OBITS1 THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022 A10 By Matt Bruce For the AJC A longtimeRoswell police officer died during a medi- cal emergencywhileonduty early Thursday morning. Lt Joe a 23-year veteran of the depart- ment, suf- fered the emergency during i sh i according to police spokes- man Tim Lupo. are heartbroken to share that a member of our Roswell police fam- ily, Lt. Joel Ruff, unex- pectedly passed Lupo wrote in a message that was shared on social media. Ruff, 43, began his law enforcement careerwith the Police Explorers youth pro- gram in 1995 andwas sworn in as a Roswell cop in 1998.
Hewas awatch commander for the night shift patrol when he died Thursday. he ever pinned on his first badge, Lt. Ruff knew in his heart that ser- vice to our Roswell com- munity was his Lupo said in the statement. served our commu- nity in various roles with utmost dedication for 23 Police did not say what type of medical episode Ruff suffered or what he was doing when it hap- pened. Messages mourn- ing his death flowed in on the Facebook page, where the news was announced.
joy and pride he found in leading his men andwomenwas infectious, and there was nothing he would not do or give of him- self to see them Ruff farewell statement said. presence is irre- placeable, and his memory unforgettable. rest easy.We have the watch from Longtime police officer dies duringmedical emergency ROSWELL Roswell lieutenant who joined force in 1998was on duty. METRO Lt. Joel Ruff Gregory B.
Levett Sons Funeral Home; MILES-BYRD, Deloris Gregory B. Levett Sons Funeral Home; RHODES, Deandre Higgins Hillcrest Chapel Funeral Home; PRESLEY, Ralph Memorial Chapel; SMITH, Ruby H.M. Patterson Son, Oglethorpe Hill; BROWN, James Holman Funeral Home and Cremations; SCHAFFER, Joel Horis A Wards Funeral Home Fairview Chapel; PARKER, John Strickland Funeral Home; DUMESNIL, Gary Tim Stewart Funeral Home, Lawrenceville; JOHNSON, Patricia Tim Stewart Funeral Home, Lawrenceville; PATTON, Burgess Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale; BILLINS, Cody Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale; EASLEY, Alton Willie A.
Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale; GILLIAM, Charice Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale; LABRANCH, Alvin BILLINS, Cody V. Age 22, of Jonesboro, GA, passed Monday, January 31, 2022. Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale.
BROWN, James James Frederick Brown, 83, of Atlanta, GA, passed away on January 17, 2022. Fred was born in Atlanta, GA to Charles and Sarah Brown on November 22, 1938. He attend- ed Northside High School where he was named Greater and was selected to play in the Georgia All-Star Football Game. Brown lettered from 1957-1960 and was selected All-SEC freshman in 1957 and A- ll-SEC sophom*ore in 1958. He led the SEC in yards rushing per carry (6.6).
He made All-SEC in 1960 and led the SEC in pass re- ceiving with 31 receptions. Brown was voted Runner in the by SEC coaches. He gained 2,133 all-purpose yards in his career and had 13 touchdowns and a 5.14 career rushing average. He caught more touchdown passes during his career than any Georgia back except Lamar Davis (seven.) Brown played with the Buffalo Bills from 1961- 1963, returning a kickoff 100 yards his first play as a professio- nal. Fred, an agent with State Farm Insurance in Dunwoody, likely would have played longer professionally except for inju- ries.
His statistical box score at Georgia and in Buffalo is quite impressive. Fred was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Julia Rauton. He is survived by his wife, Emily Linda Marcrum Brown; sons, Patrick Brown and Jason Brown; brother, Dr. Har- ry Wayne Brown; and one grandson, Johnny Mack Brown. A visitation for Fred will be held Saturday, February 5, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at H.M.
Patterson So- n-Oglethorpe Hill, 4550 Peachtree Road Ne, Atlanta, GA 30319. A funeral service will follow in the chapel at 2:00 PM. A committal service will occur at Camp Memorial Park in Fayet- teville, GA. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hmpattersonOglethorpe.com for the Brown family. DUMESNIL, Gary Richard Mr.
Gary Richard Dumesnil of Atlanta and formerly Hartwell, Georgia, passed away Monday, January 31, 2022, at his home. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 5, 2022, in the Chapel of the Strickland Funeral Home of Hartwell. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Macedonia United Methodist Church, 1925 Airline-Goldmine Road, Canon, GA 30520. The Strickland Funeral Home of Hartwell is in charge of all arrangements. Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.stricklandfh.com.
EASLEY, Alton Age 84, of Atlanta, GA, passed Sunday, January 30, 2022. Wil- lie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale. GILLIAM, Charice Age 51, of Queens, NY, passed Thursday, January 13, 2022. Willie A.
Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale. JOHNSON (BUTCHER), Patricia "Pat" Patricia "Pat" C. Butcher John- son, age 81 of Snellville, took Jesus by the hand as he led her to her heavenly home for eter- nal rest on Wednesday, Febru- ary 2, 2022. She was a loving and devoted wife and mother who will be deeply missed by all who were blessed to have known her. As for her daugh- ters, she was truly an angel on earth.
