Dr. James Polk “Jay” Brinson III
Jesup—Dr. James Polk “Jay” Brinson III, 51, of Jesup died Oct. 5, 2021, at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, after a short illness and a remarkable life.
Born in Statesboro in 1969, he moved to Wayne County when he was in third grade. He was proud to be a product of the Wayne County school system and was a devoted Yellow Jacket throughout his life. A 1988 graduate of Wayne County High School, he was a stellar student-athlete. He was a decorated, four-year varsity baseball player, earning the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1985 and 1988. In 1987 and 1988, he was named to the all-state team, won the team’s Gold Glove Award and held the team’s highest batting average.
He played college baseball at Jacksonville University and Middle Georgia College and graduated from Georgia Southern before returning to Wayne County for a 29-year career with the Wayne County school system. During this time, he held roles as coach, teacher and administrator with a personal mission of “paying it forward” to a community that he believed invested so much in him.
He later received a master’s degree and six-year/specialist degree. He also earned a doctorate of educational leadership degree from Cambridge College.
He became head baseball coach in 1997, and in eight years his teams earned a 163-64 record with six 20-win seasons, six sub-region titles, three region titles and two Elite 8 appearances. He was inducted into the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
He taught physical education at Screven Elementary and served as an assistant principal at Oak Vista Elementary and principal at Odum Elementary and Wayne County High School until he assumed the position of Wayne County superintendent of schools in 2014. Under his helm, the Wayne County school system achieved many accolades and milestones; however, his greatest sense of accomplishment in his career came from helping students, players, and colleagues to reach higher and achieve more. He retired as superintendent in March 2021.
He loved God, his family, his friends and Wayne County. He was a man of quiet dignity who led by example. He was a firm believer in hard work and fighting through adversity, and his life was an illustration of these principles.
He was predeceased by his father, James Brinson Jr.; and his brother, Jeremy Brinson.
Survivors include his wife of 26 years, Kim Brinson; his daughter, Mallory (Jake) Phillips of Odum; his son, J.T. Brinson of Jesup; his mother, Marie (Dewayne) Baker of Jesup; his brother, Jason (Acela) Brinson of Jesup; his nephew, Jacob Brinson of Eastman; and two nieces, Shelby and Lottie Brinson.
Funeral services were held Oct. 9 at Unity Church of God with Pastor Mark Ledbetter, Craig Davis and Bob Morgan officiating. Interment followed in Old Bethel Cemetery. Active pallbearers were Craig Davis, Ken Perkins, Steve Ammons, Kevin Keith, Randy Harvey, Paul Brannen, Jimbo Boykin, Bobby Lamb, Joe Ierardi and Bob Morgan.
Honorary pallbearers were current and former colleagues of the Wayne County school system, former players and fellow coaches and the First District RESA superintendents.
In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made to the Coach Jay Brinson Scholarship Fund, c/o Prime South Bank, 375 W. Cherry Street, Jesup, GA 31545.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Michelle Miller Hughes
Jesup—Michelle Miller Hughes, 47, of Jesup died Oct. 9, 2021.
The Ohio native had lived in South Georgia the past 20 years and attended O’Quinn Baptist Church. She was an employee with Great Southern Wood of Jesup. She was a very passionate person, caring for her family, especially daughters and grandsons, and prided herself on being a loving aunt.
She also cared deeply for veterans by becoming a Mission 22 ambassador in Veteran Suicide Prevention and was active in the VFW Auxiliary. This allowed her to become a part of many lives.
Survivors are her husband of 13 years, Justin Hughes of Jesup; two daughters, Jayme (Devin) Freimarck and Madyson Dombrowski, both of Washington; parents, Russell (Jim) and Mary Miller of Moumt Blanchard, Ohio; two brothers, J.R. (Amber) Miller and C.J. (Barbie) Miller, both of Mount Blanchard; two grandsons, Will and Drew; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held today (Thursday) at 3 p.m. at Rinehart Chapel with Pastor Gerald Greenlee officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Memorials are requested to be made in her memory to Mission 22, 694 N. Larch St., No. 910, Sisters, OR 97754.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Larry “Monte” Montgomery
Jesup—Larry “Monte” Montgomery, 71, of Jesup died Oct. 6, 2021.
The retired U.S. Army veteran, having served in the Vietnam War, was a faithful member of Faith Chapel SCMC, where he was a former Sunday school superintendent, teacher and church leader.
He enjoyed farming, attending church, reading his Bible, playing guitars and planning fishing trips, even when he didn’t even stick his cork into the water. He was preceded in death by his wife of 41 years, Donna Rogers Montgomery; his parents; several siblings; a special brother-in-love, Ray Fletcher; and a nephew, J.R. Sewell.
Survivors include two daughters, Monica (David) McKinzie and Makaylah Fox-Montgomery, both of Jesup; a son, Little Monte “Bubba” (Chasity) Montgomery of Jesup; a sister-in-love, Marlin Fletcher of Clewiston, Florida; seven grandchildren; several nieces, including Cindy (Raul) Valdez; and several nephews.
