All Obituaries

Mr. Malcolm Lee Nirka, age 79, of Blackshear, passed away Thursday morning (7/16/2026) at his residence following an extended illness. Born April 29, 1947, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he was a son of the late Matthew and Elizabeth Hayden Nirka. He was a veteran, having served in the United States Navy in the Vietnam War and had lived in multiple states in the United States. He retired as a California Highway Patrolman following nearly 20 years of service and had lived in Brunswick for ...

Mr. Stacey Randall Sweat, age 51, of Blackshear, passed away Sunday morning (7/5/2026) at Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross following a long courageous battle with cancer. Born March 8, 1975, in Blackshear, he was a son of Eleanor Cox Sweat and the late Larry Randolph Sweat.  He lived all his life in Pierce County and was a 1993 graduate of Pierce County High School.  He was a longtime employee at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Jesup where he started as a ...

Mr. Dennis James O’Keefe, age 61, of Hortense, passed away Sunday evening (6/28/2026) at his residence following an extended illness. Born October 22, 1964, in St. Louis, Missouri, he was a son of the late John Shelby and Mildred Irene Swarringin O’Keefe. Growing up in Missouri, he worked many years as a self-employed truck driver and lived in Illinois, Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida before moving to Hortense in 2012.  He was employed by the Brantley County Board ...

Mrs. Patricia Ann Johnson O'Berry, age 73, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family at her home in Granite Falls, North Carolina on Friday, June 12, 2026. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend whose life was rooted in faith, family, and love, she was born February 16, 1953, in Waycross, Georgia to the late Henry Clay and Talma Lee Johnson. She grew up in Pierce County and attended Patterson High School, where she displayed determination and ...

Mrs. Ruby Lee “Peggy” Milton Kirkland, age 88, of Blackshear, passed away suddenly Wednesday afternoon (6/3/2026) at her residence.  Born July 28, 1937, in Blackshear, Georgia, she was a daughter of the late Mitch Milton and Easter McCarthy Milton. Mrs. Kirkland had made Blackshear her home her entire life. Before retirement, she had worked in the sewing factory in Blackshear for many years. She was a long-time member of Blackshear Church of God.   In addition to ...

Mrs. Rachel Valeria Dyal Dyson, age 82, of Blackshear and Waycross, passed away Wednesday night (May 27, 2026) at the Hospice Satilla Hospice House in Waycross following a long arduous journey home.  Valeria loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and her testimony will live on, as demonstrated by the life that she lived before those who knew her. The following scripture speaks of Valeria and the way she lived out her life.   Matthew ...

Mrs. Phyllis Kay Padgett Lane, age 74, of Blackshear, passed away Sunday morning (5/24/2026) at Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross following an extended illness. Born April 24, 1952, in Alma, Georgia, she was a daughter of the late E.D. Padgett and Myrtice Pittman Padgett-Leggett. She grew up in Bacon County and was a graduate of Bacon County High School. She lived most of her adult life in Pierce County and retired following 27 years as a medical transcriptionist at Satilla Regional ...

Mr. James Robert “Robbie” Murray, age 65, of Blackshear, passed away Saturday afternoon (5/23/26) at his son’s home surrounded by his family following an extended illness. Born July 16, 1960, in Jacksonville, Florida, he was a son of the late James Franklin “Frank” and Scecila Boyett Murray. A lifelong resident of Pierce County, he attended Blackshear High School and worked as a millwright, boilermaker, carpenter, and mechanic and kept his family’s ...

Mr. Isaiah Justice Bailey, age 23, of Blackshear, passed away Saturday night (5/16/26) at Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Born January 17, 2003, in Deland, Florida, he was the oldest son of Tony Robert and Christina Lynn McGlothlen Bailey. He had lived in Florida and Alabama before moving to Waynesville for several years and then moving to Pierce County in 2020. He was a 2021 graduate of Brantley County High School and served in the ...

Mr. Demory Keith Duncan, age 74, of Blackshear, passed away Sunday evening (5/3/2026) at his residence following an extended illness.   Born October 29, 1951, in East Orange, New Jersey, he was a son of the late David James Duncan III and Loreta McClellan Viruet. After serving in the Air Force for several years, Mr. Duncan became a truck driver. He moved to Blackshear in 2002 and most recently worked as a delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza ...