Howard Ellis and Alvin Fowler, and sibling, John Wimmer, Hedwig Jones, Edwin Wimmer and Walter Wimmer. Survivors include her son, H. David Ellis of Sheridan; daughter, Judith Boody (Orin) of Mabelvale; grandchildren, Brett Ellis, Matt Ellis (Kassi), Karl Boody (Eden) and Amy Edwards (Mack); five great-granddaughters, two great-grandsons; and one great-great-grandson.
The family offers special thanks for the special care Elizabeth received at Crown Point Assisted Living in Sheridan.
The graveside service will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 at Pinecrest Memorial Park, Alexander, with Brother David Robinson officiating. The arrangements are in the care of Roller-Drummond Funeral Home, 10900 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72209, (501)455-5800. Please share your words of sympathy in her online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/drummond.
––––– ––––– STEVEN CHRISTOPHER GIBSON, 30, of Little Rock, Ark. passed away Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014. Steven was a volunteer firefighter for West Pulaski Fire Department. He also volunteered his time with the American Red Cross, providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina. He enjoyed being outdoors, hiking, fishing and hunting. Steven was employed at Green Thumb Water Gardens in Ferndale, Ark.
Steven is survived by his parents, Mark and Cynthia Gibson, of Little Rock, Ark.; one sister, Kathleen Gibson, of Little Rock, Ark.; his grandparents, Jerry and Juanita Gibson, of Little Rock, Ark.; and a host of family and friends that will love and miss him dearly. He is preceded in death by his husband, Mark Hightower, and his grandparents, Jack and Mary Elliott.
Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 in the Chapel of Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, 13801 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Ark. (501) 224-8300, with burial to follow at Forest Hills Memorial Park. Visitation will be Monday, Dec.1, 2014 from 10-11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.
––––– ––––– MASAHIRO HIGUCHI, Ph.D., 58, of Little Rock passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 25, 2014. He was Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Higuchi was originally from Tokyo, Japan. He moved to the United States in 1991 to perform cancer research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He moved to Little Rock in 2004 to join the faculty in the College of Medicine where he performed research focused on molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression. His work was regularly funded by the National Institutes of Health. He oversaw research for graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Higuchi is the author of numerous scientific articles. He is survived by his wife, Junko Higuchi, and their three sons, Rintaro, Masatoshi, and Ryu as well as his brother, Takanobu, and sister, Yoko. A memorial service will be held in the Rayford Auditorium on the campus of UAMS at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome. com.
––––– ––––– HERBERT H. HOPKINS, 86, Jacksonville, born Nov. 20, 1928, went to be with the Lord on Nov. 24, 2014. He proudly served in the United States Army. He is preceded in death by brothers, Glen and Kermit Hopkins, Gloria-Jean Barrett and Agnes Taylor; parents, Ted and Mattie Hopkins.
Herbert is survived by his lifetime partner, Cynthia Hopkins; children, Elaine Hopkins, Shannon Hopkins, Ricky Hopkins, Gregory Hopkins, Darlene Hopkins; grandchildren, Jordan and Christopher and great-grandchildren, Rowen, Regan and Daniel.
Graveside service will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1 at Serenity Gardens, 6512 TP White, Jacksonville, Ark.
www.arkansasfuneralcare. com
––––– ––––– BOBBY GLEN JONES, 80, passed away Nov. 22. Born March 5, 1934 in Highland, Ark., he is preceded in death by his parents, Delton and Hazel Jones, and brother, Howard Ray Jones.
Bob is survived by his wife, Kay; daughter, Brenda Jones of Mabelvale; son, Bull Jones of Whitehouse, Tenn.; brother, William Jones and sister, Hilda Trimmer, both of Texas. Bob had two granddaughters and four grandsons.
Bob worked for Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads for 41 years. He was a member of the NLR First United Methodist Church.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at NLR First United Methodist Church on Hwy. 107.
