Thursday, January 24, 2013
She was remembered as generous and gregarious.
She was generous, gregarious and committed, say those who knew Clementi Lacey-Baker Holder, who died on Tuesday at age 92. She supported, and often founded, several music groups in Athens, including the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music and the Classic Center. And she was also almost a Girl Scout her entire life, according to a story in the Athens Banner Herald. An earlier story in Athens Patch tells a little bit about an award Mrs. Holder received from the Girl Scouts. Mrs. Holder and her first husband, H. Randolph Holder, gave to the Classic Center, the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music, the Athens Rotary Club, Recording for the Blind and the Girl Scouts, the Banner Herald story says. She is survived by her second …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The widow of radio executive H. Randolph Holder, remarried to Bob Saveland, Mrs. Holder gave generously to various Athens community groups, causes and institutions.
One of Athens' most easily recognizable residents--if you were judging on laughs alone--has died. Clementi Holder died Tuesday in Athens, having suffered a stroke last fall. Her first husband, H. Randolph Holder, and she had four children. After his death, she married Bob Saveland. Clementi Holder was a Girl Scout for 80 years. Last April, she received the Golden Eaglet Award from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. Here's what the story said about her award: As a Girl Scout in Kentucky, Clementi Lacy-Baker came one or two tasks short of completing the required badge work for the Golden Eaglet award during the regular program year. She planned to complete those requirements at summer camp, but camp assignments kept her too busy to …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Republican candidate confounds a few votes at a recent debate by not mentioning his Libertarian roots.
Spencer Frye is a Democrat and he doesn’t mind saying so. But during a recent debate at East Friendship Baptist Church, Carter Kessler had a harder time with labels. Kessler is running as a Republican, but “If the choice is if you are a Libertarian, totalitarian, anarchist, I am going to take Libertarian over the authoritarian,” said Kessler. In 2009, Kessler started the Young Americans for Liberty chapter on the University of Georgia campus. During this year’s primaries, the group backed Ron Paul. Despite his Libertarian roots, Kessler appears as a Republican on the Athens-Clarke County ballot running for the general assembly in the 118th district, against Frye. Why not run as Libertarian? That was Raven Covington’s question. She…
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Longtime UGA law professor died on September 26.
- OBITUARIES
-
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Longtime UGA Law Professor John Bartow Rees, Jr. died peacefully early on Wednesday, September 26th, after a long illness. He and his wife, Elinor Myers Rees, came to Athens as newlyweds in 1959 and raised their family here. Dr. Rees was born in Brooklyn Heights, NY on March 27, 1931. He grew up in Westport, Connecticut, and then attended Hobart College and the University of Virginia Law School. In the course of his 45 years at the University of Georgia, Dr. Rees won several awards for his excellence as an educator, including the 1997 Distinguished Service Scroll Award from the UGA Law School Association. Dr. Rees came to the University of Georgia after teaching for a short while at UVA and for many years specialized in Conflict of…
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Rev. Keith T. Johnson is remembered with love at his transition service on Friday.
I met Keith Johnson at a meeting of the Athens Clarke County Commission. It was a long night, with a lot of items on the agenda and a lot of people talking to the commission about the things on the agenda that concerned them. At the end of the meeting, when anyone can speak to the commissioners, about anything, for three minutes, a large, well-dressed, smiling man took the podium and introduced himself. It was clear he had been there before. Some commissioners smiled tersely at him, while others seemed to brace themselves for his message. He started off with a quote from Ghandi, then spoke about those in Athens who needed help, who were poor and in need, and asked the commission to help them. There was an urgency in his voice, but he wasn…
Monday, September 10, 2012
This is a transcript of the service on Saturday, September 8, 2012, for Athens community leader Mary Anne Hodgson.
Burial of Mary Anne Hodgson Rite One 8 September 2012 Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Athens, Ga. Old Testament: Isaiah 61:1-3 Psalm: 139 Epistle: Revelation 21:2-7 Gospel: John 10:11-16 We are proud, and rightly so, around Emmanuel Episcopal Church these days, of the children’s Christian formation program that many, many people have worked very, very hard to build up over the past 5-6 years. It’s a program that introduces children, from 3 years up through 5th grade, to the most fundamental and basic tenets of our faith, and to the way we are to live them out in worship, prayer, love, and service, through the key stories and parables of the Bible, especially those of Jesus of Nazareth . . . and in a hands-on, Montessori-inspired way that is …
Sunday, September 9, 2012
His friend and fellow historian Gary Doster shares remarks he made at Marshall's Friday funeral.
- OBITUARIES
-
Sunday, September 9, 2012
It is a high honor to be asked to do this, and I appreciate the opportunity to say a few words about my friend George Marshall. First, I want to say I loved George, and I will miss him very much. I heard George speak publically many times, and I wish I was as good at it as he was. However, I do not have his keen mind, his sharp wit, or his professional-sounding delivery. Speaking of his wit, several years ago when he delivered the grave-side eulogy for a brother-in-law, who apparently had quite a reputation as a joker, his closing remark was: “Take him Lord, but not seriously.” I remember thinking “I hope the Lord has a sense of humor.” There are many wonderful and inspiring stories in the Bible and many helpful words of wisdom. And…
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Mary Ann Hodgson helped make the Athens community a better place.
- OBITUARIES
-
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
In the spring of 1953, Mary Anne Martin Hodgson was a young career woman with a wide world ahead. A recent graduate of the University of Georgia and program director for nascent radio station WRFC, Mary Anne was starting the life of a journalist and broadcaster with an eye out for just the sort of man she could fall in love with and make a family. Six months later she was the mother of four children under the age of five and her career ideas got put on hold… it seemed. Mary Anne Hodgson died on September 3 in St. Mary’s Hospice House. Mary Anne often said that she did not just marry Paul Hodgson, but his young son Peter and infant triplets, too. While an on-air personality a year earlier, she actually was the radio voice that announced …
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
She was known and loved for her cakes, her conversation and her character.
Cecilia de las Mercedes Duran de Villaveces died peacefully at home Friday, August 24th, after several years of a debilitating illness. Mrs. Villaveces was in every respect a remarkable person. A lady of great character, strength, natural beauty, determination and persistence, she was born March 30, 1938 in Caqueta, in the jungle of the Amazonas territory, to a Bogotá, Colombia family that had been prominent for many generations in old Gran Colombia, a region that in the 19th century encompassed much of northern South America and parts of southern Central America. Her father was Jorge Duran Duran, and her mother was born Julia Mora Saldana. Cecilia Villaveces was the great-granddaughter of Jose Hilario Lopez Valdez, who was President of …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
100-year-old adventurer inspired, delighted and comforted people wherever he went.
United Methoidist minister Wesley Stephens looked out from the pulpit at First Methodist at those sitting in the pews. People were packed in toward the front but sparsely seated in the back. "If this has been 20 years ago, there wouldn't have been a seat," said Stephens. "But when you live to be 100, well," you don't have a lot of contemporaries. But Fred Birchmore had a large family and a host of friends who loved and enjoyed him, as was evident at his funeral on Wednesday. The speakers included his son Danny Birchmore, grandson Fred C. Birchmore, fellow Kiwanian Larry Dendy and ministers Stephens and Bevel Jones. Larry Dendy gave a lovely, hilarious talk about Mr. Birchmore that captured the man in the community. Here're his remarks: …
Brendan Nordgren
12:42 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
I met Keith at an Athens Community Garden workshop. I remember him sharing a humorous story with a twinkle in his eye. It was obvious that he had a great deal of expertise on growing good food. He will be missed. more ›