Cremation Society of Georgia

Dr. Geri Sperry Collins It is with great sadness that the family of Dr. Geri Sperry Collins announces her passing on September 8, 2023 at the age of 75. She passed away surrounded by loved ones and buoyed by the love and prayers of friends and family. She is survived by many who loved her dearly: husband of 30 years, Jesse F. Collins.; siblings Mike Sperry and Chris Arnette; daughter and family Cadis Stuart-Hodges & Wade Hodges with Erid; son and family Geoffrey Brown & Alyson Ash with Zada, Josephine and Esmerelda; son and family Christopher & Amber Collins; son and family Taylor & Jill Collins with Cooper and Jackson; daughter in law and family Christia & Kris...

Memorial services for Jane Lamar Dawkins of Atlanta Georgia, will be held on Friday, August 25, 2023, at 11:00 am, at Cascade United Methodist Church Midtown, in Atlanta. The service will also be livestreamed on cascadeumc.org/jdawkins. The Reverend Dr. Kevin R. Muriel, Senior Pastor, will officiate. Later, a marker will be placed in the family's plot at Paradise A.M. E. Church, in Union County, South Carolina. Ms. Dawkins passed away peacefully in her home, following an extended illness, on August 5, 2023. She was 86 years old. Jane Lamar Dawkins, the only child of Emma Stewart Dawkins Casselberry and Lorry H. Dawkins, was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina. She was a "campus brat,"...

Charles Maxwell Fowler, a dedicated family man, accomplished textile industry professional, and active member of his community, passed away on July 2, 2023, at the age of 87 in Rome, GA. Charles was born on March 19, 1936, in Pickens, South Carolina, to Albert Woodrow Fowler and Mamie Lou Spearman Fowler. Charles began his academic journey at Liberty High School, where he graduated in 1954. He went on to pursue a degree in Textile Management from Clemson University, graduating in 1958. His passion for textiles led him to work in the industry throughout his entire career. Charles held positions at renowned companies such as Dan River, Burlington Industries, and eventually Galey & Lord....

The Reverend Doctor (Colonel) Matthew McGowan, 97, of Gainesville, Georgia (formerly of Chattanooga, Tennessee) passed away June 14, 2023 at Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center. A private service for the family will be held on Saturday, June 24 at 10:30 a.m. at the Columbarium Chapel at First Presbyterian Church, Gainesville. A Memorial Service will follow at 2 p.m. in the sanctuary with the Revs. Lee Koontz, Charles McGowan, Rebecca McGowan Spooner and Kennedy McGowan officiating. The family will receive friends following the service in Swetenburg Hall (Fellowship Hall). Born September 29, 1925, in Pitt County, Greenville, North Carolina, he was the son of the late Lonnie and Eva...

Russell J. Streur, age 69, of Milwaukee, WI, & Atlanta, GA, passed away at dawn on June 1, 2023. Born March 26, 1954 in Chicago, he grew up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, where he lived before moving to Georgia in 2004. Preceded in death by his father John, Russell is survived by wife Margot, sons Morgen (Jade Ashley, fianc?e) & Devin, mother Jeannine, sister Jeannine (the late Donald) Bergman, and brother John (Mary). Russell was a highly skilled health care fraud investigator, extraordinary poet, baseball historian, award-winning photographer, published author, and mentor to many. In his later years, he served a term as the President of Johns Creek Art Center ? a fitting feather in...

Jane Anderson Latanyshyn of Sandy Springs, GA passed away on December 5th, 2022 after a short battle with cancer. Jane was raised in Church Hill, TN and was a proud graduate and diehard fan of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Go Vols! Jane spent her entire working career in retail. She held a variety of positions, including buyer, store manager, and retail operations manager. At the beginning of her career, she was a buyer for the toy department at Rich's department store in Atlanta, GA, where she loved selecting gifts for her nieces. Later, she enjoyed working at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, TN, including a stint at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville. Jane...

Michael Scott Kidd, of Smyrna, Georgia, died on November 21st after a long and well lived life. Michael was 88 years old. He was born in Atlanta on October 23, 1934, attended Marietta High School, and lived in Smyrna, Georgia for most of his life. Michael served in the Army and retired from Tech Controls, Inc., a small business he owned and operated for many years in Chamblee and then Smyrna. In addition to owning his own business, Michael was a member of St. Benedict's Episcopal Church, and the Smyrna Optimist Club where he earned several club service awards. He loved woodworking, cooking, eating, was an avid reader, and passionately followed Georgia Bulldog football. Michael is preceded...