Memorials may be sent to NLR First United Methodist Church to help serve community projects. Online registry at www.griffinleggettresthills.com.
––––– ––––– GUSSIE JONES PLESS, 93, of Little Rock, through the Grace of Arkansas Baptist Hospice, went home to her heavenly father on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014. She was born Aug. 27, 1921 at the Wattensaw Community, Lonoke to a WWI veteran, Eugene Lawrence Jones and Marcia Elsie Thompson Jones, who started her mothering role at 16 upon the death of her mother.
Gussie started public school riding a homemade school bus to Beebe. Upon graduation from Beebe Junior College, she contributed to the WWII effort working at the Jacksonville Munitions Plant. Then she began a 36-year career at the Arkansas Employment Security Division as a secretary, retiring as a computer systems analyst, balancing career and the raising of two rambunctious daughters beautifully. She actively participated in the integration of the Arkansas State government workers.
Church and family were Gussie’s love. She served her church as Sunday Training School teacher, nursery volunteer, volunteer for the International Group and the church office. Her door was always open; vacations were often donated to family visits and, no matter what celebration or crisis, Gussie was always there for family.
Gussie never sought the limelight; never realized she was a pioneer for women. She leaves a grieving family, remembered as a loving spouse, mother, grandmother and as one of the brightest stars in the heavens.
Survivors include her husband, Harold Herbert Pless; daughters, Alice Ann Smith and husband, Ron and Maribeth Pless. Grandchildren include Troy Lee Smith and wife, Melissa, Danielle Nicole Courtney and husband, Craig, and Abigail Rose Hudspeth. Her great-grandchildren are Klarissa and Timothy Shafer, William Smith, Trevor and Emily Courtney. Martha Lou Tanner, John Early Jones and James Victor Jones are her surviving siblings.
Her sister, Alice Tate, preceded her in death.
Visitation will be Monday, Dec. 1 from 6-8 p.m. at Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct. (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.). Services will be Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. at Wattensaw Baptist Church (Hwy. 31 north of Lonoke), officiated by Rev. Ed Simpson. Burial will follow at Wattensaw Cemetery.
Memorials in her honor may be sent to Wattensaw Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, the American Red Cross and Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501) 224-2200. Mrs. Pless’ online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.
––––– ––––– LOLA MAE KNABE POLSTER, 87, of Little Rock was born May 16, 1927 in Little Rock to Fred and Hattie White Knabe, died Nov. 28, 2014. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great- grandmother. She loved the beautiful flowers that she planted in her yard. She was a member of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her late husband, Ernest Polster; a daughter, Connie Massey; a grandson, Zachery Massey and two sisters, Zola Alford and Lela Shamlin.
She is survived by a daughter, Brenda Perryman (Larry), of Little Rock; three grandchildren, Gerald Perryman, Cammie Childress and Charlie Adkins. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren; two brothers, Ralph and Everett Knabe (Ruby); one sister, Vivian Kinsel and a host of nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014 in the Chapel of Roller-Chenal Funeral Home 13801 Chenal Parkway Little Rock, Ark. (501) 2248300, with Dr. Don Lutrick officiating, burial to follow at Walnut Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.
Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.
––––– ––––– MAJEL CHRISTINE PRIDE RAMSEY passed away Monday, Nov. 24, 2014. She was born in Horatio, Ark. Oct. 13, 1917 to the late Morgan and Carrie Fitzgerald Pride. Preceding her in death were her husband, James M. Ramsey; her sister, Mary C. Brambl and her brothers, James F., Fayne O. and Donald M. Pride. Survivors include her daughter,
Carolyn M. Ramsey of Little Rock, nieces, nephews and great-nephews.
Christine, as she was known by mostly was a fourth generation Arkansan, her paternal great-grandfather having homesteading land in southwestern Arkansas in the early 1840s. He later donated part of his land to help establish the town of Horatio.
