Special to Clay Today
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Green Cove Springs Rotary Club met Monday, June 29, at the Magnolia Golf and Country Club to install new officers and name its Citizen of the Year.
The incoming president, Harry Parrott, will relieve outgoing President Joe Hapi on July 1.
The club named the late Garland Deel as its Citizen of the Year. Deel and his family have been in the propane gas business for many years. The club wanted to posthumously honor Deel for all the humanitarian and benevolent endeavors with which he had been involved for years in the Green Cove Springs area. His wife, Edna, and their three sons and a grandchild attended in his honor.
Assistant District Governor Theresa Smith of the Orange Park Sunrise Rotary conducted the induction ceremony which included the installation of the new club president, officers and Board of Directors.
Rotarian Jimmie Weeks, who nominated Deel for the award, said he had known Deel for 35 years.
“For you that don’t know him he was a tall well built man. One that I wouldn’t want to make mad,” Weeks said in remarks during the ceremony. “His sons are a model of him. Garland always had a little smile when I would see him. Always a kind word.”
Weeks said Deel helped many people while working in the propane business for nearly 50 years.
“He helped many people that were down and out. Many that I have heard about. He also gave propane gas to all the local school charity cookout events and to the Green Cove food pantry cookout fundraisers as well as the ones the Rotary put on, being the six wild game feasts,” Weeks said.
July 8th 2009 - 3:28PM