obituaries

Aug 14, 2023

James Charles McGovern, age 81, of Macclenny, Florida, passed away on Monday, August 14, 2023, at Magnolia Ridge Rehabilitation Center in Gainesville. Jim, as he was known, was born on August 2, 1942, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Catherine (Dunn) and Eugene McGovern. Jim lived here in Baker County for the past four years after a considerable time living out...

Aug 5, 2023

Wanda "Lil Bit" Jean Blackburn, age 66, of Sanderson, Florida, passed away on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Jacksonville after a brief illness. A native of Baker County, she was born in Macclenny on October 9, 1956, to Clarice (Hodges) and J. R. Davis. Wanda was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoyed...

Jul 25, 2023

Philip Lloyd Hunt, age 64, of Jacksonville, Florida, entered his heavenly home on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, after a brief illness at St. Vincent's Medical Center surrounded by his family. He was born on December 6, 1958, in Lumberton, North Carolina, to Estelle Oxendine and Joseph Hunt and has called Jacksonville home for the past 26 years. Phil was...

Jul 24, 2023

Rosemary Belcher, age 74, of Glen St. Mary, Florida, passed away on Monday, July 24, 2023, at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville. Cremation arrangements entrusted to the care of BLACKBURN-CURRY FUNERAL & CREMATION, 380 N. Lowder Street, Macclenny, Florida 32063.

Jul 23, 2023

Jody Lynn Rogers, age 64, of Clay Hill, Florida, crossed into eternity to be reunited with family that has gone on before her on Sunday, July 23, 2023, at her home surrounded by her family. She was born in Columbus, Georgia, on July 26, 1958, to Elizabeth Mae (Golden) and George W. Burnsed and had lived in Clay Hill...

Jul 19, 2023

"Dearest Ariya, please know that our greatest blessing was having you."

Ariya Renee Paige, 10 months old, of Macclenny, Florida, was carried by angels into the arms of Jesus on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Her beautiful soul came into this world on September 4, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida, born to Brooke Taylor (Lapointe) and Justis Kelvez Paige....

Jul 18, 2023

Barbara Anne Bell, age 79, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. She was born on August 1, 1943, to Clyde Lester Smith and Margaret May Persinger Smith. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 51 years, David Bell in 2015, along with a great-grandchild, Aiden Daniels. Mrs. Bell was retired...

Jul 16, 2023

Dalton Alexander Reid, age 24, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away way too soon on Sunday, July 16, 2023, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He was born on May 31, 1999, in Jacksonville Beach to Tiffany Ann (Mast) and Jeffrey Lamar Reid. Dalton graduated from Englewood High School in 2017. His love was always for his car, motorcycles,...

Jul 13, 2023

James "Jim" David Scott Jr., age 79, of Macclenny, Florida, passed away on Thursday, July 13, 2023, after a brief illness at St. Vincent's Medical Center Riverside. He was born on September 5, 1943, in Zanesville, Ohio, to Eloise (Williams) and James David Scott Sr., and has called Baker County home for the past 20 years. Jim was a...

Jul 10, 2023

Patricia Yvonne Hokanson, age 74, of Orange Park, Florida, passed away on Monday, July 10, 2023. Survivors include sons, Rick Wilson and his wife, Sarah, and Mike Hokanson; daughter, Nancy Parker and her husband, Tim; sisters, Linda and Mitzi; along with numerous grandchildren, other family, and friends. Per her wish, she will be cremated. Cremation arrangements entrusted to the...

Jul 9, 2023

James C. Meece, age 70, of Middleburg, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, July 9, 2023. He was born in Champaign, Illinois, on Saturday, February 9, 1953, to Jackson Kirby Meece and Ruth Irene Nelson Meece. He lived in Florida most of his life and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps. Mr. Meece was a loving father, grandfather,...

Jul 9, 2023

Timothy Charles Leighton Sr., age 69, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away on Sunday, July 9, 2023. He was born on August 18, 1953, in Mishawaka, Indiana, to John and Aline Lerner Leighton. Mr. Leighton has lived in Jacksonville for the past two years, having moved from Colorado. He loved reading the Bible faithfully every morning and loved The Lord....

Jul 8, 2023

Kenneth Hugh Williams, age 79, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2023. Cremation arrangements entrusted to BLACKBURN-CURRY FUNERAL & CREMATION, 380 N. Lowder Street, Macclenny, Florida 32063. (904) 259-2806.

Jul 6, 2023

Ronald Morgan Maxwell, age 90, of Macclenny, Florida, passed peacefully on Thursday, July 6, 2023, at his daughter Sharon's home, surrounded by his family. Born in Decatur, Illinois, on January 18, 1933, to Dorothy Sanborn and Hugh Maxwell, he was the last surviving child of their six offspring. After growing up in Huntington, West Virginia, during the Depression, Ronald...

Jul 5, 2023

Kevin Scott O'Steen, age 61, of Keystone Heights, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 29, 1961, and had lived most of his life in Keystone Heights. Mr. O'Steen loved fishing, boating, water skiing, and scuba diving, as well as spending time with his family and friends. He worked...

Jun 29, 2023

James Alan Tabbot, age 36, of Sanderson, Florida, passed away tragically on Thursday, June 29, 2023. He was born in Orange Park on December 25, 1986, to Cynthia M. Thomas and Paul A. Tabbot and had lived most of his life in Baker County. James was a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend. He enjoyed reading, being outdoors, and...

Jun 27, 2023

Linda Diane Thomas, age 72, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at Community Hospice Douglas Center for Caring in Jacksonville. She was born on January 30, 1951, in Sarasota, Florida. Mrs. Linda was a faithful member of Beit Efrayim Congregation and they became her chosen family. She was a widow and lived in Jacksonville...

Jun 26, 2023

Kenneth A. Belangia, age 86, of Middleburg, Florida, passed away Monday, June 26, 2023, at Haven Hospice Custead Care Center after a courageous battle against cancer. He was born on Thursday, October 22, 1936, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Doris Dean (Bassett) and Alson Bishop Belangia and had lived here in Middleburg for the past 25 years. Mr. Belangia proudly...

Jun 13, 2023

Betty Jean Harvey Weaver, age 96, of Glen St. Mary, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville. She was born to James Harmon and Bertha (Oliver) Harvey in Baldwin, Florida, on October 25, 1926. Mrs. Betty was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She had moved from Jacksonville to...

Jun 8, 2023

Donald Lanier Hair, "Don," age 89, of Sanderson, Florida, entered the heavenly gates with family by his side on Thursday, June 8, 2023. Don was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, on February 13, 1934, to the late Lottie Zorn and Joseph Earnest Hair Sr. Don graduated from Bluffton High School and entered the military shortly after. He served from...