It comes with heavy yet joyful hearts to see her leave behind her earthly wings and pick up her well-deserved heav- enly wings. Pat retired in 2001 after 30 years of service with Southern Prior to beginning her phone company career, she was a preschool teacher at Gladeview Baptist Church and Gateway Baptist Church both in Miami, Florida. She lived an exemplary Christian life and made a tre- mendous impact on many. She will always be remembered as a kind, soft spoken, beautiful lady with a heart of gold who always had a smile on her face. She constantly received com- pliments on her regularly styled gray hair, dark brown eyes, and gorgeous complexion.
Pat was an extremely talented lady who enjoyed many hobbies over her lifetime. Years ago, she loved making her own porcelain dolls. More recently she en- joyed working in the yard, shopping with her daughters, and playing and sitting with our five beautiful dachshunds. She was preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Donnie Lee Johnson, in 2006; parents, Delbert Louise (Flint) Butcher, brother, Delbert Butcher, sister brother-in-law, Mar- garet Glenn Johnson. Pat is survived by her daughters, Sheri Lee Johnson, and Jennifer Ann Johnson, both of Snellville; brother sister-in-law, William Joseph Carol Butcher of Zephyrhills, FL; sisters brothers-in-law, Amanda Sue Bill Spicer, Linda Kirby Ford, all of Lawrenceville; sister-in-law, Joy Butcher of Miami, FL; brother-in-law, Fred Johnson of Ta- vares, FL; sister-in-law, Charlotte Johnson of North Ft.
Myers, FL; as well as many nieces and nephews. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, February 6, 2022, in the Lawrenceville Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home. The fami- ly will receive friends before the service from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM. The burial will follow at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Grayson. Arrangements by Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 300 Simonton Road SW, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046.
770-962-3100. Please sign the online guest registry at ww.stewartfh.com LABRANCH, Alvin Age 53, of Austell, GA, passed Saturday, January 15, 2022. Wil- lie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Riverdale. MILES-BYRD, Deloris Age 90, of Decatur, GA, passed on January 27, 2022.
Gregory B. Levett Sons Funeral Home, Decatur. PARKER, John Renard Age 82, passed on January 29, 2022. Horis A Wards Funeral Home Fairview Chapel, Stockbridge. PATTON, Burgess "Pat" Burgess "Pat" Patton, 97, of Snellville, Georgia passed away February 1, 2022.
The family will receive friends from 4-7 PM on Friday, February 4 at the Tim Stewart Funeral Home in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Funeral services will be held at Mount Zion Church, Snellville, Georgia on Saturday, February 5 at 2:30 pm. The burial will be held at Union Hill Cemetery in Hayesville, North Carolina. Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 300 Simonton Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. 770-962-3100.
Please sign the online guest registry at www.stewartfh.com. PRESLEY, Ralph Mr. Ralph Lee Presley, 91, of Newnan, passed on Wednes- day, February 2, 2022, at Pied- mont Newnan Hospital. Born July 4, 1930, in Rome, Georgia, he was the only child of the late Ralph Presley and the late Bernice Johnson Presley. Mr.
Presley was a veter- an of the United States Navy, serving as a pilot during the Ko- rean War, and later retired from the Naval Reserves. He was a member of Unity Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon, and charter member of Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church in East Point. Ralph was a former Eagle Scout and retired from Delta Airlines in 1990 af- ter 35 years of service as a commercial pilot. He was a member of the Airline Pilots Association, the Retired Officers Associa- tion, and the Republican Party of Georgia and Coweta Coun- ty. Mr.
Presley served his community in many ways over the years, including as Director of The College Park Historical Soci- ety, and Trustee of Shorter University. He was the former Mayor of College Park and served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. Mr. Presley served as Director of S. W.
YMCA, on the Advisory Board of the Tri-City Hospital Au- thority, Director of the Odyssey Family Counseling Center, Di- rector of Hartsfield International Airport Chaplaincy, Director of Christian City, and Director of Tri-City and South Fulton Drug Abuse Committee. He was a member of the Woodwor- Guild of Georgia, the Inner City Civitan Club, Lake Side Country Club, the Georgia Municipal Association, the National League of Cities, and was named Mr. South Fulton in 1972. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Alice Parish Presley, daughters, Julie Gillespie of Newnan, and Carol Presley of Charlotte; son, Lee Presley (Wendy), also of Charlotte; 9 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren, with one on the way. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, Febru- ary 5, 2022, at Unity Baptist Church with Pastor Doug McCart officiating.
Mr. Presley will lie in state at the church, one hour prior to the service. Private interment will be in College Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday, February 4, 2022, from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Hillcrest Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Unity Baptist Church, 311 Smokey Road, Newnan, GA 30263, Southwest Christian Hospice, 7225 Lester Road, Union City, Georgia 30291, or https://4agc.com/donation_pages/24e14ca3- 9140-4b84-87af-15ce56554e57 or to Shorter University, 315 Shorter Avenue NW, Rome, Georgia 30165 or https://www.sho rter.edu/giving/ in memory of Mr.