Helen Ross Tolbert, 81, of Atlanta, Georgia, died peacefully on October 6, 2022 surrounded by her family. Helen was born on December 17, 1940, in Macon, Georgia to Dr. Thomas Llewellyn Ross, Jr. and Rachel Johnson Ross. She was a 1958 graduate of A.L. Miller Senior High School in Macon, Georgia, and graduated from Emory University in Atlanta in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. While at Emory, she was an enthusiastic member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She had a long-career in accounting, and continued to provide tax services to clients and friends until very recently. She was an avid animal lover and was a long-time volunteer at the Atlanta Humane Society. Helen...

Frances Brady Butler, 88, died on July 28, 2022. She was born in Jasper, Georgia on January 10, 1934 and was the daughter of the late Clyde and Fannie Brady. Frances is survived by her husband of 61 years, Walter Harold Butler and several nieces and nephews. They celebrated their anniversary on July 1st. Walt is now a resident of Merryvale Assisted Living in Oxford, GA. Frances was a former Atlanta school teacher and then church secretary at Tucker First United Methodist Church. Frances was a longtime resident of Snellville, Georgia and loved spending time with friends. A 1955 graduate of LaGrange College, she remained good friends with several college friends, and they talked often. She...

Thomas Edward McCoy, Jr, Captain USN (retired), died at his home in Cedartown, Ga at the age of 95. Thomas was preceded in death by his first wife, Jimmie Anderson McCoy, his daughter, Jane McCoy Muse, his sister, Sue McCoy Smith Brinkley and his brother James Edwin McCoy. He is survived by his wife Virginia Lynn Carpenter Lewis McCoy, his sister Dorothy McCoy Spencer Hopper and her spouse Sheldon Hopper, his daughters and their spouses Debra McCoy- Massey and Joe Massey, Gale McCoy-Flinchum and Nat Flinchum, his stepchildren, Richelle Schack, Teresa Thorne and her spouse Jeoff Thorne, Devin Lewis, 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Thomas was...

(Betty) Jean Taylor Blanchard was born on March 18, 1930, in Pembroke, Kentucky, to Wallace B. (Mutt) Taylor and Cate Elizabeth Gray. She died on Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. Jean was the valedictorian for her graduating class at Pembroke High School in 1947. She graduated from the University of West Florida, summa cum laude, in 1973, with a B.S. degree in Computer Science. Jean and her former husband, Dallas A. Blanchard, were active in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's. During her career at International Paper, Jean was awarded the Paul A. Gorman Foundation Fellowship to the University of California at Berkeley. After taking early retirement from International...

Jacob Frank Helderman, 82, retired newspaper publisher, formerly of Gadsden and Florence, Alabama, died peacefully at his home in Atlanta on March 31, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. Frank was a businessman, patron of the arts, community leader, husband, and father, but his greatest pleasure was as Poppa, grandfather to his three grandchildren. He was born to Jacob Frank and Ruth Hottel Helderman, Sr. in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on May 22, 1939. He followed his father into the newspaper business, beginning his career at age eight delivering papers on his bicycle in Spartanburg. The family moved to Gadsden, Alabama, in 1952, where Frank entered the seventh grade. His first...

Mr. Arnold Rettig, 93 of Jonesboro, GA, passed away Friday March 18, 2022. Mr. Rettig was a dedicated husband and father, and a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church in McDonough, GA. Arnold was born on November 11, 1928, in Butler, PA to Adolph and Helen (Protzman) Rettig. He served with the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He began his work career as a stock clerk with the SS Kresge Company and worked his way through the various levels of retail store management and retired as a store manager after a 40-year career with the Kmart Corporation in 1984. He married his wife of 54 years, Barbara (Baglin) in 1956, who preceded him in death in 2010. He loved traveling, woodworking, and...

Ruth Sutton McBride was born to the late Annie Curtis Sutton and the late Jessie Sutton, Sr. in Savannah, Ga. on April 12, 1928. She died on March 3, 2022, at the age of 93 at her home in East Point, Ga. Ruth was a musical child who learned to play the piano and often played for school programs. After graduating from Beach High School in Savannah, she enrolled at Georgia State College in Savannah, now Savannah State University where she met Tom McBride, also a student. (His story was that she was "eyeing" him; her story was that she was minding her own business and that he was "eyeing" her.) Whatever the truth, they ended up together and were married June 21, 1949. Ruth graduated from...

