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Weekend Edition-October 21-22,2022
2A | FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | ForsythNews.com
FORSYTH FORECAST
The four-day outlook
Sunny
68/40
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Partly Cloudy
72/45
Mostly Sunny
73/46
MONDAY
Mostly Sunny
76/50
Lake Lanier level
1066.79 feet (as of 10 a.m. Oct. 20)
Full pool is 1,071 feet
Oct. 17 1067.00 feet
Oct. 18:1066.94 feet
Oct. 19:1066.84 feet
Winter gave us early preview this week
MIKETASOS
Columnist
Like someone flipped a
switch, Old Man Winter
gave us a trailer of what’s
to come. To heck with
calling the air “crisp,” it
was downright teeth-chat-
tering frigid this past
week. It was colder than
the Braves’ bats against
the Phillies.
Ok, no more Braves
bashing, but wind chills in
the low 30s? In mid-Octo
ber? Stick that in your
global warming ditty bag.
The only time I am even
the least bit enamored
with winter is a) right after
a snow that turns streets
into a pristine white blan-
ket; and b) the
Thanksgiving/Christmas
parlay.
These days, I can relate
to Old Man Winter, most
ly because I keep getting
reminded that I, too, am
an old man. Now I realize
I’m not the oldest man. In
fact, in terms of geezer-
hood, I’m barely out of
the diaper-stage age.
It seems like being an
“old man” is both a term
of convenience and
endearment. Come on
ladies, have you ever said,
with a sparkle in your eye:
“My Old Man bought us
his and hers Harleys.”
The late Steve
Goodman sang about his
“Old Man.” It’s evident
that, although Goodman
sings of tumultuous times
while growing up, there is
reverence and melan
choly.
“I miss my Old Man
tonight,” are the haunting
first words of the tribute.
It’s painful to hear
Goodman, who died way
too young, list many of
the traits that endeared
him to his dad.
There are times I echo
Goodman’s sentiments.
Russian potato juice and
tawdry women were more
important to an alcoholic
father who died on a
Wyoming interstate in
1983. Oh, what I
wouldn’t give to have five
minutes with him, the
most important question
being: “Why?”
Did me and my broth
ers have little meaning?
Was rotgut vodka better
than coaching Little
League baseball and Pop
Warner football?
Believing people are
mostly good, I’d query:
“Would you do things dif
ferently if you had anoth
er crack at it?”
I wouldn’t want him to
feel shame about the way
the cards were dealt. I’d
love to apologize for mak
ing pretty good sport of
him, poking the bear by
doing jumping jacks and
chanting: “Drunky,
drunky wino.”
I was never the fastest,
but my dad helped me
with my agility and
quickness. Having a
grown man in hot pursuit
fully ready to throttle you
will get you moving.
He was a drunk, a
womanizer and petty
criminal, writing bad
checks and “borrowing”
friends’ credit cards with
out the cardholder know
ing it.
That’s a ton of baggage
to deal with. Hate and
rage have been replaced
by love and inspiration,
knowing I would have
wanted him to do better, if
only he could have.
It would be akin to “A
Boy Named Sue”
moment. I’d tell him I
love him. I would also
elevate him, recognizing
it was his actions that
have been an inspiration
these past 25 years. He
was the antithesis of what
I saw other dads be.
I coached my boys’
teams, built the lamest
Pinewood Derby car of all
time (The Flying Wedge),
acted as a chaperone on
field trips and attended
plays, concerts and best of
all, awards ceremonies.
Being an “Old Man” to
Chris and Greg is the best
gig there could ever be.
Luckily, I’ve been lucid
for the whole run.
Mike Tasos can be reached
at miketasos55@gmail.com.
FROM 1A
Midway
E-SPLOST, approved
by Forsyth County voters
last year. This means the
district will be able to
complete the project with
out any debts.
Mike Sims, Carroll
Daniel Construction
Project Executive, thanked
Forsyth County Schools
for their continued support
and for entrusting the
company not only with the
construction of the
Midway Elementary but
with several other schools
in the past.
“We’re very grateful for
it, and we hope to make
everyone proud with the
new facility here,” Sims
said.
The upcoming school
will look similar to the
one-story Poole’s Mill
Elementary, but district
leaders said the exterior of
the school will match the
aesthetic of Denmark High
and its campus. The facili
ty will also feature a larger
parking lot, which will
include close to 200 park
ing spots.
The school is slated to
open in fall 2024 before
the start of the school year.
f ABOUT US AND OUR VALUES
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Obituaries
Deborah Lynn
Derrick
October 11, 2022
Deborah Lynn Holbrooks
Derrick, age 66, of
Woodbury passed away
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
at her home. She was born
to her parents, James P.
Holbrooks & Annette Pitts
Holbrooks on July 6, 1956
in Chamblee, Georgia.