Presley. The family would like to gratefully acknowledge the caring dedication exhibited by his caregivers, Ione Lowe, Cherhonda Hendricks, Lori Caldwell, and Carrie Brooks. Higgins Funeral Home Hillcrest Chapel is honored to serve the family of Ralph Presley, please visit www.hillcrestchapelcares.c om to share your memories or leave a condolence message. RHODES, Deandre Age 43, of Lithonia, GA, passed on February 2, 2022. Gregory B.
Levett Sons Funeral Home, Decatur. SCHAFFER, Joel Elliott Joel Elliott Schaffer, age 74, of Atlanta, Georgia passed away on February 1, 2022. Funeral services will be held Sunday, February 6, 2022, at 1:30 PM in Memory Hill Cemetery, 2390 Hartford Highway, Dothan, Alabama 36305, with Cantor Neil Schwartz officiating. Inter- ment will follow, Holman Funeral Home of Ozark directing. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests consideration of contribu- tions to Temple Emanu-El, 188 N.
Park Avenue, Dothan, AL 36303, or their charity of choice. Condolences may be ex- pressed at www.HolmanFuneralHome.com Joel was born on January 7, 1948 in Ozark, Alabama, the eld- est son of Sylvia and Nathan Schaffer, the only Jewish family in Ozark. Joel grew up listening to Clear Channel radio sta- tions in St. Louis, Atlanta and other places far away playing Big Band music late into the night, filling his bedroom with the soundtrack for his life and sparking a wanderlust in Joel that would soon pull him away from Ozark. In high school, Joel was selected to be a Page for Congress- man George Andrews of the Alabama delegation of the Unit- ed States House of Representatives in Washington DC.
This ex- perience launched a lifelong interest in politics and political discussion. He shared his lifelong love of Crimson Tide football and made many friends within the Tide football fami- ly such as the great All-American Fred Sington, and his wife, with whom Joel would often meet at Steakhouse in Birmingham on game day and then be driven by them to the gates at Legion Field to see the game. A picture of Paul Bryant was personally autographed to Joel and proud- ly hung on the wall of his dining room. Joel graduated from Carroll High School in Ozark, and attend- ed Georgia State University. After a short stint as a night clerk for Pro Wrestler Paul White House Hotel in downtown Atlanta, and later for Fulton County voter registration, Joel found his home with the Fulton County court system.
Joel began as a clerk in the back room of the criminal division and was quickly moved to the front desk because of his pa- tience and ability to handle the public. Soon after, Joel was promoted again, this time to courtroom deputy clerk and cal- endar clerk and ultimately a Senior Judicial Case Manager for a who of Fulton County judges, starting with the Hono- rable Woodrow Tucker; when Judge Tucker retired, Joel served under former State Senator and future Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Honorable Ed Johnson; when Judge Johnson moved to the Court of Appeals, Joel served under the Honorable Mel Westmoreland in the State Court of Fulton County; and when Judge Westmoreland moved to the Superior Court, Joel served under the former at- torney for the City of Atlanta and State Court Judge, the Hon- orable Susan Forsling. Joel was also instrumental in the forma- tion of the Fulton County DUI Court. Joel was a valued em- ployee and only worked for the best and brightest. Following his retirement, Joel relaxed and began an extended and en- thusiastic exploration of his many and varied interests.
Joel enjoyed his annual trips to Spring Training in Florida and Arizona and visiting ballparks throughout the United States. Possibly his fondest memories were his trips to England with his godson, Scott Miller, where he lived his dream of visiting Chartwell, the home of idol, Winston Churchill, and travelling from England to France via the Chunnel to storm the Beaches at Normandy. Joel enjoyed his Dunhill cigars; Braves baseball games with Scott Miller and Billy Rudolph; pastrami; his cheesecake; the canine trio of Augie Doggie, Bernard, and Jolene; meeting broadcasters Vin Scully (another idol) and a drunk Mel Allen; fantasy baseball; long talks with Lane Miller; history books; sitting on the set of the Tonight Show playing the role of Ed McMahon; Baltimore crabcakes; talking with Ted Turner in the courthouse bath- room; hats; talking with Ringo Starr in the courthouse bath- room; Aunt Lillian: hot dogs; Turners in Ozark; the Ice House; oysters; and Dreamland. These were just a few of his favorite things. Joel is survived by his brother Steven Schaffer and sister Beth Schaffer of Montgomery Alabama.
He is also survived by Da- vid, Nancy, Lane (and Danielle) and Scott (and Erin) Miller, the family that he adopted and that adopted him and loved him for just being Joel. We will all miss his kind, gentle, generous and selfless spirit so very much. SMITH, Ruby "Nell" Age 86, of Douglasville, GA, passed on February 2, 2022. Serv- ices on February 4, 2022, 2:00 PM at Memorial Chapel, Douglasville. Honor your loved one Place an obituary in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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