Funeral services were held Oct. 11 at Faith Chapel SCMC with pastor James Carter officiating. Interment followed in Screven City Cemetery with full military honors. Active pallbearers were Trent Pope, Jose Valdez, Gunnar Montgomery, Raul Valdez, Stacey Thornton and Mike Woods.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
James Lanier Oglesby
Brunswick—James Lanier Oglesby died Oct. 8, 2021.
He was known as “J.L.” or “Jay Bird.” The Wayne County native had lived all of his life in Brunswick. He was a member of the Glyndale Baptist Church from 1953 until present day, where he served his Lord and Savior as a Sunday school teacher, youth leader and many other ministries, including caring for the elderly.
He retired from Hercules Inc. with 37 years of service and after retiring worked at Lowes for 17 months and Coastal Hardware Company for 19 and one-half years. His hobbies were traveling with family and friends to Nascar and dirt track races, football and baseball games, camping in the mountains and visiting state and federal parks as well as fun parks with the children and their friends.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Julia Bennett Oglesby of Brunswick; daughter, Cindy (Jim) Hancock of St. Marys; son, Wade Sr. (Kayla) Oglesby of Brunswick; sister, Ann (Ted) Nelson of Brunswick; brothers, Jerry Oglesby and Paul (Judy) Oglesby, all of Brunswick, and Roger Dale (Debra) Oglesby of Screven; two uncles, Henry Oglesby of Grants Pass, Oregon, and J.B. O’Quinn of Brunswick; two grandsons, Phillip (Shelby) Oglesby, Jared (Carlee) Oglesby of Brunswick; three step-grandsons, Hunter Price of Seneca, South Carolina, and Andrew and Noah Carter of Waverly; and several step-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Celebration of life services were held Oct. 16 from Glyndale Baptist Church with Pastor Ken Creekmore and Associate Pastor Ben Campbell officiating. Private graveside service followed in Chapel Park Cemetery on Cate Road, Brunswick.
Active pallbearers were family. Honorary pallbearers were Fishers of Men, fellow Hercules employees and Coastal Hardware employees.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Glyndale TWG New Building Fund, 132 Butler Drive, Brunswick, GA 31523.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Jeffery David Williams Sr.
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina—Jeffery David Williams Sr., 56, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, lost his battle with cancer on Oct. 9, 2021.
He was a Wayne County native and a 1983 graduate of Wayne County High School. He considered being a father to be his greatest accomplishment in life. His children called their daddy a superhero.
Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Heidi Ray Williams of Mount Pleasant; three daughters, Pebbles (Darrell) Bargeron of Jesup, Victoria (David) Wittsack of Ladson, South Carolina, and Abigail Williams of Mount Pleasant; one son, Jeffery David Williams Jr. of Mount Pleasant; his parents, David and Sandra Williams of Jesup; a sister, Denise (William) Bennett of Jesup; a brother, Andrew Williams of Atlanta; two grandchildren, Darren and Dustin Bargeron; and a nephew, William Crews.
Funeral services were held Oct. 12 from Faith Chapel with Pastor James Carter officiating. Graveside services followed in Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Ricky Eugene Pierce
Patterson—Ricky Eugene Pierce, 58, died Oct. 6, 2021, at his residence after a short illness.
Born in Jesup, he lived in Wayne and Appling counties all of his life. He received his welding diploma from Altamaha Technical College and was previously employed with American Welding and Tank in Jesup. He attended Odum Methodist Church and Ephesus Church of God.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Tammy Jean Griffis Pierce, and parents, Melvin and Judy Ogden Pierce.
Survivors include his sons, Draven Pierce of Patterson and Shannon (Becca) Dowling of Sanderson, Florida; a sister, Crystal Pierce of Glennville; grandchildren, River Avery and Zayne Dowling; and an uncle, Gary Ogden of Patterson.
Graveside services were held Oct. 8 at at Ephesus Church of God Cemetery with the Rev. Aaron Horne officiating. The family received friends at the cemetery.
Family and friends may sign the online register at www.howardfuneralga.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Howard Funeral Home of Ludowici.
Sherry Marie Boatright Walker
Jesup—Sherry Marie Boatright Walker, 67, died Oct. 5, 2021, at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah.
A resident of Jesup for the past six years and a longtime former resident of Darien and North Carolina, she was born on July 7, 1954, to the late Francis and Charlotte Mathis Boatright. She spent her early years in Alma and was a graduate of Bacon County High School.
She was co-owner of Star Growers Tobacco Warehouse, which she ran along with her late husband, Henry C. Walker, for many years. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing tennis in her younger years and, later in life, arts and crafts, especially painting.
She was the “rock” of the family. Her outgoing and caring personality was the glue that kept the family together, and she was always willing to do anything to help when someone was in need.
In addition to her parents and her husband, her beloved canine, Lucy, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her siblings, Kathy Tyre, Ricky Boatright and Tina Alicea (Wilson) Lopez all of Jesup; nieces and nephews, Stacy (Crystal) Mullis, Jessica Sanchez, Alex Lopez and Sonny Boatright; and numerous great-nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended-family members.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
Family and friends may sign the guestbook online at www.jesupfuneralhome.com.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Enman Cordell Lewis
Jesup—Enman Cordell Lewis, 80, died Oct. 10, 2021, at Landmark Hospital in Savannah.