Maxine Quinn Teaster of LaGrange, Georgia, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2022 at West Georgia Hospice. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank W. Teaster. Maxine was born in Glendale, SC on December 16, 1933 to the late William and Alice Quinn. Maxine moved to LaGrange in 1969 with her husband and three daughters, working as a bookkeeper/secretary at LaGrange High School for many years before working and retiring from West Georgia Technical College. Maxine enjoyed playing Bridge and Mah Jongg with friends, and traveling. She was a member of St.Mark's Episcopal Church for 52 years. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Teaster of Atlanta, Jane Frazier (Tim) of Pine...

Doris Anne Bell Holsey October 19, 1929 - January 28, 2022 Doris was born on October 19, 1929 in Back Creek, Virginia outside of Roanoke and was the third of five children born to her parents, Captain Luther Dennis Bell and Katherine Lee Coles Bell Henry. She graduated from the University of Virginia as a Registered Nurse in 1950. After graduation she continued to work at the UVA Medical Center's Maternity Ward, a position that aligned well with her joyful enthusiasm for holding newborn babies. On February 17, 1951, she married Royce Linton Holsey, Jr., M.D. After Royce completed his residency, they moved to Elizabethton, TN where they raised their four extraordinary children and...

Woodstock, GA - Michael David Newman, 62, passed January 17, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Susan, daughters, Melanie Newman and Stephanie Burris (Tre Jon) and granddaughters, Selah Kennedy Burris and Huxley Anne Burris. He leaves behind his sister Julie Slaten (Gary), nieces, Kelly and Amy and nephew, Brian. Born June 14, 1959 in Ayer, Massachusetts, Michael grew up a true Military and Auburn man. He was the eldest son to the late Lieutenant Colonel Frank Charles Newman and his wife, Eva Honolka Newman, where he was quickly introduced to the mobile life of the Army, living across the country before the family settled at Fort Rucker in Ozark, Alabama. As a child, Mike and his siblings...

William (Bill) Pitt, 78, passed away peacefully on December 20, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Deborah (Debbie) Pitt of Hartwell, Georgia, one son, Nathan Pitt and his wife Lena, and one granddaughter, Madison Pitt. Bill was well known in the Atlanta and metro areas after spending much of his life in the sales industry, working for Premium Beverage, Texaco and Kroger. Any donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Karen Lee Ireland, 60, of Marietta GA, formerly of Elkins, WVA passed away peacefully at 10:37 a.m. on December 14, 2021, at Northside Hospital, Atlanta, GA. Born in Clarksburg, WVA, March 11, 1961, Karen was the daughter of and proceeded in death by Jean Ruth McQuaid and Richard Lee McQuaid. Karen is survived by her husband David Ireland of Marietta, GA, formerly of Elkins, WVA, her daughter Mrs. Amanda Mcleese and son-in-law Michael Mcleese of Marietta GA, formerly of Elkins, WVA, and two grandchildren Quentin and Lillian. Also surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Kathy Frank of Roswell, GA, Mrs. Judy O'Donnell of Pleasantville, PA and Mrs. Janet Hilton of Lawrenceville, GA, and a...

Mrs. Mary Sue Crump, 79, ended her three-year battle with pancreatic cancer on 12/12/2021. She was predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Nannie Mae Burch Berry, siblings David Berry, Alma Williams (Charles, Jr. dec.), Bill Berry (Arnita) and special nephew David Hunt. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, R.G. Crump, her son and daughter in law, Randy and Lynne Crump (Dunwoody, GA) her son Dr. M. Todd Crump (Columbia, SC), two sets of twin grandchildren whom she adored: Gordon & Gracie, and Ellie & Lila, and her sister Judy Hunt (Walter, dec.), brother Jim (Geneva) Berry, nieces, nephews, grand Godchildren, and countless friends. Sue grew up in Winchester, KY. Although...

Georgia Lnenicka, 94 years of age, passed away quietly on October 24, 2021. No memorial service is planned. She will be interred with her late husband at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA. Georgia was predeceased by her parents and sisters Joan (Pete) Davis and Roberta (Leon) Masser, and her husband Bill. She is survived by her son Wade (Robin) Lnenicka and daughter Susan Johnston of Smyrna GA, granddaughters Ashley Johnston of Atlanta GA and Shannon Motley of Marietta GA with great grandchildren Parker Motley and Leighton Motley. Georgia Marie Eriksen was born on December 19, 1926, in Alliance, Nebraska. She was the oldest of 3 daughters of the late George and Ida Eriksen. Her...