She was a graduate of Northside High School. Later on a very limited basis due to employment she took some classes at U of A, Fayetteville and George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Her work experience began at the original Holt-Krock Clinic and at the Board of Education office, both in Fort Smith. During WWII, she was employed at the headquarters of the Veterans Administration and the British Ministry of Supply, both in Washington. Her later work in Little Rock was with a former school supply firm and with the Department of Health.
She was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church. If desired memorials may be made to the church or to a favorite charity. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home.
––––– ––––– DOUG SMITH, a longtime journalist who wrote principally for the old Arkansas Gazette and the Arkansas Times, died Thursday, Nov. 27, at the age of 74 at a Little Rock hospice.
Plagued by heart trouble, he had retired at the end of 2013 as a reporter, columnist and editorial writer for the Arkansas Times.
Smith, whose full name was Paul Douglas Smith, was born Feb. 7, 1940, at Ione in Logan County. He graduated from Searcy High School and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was associate editor of the Arkansas Traveler, the campus newspaper, and editor of the Razorback, the school yearbook. He was one of three children. An older brother, Mike, an Air Force captain, was killed in a plane crash in Vietnam.
He went to work for the Gazette in 1963 as a reporter and in about 1970 he became a political and state government reporter. His last eight years or so were with the paper’s editorial page. His spare and mordant literary style flourished in the latitudes of the editorial page. The Gazette’s editorials, typically long and heavy with argument, were leavened by Smith’s often mock-serious pieces on such subjects as the social disorders of cats. On matters of gravity, his editorials were equally spare but often caustic. He believed persuasion was a pointless exercise, and he went straight to the point.
When it was reported that President Ronald Reagan kept diaries, Smith wrote a spoof under the headline “Are these the Reagan Diaries?” about a day’s entries by the president. Imitating the classical diary entries of Samuel Pepys, the 17th century British naval administrator, Smith adapted Pepys to what he imagined were the musings and style of the 40th president.
When the Gazette closed in 1991, Doug went to work for the Arkansas Times. He wrote indepth articles and nearly all the paper’s editorials for the next 22 years. At the Gazette, he wrote a humorous weekly column on English usage that was rich with wordplay, and he continued the column, called “Words,” at the Times after retiring, until the spring of 2014 when he became too ill to write.
Doug was an autodidact of deep knowledge, especially in history, biography and sports. He was cherished by his friends as a man of quick wit and keen perception. An unapologetic liberal, Doug fired off withering ripostes to conservative gibes that his editorials often brought. He made no secret of his disdain for disingenuous, sanctimonious, uninformed and self-absorbed opinion writers.
Gov. Mike Beebe, who is from Searcy, Smith’s hometown, sent him a letter at the hospice expressing his concerns.
“I want you to know how much I’ve admired your tenacity, independence and commitment to journalistic excellence over the many years we’ve known each other. You’ve been a legend for a long time, from your days as reporter and editorial writer at the Arkansas Gazette to becoming the words and language guru, among other work, at the Arkansas Times. Thanks for your many thought-provoking contributions to the world of journalism, and thank you for your friendship.”
As the son of clothiers, he prided himself on being a welldressed man, wearing a suit and tie (or sometimes a sports coat and tie) to the office nearly every day. It’s doubtful Doug ever wore a pair of blue jeans.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Madge Ward Smith; a brother, William W. “Mike” Smith and a nephew, Michael Paul Smith. He is survived by a sister, Ann Fair of Memphis; three nieces, Bobbie Andrews and Necia Cuesta of Memphis and Valerie Canepa of Searcy; a nephew, Doug Fair of Southaven, Miss.; four great-nieces; a great nephew and a great-great nephew.
A memorial service led by Marie Mainard O’Connell will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Ruebel Funeral Home. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Central Arkansas Library System Foundation, 100 Rock St., Little Rock Ark. 72201, or the ACLU of Arkansas. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www. ruebelfuneralhome.com.