Obituaries 6/25/20

Tony Quigley Burns
Tony Quigley Burns died at age 28 in Orange Park, Florida. Tony was born February 1, 1992 in Springfield, Massachusetts and was adopted October, 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida by a large, lively family with 9 siblings.
Tony attended the Florida School for the Deaf and graduated from Orange Park High School in 2011.
Tony was baptized by Fr. Rene Robert at FSDB and renewed his baptismal promises in 2012 with Reverend Puckett from First Baptist Church, Jacksonville.
Tony won several awards during the course of his life. He won Most Improved Student in the entire Tyne’s Elementary School, fastest player on the YMCA Touch Football team, home run hitter on the Miracle Baseball team, scorekeeper at the OPHS team games, worst bowler on the BASCA bowling team, best fundraiser for the Salvation Army bell ringers, and least complaining, frequent flier patient at Wolfson, Orange Park, and UF Hospitals.
Tony worked as a bagger for Winn Dixie until health reasons forced him to quit. Customers often changed to Tony’s checkout line to visit Tony. Tony was ill for the last 8 years of his life but continued whizzing around Orange Park in his New England Patriots’ handicapped bike. Tony talked and signed to everyone he met. He knew no strangers.
Tony was a Special Ed student who beat everyone at UNO, ordered every NE Patriots’ swag online himself, and knew every Orange Park police officer’s direct phone number. Hundreds of friends and family members deeply mourn the traffic accident on May 9th which took Tony’s young life. In accordance to Tony’s wishes, he arranged for organ donations upon his death. To honor the police officers who helped Tony repeatedly throughout his life donations are to be made to: Clay County Police Athletic League.
Tony’s memorial service is July 18th at 11:00 a.m. at Camp Chowenwaw, Green Cove Springs. All are welcome.

Desiree LaShae Burney
Desiree LaShae Burney, 25, of Green Cove Springs, entered the sunset of life on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at Baptist Medical Center-South, Jacksonville.
The daughter of Uriel Burney and Promona Linette Green, she was a native of Jacksonville and a lifelong resident of Clay County, born on Monday, January 23, 1995.
She was a graduate of Clay High School. She earned an associate’s degree at St. Johns River State College and had ambitious plans to return to college in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.
Desiree’s church affiliation was with the House of Refuge, Green Cove Springs, Pastor Ezella Green, overseer. She was a Food Service employee who enjoyed cooking and she loved to sing.
In addition to her mother, she was preceded in eternal rest by her paternal grandparents, Emma and Louis Burney.
She leaves to cherish her memories: son, Caleb Michael Burney; father, Uriel Burney; maternal grandmother, Callie (Robert) Bennett; maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Jones; a host of aunts and uncles, Alex (Neola) Burney, Pastor Ruby (Rev. Vernon) Cooper, Dr. LaRoyal Burney-Noble, all of Green Cove Springs; Amy Walker, Brian (Crystal) Green, both of Jacksonville; Juanita Hutchinson, Lake Placid; Alzie (Katherine) Kirksey, Miami; Amos Kirksey, Palmetto; Jerrod (Felicia) Simeon, CA; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Due to the CDC COVID-19 guidelines, a limited, socially distanced visitation will be from 9-10 a.m., Saturday, June 27, 2020 with a Homegoing Celebration commencing at 10 a.m. at Vera Francis Hall Park, 1503 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Green Cove Springs, FL. Reverend Dr. Chris A. Burney, Pastor, Greater St. Mark Primitive Baptist Church, Tallahassee, is the eulogist.
Online condolences: www.flaggserernitychapel.com. Professional arrangements entrusted to Karl N. Flagg Serenity Memorial Chapel, 2400 Madison Street, Palatka, FL.

Penny Sue Lowe
Mrs. Penny Sue Lowe, 72 of Middleburg, passed away Friday, June 12, 2020.
Mrs. Lowe was born February 6, 1948 in Hudson, Michigan to parents Theodore D. and Jeannine R. (Morley) Robbins. Penny was a very giving, strong, artistic, thrifty and bullheaded person.
In the past, she worked for Orange Park Cleaners, Molly Maids, and Pantry Pride. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband, Ronald James Lowe, son, Brian Keith Lowe, siblings, Theodore Robbins, Jr., Sandy Kay Hayes, and Terrance Douglas Robbins and grandson, Korey Anderson.
Survivors are her daughters, Tabitha Lowe (Barry Fitchett) of Middleburg, Melissa Anderson (Jeff Anderson) of St. George, Georgia; sister, Treva Hillyard (Mike Hillyard) of Keystone Heights; niece, Rebecca Olson (Drew Olson) of Navarre, Florida and her nephew whom she raised, Randy K. Hayes (Chrissy Hayes) of North Carolina. Also surviving her are her seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Friday, July 3, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Helm-Gallagher Funeral Home, 1811 Idlewild Avenue, SR 16, Green Cove Springs with Pastor Steve Conner officiating. Arrangements under the care of Helm-Gallagher Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1811 Idlewild Avenue, SR 16, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043. 904-284-9696. www.helmgallagherfh.com