Survivors include her hus
band of 48 years, David
Derrick of Woodbury;
Children, Julie (Jeremy)
Hedges of Buford, Georgia
and Chris (Dara) Derrick of
Woodbury; Siblings,
Wendall Holbrooks of
Cumming, Georgia, Rachel
Garrard of Martin, Georgia,
Alex Holbrooks of
Gainesville, Georgia, &
Michael Holbrooks of
Gainesville, Georgia. Also
surviving are 9 grandchil
dren. In addition to her par
ents, she was preceded in
death by her brothers,
Johnny & Randall
Holbrooks. Deborah was a
homemaker and loved to
spend time with her family
and her grandchildren. She
will be greatly missed by
her family. A private memo
rial service will be held
October 22, 2022.
Woodbury Funeral Home,
615.563.2311, www.wood-
buryfuneralhome.net
Edward Clare, Jr
October 16, 2022
James “Jim” Edward Clare,
Jr. from Cumming, GA -
dedicated husband, father
of three, and friend of
many - passed away on
October 16, 2022, at the
age of 79. Jim was born in
Rochester, NY and was
preceded in death by his
parents, James Edward
and Mary Rose Clare. Jim
is survived by his loving
wife, Clare Anne Clare;
they celebrated 54 years
on September 14th. Jim
and Clare had three chil
dren; Lisa Marie (James)
Kelley, Patrick Joseph
Clare, and David James
(Jessica) Clare; along with
their three grandchildren;
Amber Rose Kelley,
Connor James Kelley, and
Finley James Clare.
Jim graduated from Central
Missouri State College,
where he received a
Bachelor’s degree in
Business Administration.
He then served in the Army
as a Chaplain’s Assistant in
Fort Hood, TX. After retir
ing from a 28 year career
with IBM, Jim started Ark
Pest Control in Cumming,
GA. Jim has served his
community as a volunteer
fireman in Farmington, NY,
a JR Achievement Program
Manager at Sprayberry
High School, a member of
the Knights of Columbus,
and most recently a greeter
and shuttle driver for
Northside Hospital. He
was a dog lover, coach,
bowler, golfer, and baseball
fan... Go Braves! As a
true Irishman, Jim loved
conversing and telling
jokes; making people laugh
brought him joy. He was a
faithful man and a true
Soldier of God who will be
dearly missed by all.
A Funeral Mass Service
will be held at St. Brendan
The Navigator Catholic
Church on Thursday,
October 20th. Visitation
begins at Noon, leading up
to his service at 1:00 PM,
followed by a reception at
the church.
A Military Burial Service will
be held at the Georgia
National Cemetery on a
later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations made
in Jim’s honor to The Place
of Forsyth County, Inc.
Condolences may be
expressed at www.mcdon-
aldandson.com.
Arrangements made by
McDonald and Son Funeral
Home at 150 Sawnee
Drive, Cumming, GA 30040
/ (770) 886.9899.
Joyce Sue Stanfill
Rose
October 12, 2022
Joyce Sue Rose passed
away peacefully at her
home on October 12, 2022.
She was 91. She was pre
ceded in death by husband
of 67 years, Harry in 2018.
She is survived by three
children, Pam, Tony, and
Steve, nine grandchildren
and nine great-grandchil
dren, and Little Bit, her
Shih Tzu who she loved so
much. Sue was born on
March 10, 1931 in
Huntsville, Arkansas to par
ents Esie and George
Stanfill. She graduated
from Nowata, Oklahoma
High School in 1949. In
1951, she married Harry
Rose, then, a member of
the 82nd Airborne, sta
tioned at Ft. Bragg, NC.
Sue packed her bags for
North Carolina but returned
to Oklahoma in 1952 fol
lowing Harry’s discharge
from the Army. In 1962, the
family moved to Chamblee,
Georgia where they lived
for 40 years before relocat
ing to Cumming. Sue was
an avid golfer and member
of the Summit Chase Golf
Club for many years. Her
son, Tony said, “She could
only hit the ball a hundred
yards or so but always in a
straight line. Whenever you
reached the green and
turned around, she was
right there with you.” Sue
also bowled for many years
and was a regular at the
Stars and Strikes Bowling
Center in Cumming. Sue
remained active in her resi-
dential community of
Kingswood and the Vine
Community Church. She
loved to cross stitch, meet
with her spirit group, and
play Bunko with her neigh
bors. A Celebration of Life
was held at her Kingswood
Community Clubhouse on
Sunday, October 16.
Sue will be laid to rest
alongside her husband,
Harry, at the National
Cemetery in Canton, GA.
Death Notices
Chad N. Bennett
October 11, 2022
A reflection of memories
will be held Wednesday,
October 26, 2022 at 7 p.m.
at Bearden Funeral Home,
Dawsonville, GA.
Dewayne Coleman
October 17, 2022
Funeral Service, Friday,
October 21, 2022, 1 p.m.,
Bearden Funeral Home
Chapel. Bearden Funeral
Home, Dawsonville, GA.
Be local. Be informed.
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