He was born Aug. 14, 1941, to Lehman and Avis Driggers Lewis. His lifelong career was at Evans Concrete Company, serving as vice president and manager of Sylvania Ready Mix and Strickland Concrete in Jesup.
He enjoyed sports, car racing and working in his yards.
He was a loving husband, father and papa. He was preceded in death by his parents and by siblings, Emory Lewis, Alan Lewis, Gene Lewis and Maxine L. Cox.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanan Floyd Lewis of Jesup; son, Michael (Sondra) Lewis of Jesup; grandchildren, Blake, Levi and Faith Lewis; siblings, Raymond P. (Brenda) Lewis, Joyce (Joe) Norman, Geraldine Harn, Reba (Dennis) Smith, Doris (Donny) Jones; sister-in-law, Alice Lewis; brother-in-law, John Cox; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Oct. 13 at Beards Creek Primitive Baptist Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Remembrances may be made to: Beards Creek Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Mike Lamb, 3340 John M. Brewton Road, Glennville, GA 30427 and/or Shriners Children’s Hospital, 950 West Faris Road, Greenville, South Carolina 29605.
Pallbearers were Blake Herrin, Randy Lewis, William Harn, Matt Lewis Allen Jones, Ian Greene, Norman Franklin, Michael Cox and Thomas Wright.
Brannen Kennedy Funeral Home of Glennville was in charge of arrangements.
Dr. O. Eugene Tyre
Newnan—Dr. O. Eugene Tyre, 81, died in Newnan Sept. 26, 2021.
His family said his life can best be described in the words of Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. “
The Lord delighted in Dr. Gene Tyre when he arrived in His presence on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, his family said.
He was born in Jesup on Oct. 10, 1940 to the late Otis Eugene Tyre and Sara Wilson Tyre. He grew up in the small rural community of Odum.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Joy Kinsey.
He was a fastidious student who believed in the value of education. In his teenage years, he felt the Lord call him into ministry, where he was ordained in January 1959 at the age of 18. After graduating from Odum High School in 1958, he enrolled and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Southern Baptist affiliated school, Mercer University, in Macon.
He obtained his master’s degree of divinity and doctoral degree in ministry from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
His time at Mercer University left an imprint on him, and he dedicated many hours to the benefit of the school by serving as a trustee. Realizing the importance of his educational experience, he taught and encouraged many students as an adjunct professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and at Candler School of Theology.
He began church ministry as a student pastor at Rodgers Baptist Church in Collins and English Baptist Church in English, Kentucky. He also served at Belmont Baptist Church in Calhoun, Headland Heights Baptist Church in East Point and First Baptist Church of Cartersville. In 1972, he was called to be the senior pastor of Rainbow Park Baptist Church in Decatur, where he faithfully served for 10 years.
In 1982 he was called to be the senior pastor at the First Baptist Church of Newnan. After moving to Newnan, he and his family immersed themselves in the community and led the congregation through many years of growth and prosperity. He was incredibly humbled to be asked to serve as the chaplain of the Newnan Cougars football team, where he was an integral part of the lives of many young men who he led to Christ.
In 2005, at the age of 65, he retired from First Baptist Newnan after 23 years of dedicated, faithful service. In 2004, his commitment to his community was recognized by one of the highest honors in Coweta County, being named Citizen of the Year.
He later became the senior pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Rico for several years and was serving as interim pastor for White Oak First Baptist Church in Newnan at the time of his death.
After several months of retirement, he felt the call to continue his ministry outside the walls of a church. He continued his ministry by working for Georgia Bone and Joint counseling with their patients. He became involved in another Christian organization, The Summit Family YMCA in Newnan. He could be found most mornings working out at the YMCA and then staying to volunteer. He was the chairman of the board and was recognized for his service by having a meeting room at the YMCA named in his honor.
In 1996 he was honored to be one of the local Olympic “torch bearers.”
He was committed to service not only in his community but also the Georgia Baptist Convention. He served as vice-president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, chairman of the Georgia Baptist Hospital Commission and chairman of the executive committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention. His work in the Georgia Baptist Convention was recognized when he received the James Westberry Award for service to the Georgia Baptist Convention and Mercer University.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Margaret Maddox Tyre; daughter, Jenny Tyre; grandson, Mihai Tyre; siblings, Jan (Richard) Jackson of Jesup and Richard (Linda) Tyre of Franklin, Tennessee; and several nieces and nephews.
The family says Acts 11:24 perfectly describes the work and ministry of him, “for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And considerable numbers were brought to The Lord.”
A memorial service was held Oct. 3 at Newnan High School’s Drake Stadium with Dr. Jim Ellison officiating. Rather than flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Coweta Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 90 Glenda Trace, Newnan, GA 30265 or www.cowetafca.org/donate.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.mckoon.com.
McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory was in charge of arrangements.