Ruby Lee Hekkel
Ruby Lee Hekkel, 97, of Orange Park, FL, passed away June 21, 2020.
Broadus-Raines Funeral Home, 501 Spring St., Green Cove Springs, FL (904) 284-4000. www.broadusraines.com

Edward Daniel VanDyke
Our Father, Edward Daniel VanDyke passed away March 30, 2020 at the Lincoln Community Nursing Home in Lincoln Missouri. He was born on February 25, 1937 in Moorseboro, North Carolina. A memorial service was held on June 6th at Russell Haven Funeral Home in Green Cove Springs that most people didn’t know about. We would like to pay tribute to our Dad and give him the honor and respect he deserves.
He joined the Navy at 16 and served his country for 20 years. He was stationed in Pensacola at 18 when he met our Mother, Selma Joy Teate. He and a buddy went to the beach with her and a friend and my Mother went in the beach and my Dad said, the first one that gets to her, gets her. Well, he did, and they were married a few months later. He was in the Blue Angels, he served in the Viet Nam war on the ship, The Saratoga. He traveled all around the world and retired in Jacksonville, Florida.
When he retired from the Navy, his dream was to be in the Highway Patrol. He served in the auxiliary for several years while he was still in the service, but you couldn’t be over 35 and he was 36 when he retired so he missed the cut off. He was heartbroken. He then became a Police Officer for the City of Orange Park for 6 years and then went to work for the Clay County Sheriffs Department. He retired from the department as a detective. He truly loved law enforcement; it was his calling. Many, many people have told us stories of how he helped them and their families. He did make a difference and isn’t that we all hope to do in our lifetime.
He was a very hard-working man; we can’t remember him not having 2 jobs while we were growing up.
Our Dad was very strict on us when we were growing up. He taught us among other things, Respect. Respect for anyone older than us, anyone in authority, and especially respect for our Mother. You better not even look at her wrong or you were in big trouble. We can honestly say, we never had any cross words or an argument with him. We did get mad at him, wanted to send him to the moon but out of respect we would never say anything that may have even sounded disrespectful. (Not to mention, he would have killed us.)
He loved old cars and going to car shows. He loved gospel music and going to all night sings in Bonifay, Florida. He loved Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. He loved to bowl, along with many other nicknames he was known in the bowling alley as Big Ed. Our family spent many hours there and to this day we still love bowling alley food. He loved to go camping and meeting other campers. (some of our greatest memories are going camping in the Florida Keys). We had a pop-up camper with no AC, but we didn’t care. He was not a big sports fan or TV watcher, he didn’t like sitting still, he was always piddling around on something.
He was extremely smart. He could do any math problem in his head. We always thought and believed he was not only the smartest man but the strongest man in the world. He was very generous and made sure our Christmases were always wonderful. We traveled to Pensacola to visit our Nanny and PawPaw every year and he would stay up all night driving to get us there. He enjoyed watching The Lawrence Welk show on Saturday night with Nanny.
Our Mother died in 2004. Our parents had been married 49 years. She was sick for the last 13 years of her life and my Dad along with Sonya took care of her. Life shouldn’t happen this way, but he lost my sister, Sharon Opal in 2012 and my brother Steven Daniel in 2018 and Stevens wife Dana in 2013. He was also preceded in death many years ago by his parents Bergin Baxter and Bessie Mae VanDyke, brothers Vernon, Marcus and Arnold and a sister Lucille and his great-grandson Garrett James Stoddard.
In 2005 he married Wilma Sue Hankins and in 2017 they moved to Warsaw, Missouri.
He lived in Orange Park since 1973 so Orange Park was truly his home. He knew just about everyone in town until the growth explosion happened in Clay County.
When our Father passed away, he had only a few grey hairs. He did not look like he belonged in a nursing home. He so desperately did not want to be there, he said he didn’t belong with all those old people. He had several strokes and was a shell of what he once was. We, like many have been affected by Covid 19 and our Dad spent the last week of his life alone with no visitors and he couldn’t hold a phone so we could not even talk to him. We are celebrating his life but also mourning his sad passing.
He was far from perfect and not everything was good. There were many rough times, but we know through it all he loved us very much. We will hold his memories close to our hearts and cherish the good ones and the bad ones. (that’s life) He was affectionately known to his grand-children and great-grand-children as “Popsy.” He loved to tease all of them. His namesakes are his grandson Chance Edward and his great-grandson Kash Edward. He named Sandy after a wonderful friend of his growing up and Sonya Danielle and Steven Daniel after himself.
Please cherish all the sweet memories you have of our father and remember him fondly.
Sandy VanDyke English & Sonya VanDyke Cunningham

Linda Coburn Heiser
Linda Coburn Heiser, 79, of Orange Park, FL, passed away June 20, 2020
Broadus-Raines Funeral Home, 501 Spring St., Green Cove Springs, FL (904) 284-4000. www.broadusraines.com

Harry Joseph Ainsworth
Harry Joseph Ainsworth passed away on June 18, 2020. Aaron and Burney Bivens Funeral Home, 529 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park, FL 32073, (904) 264-1233.