Thomas C. Strickland & Sons Funeral Home, Effingham Chapel
912-754-6421 Fax 912-754-3426
PICTURE
Homer Douglas Wells
Dr. Homer Wells died peacefully at Candler General Hospital in Savannah after a month long illness. Up until that time, he was active and relatively healthy for an 89 year old man. He loved his fun and spent many hours figuring out how to have fun and enjoy life.
He was born in Kentucky on November 11, 1923. After graduating from high school he married his sweetheart, Shirley Arrington Wells in 1942. She preceded him in death in 2001.
His life was filled with many professional and personal accomplishments. His proudest was in providing love and care for his grandson, Randall Scott Bragg. Scott was born with significant disabilities and Homer and his wife Shirley put their life plans and his profession on hold to assure that Scott had a happy life. Scott preceded him in death in 2010.
He had another grandson, Matthew Douglas Bragg who brought living into his life and was tons of fun to all. He died in 2001.
All of these people are singing praises and welcoming him as he flew into heaven on the bright beautiful morning of July 9, 2013.
He describes himself as a retired USDA, ARS, Research Plant Pathologist, Whittler and Cane maker, Foxhunter, Hound Breeder, Outdoor Writer and Philosopher, Consultant, and Counselor.
He and Shirley married in 1942 and they had a colorful full life. They had one child, Lynnette Wells Bragg. He mentored and helped to raise many other children who have now grown into adults with children and grandchildren of their own. Mike Hasty, Tommy Hasty, Gerald Hunter, Susan Hunter, Jamie Hunter, Billy Caldwell, Bobby Young, Claude Davis, Steve Godbehere, and too many others to name were precious to him and held parties for him every year. He treasured each of them.
He was a radio technician in the Navy on the great USS Iowa stationed in the Pacific. He was very proud of his naval career. His father tearfully told the story of going weeks without any news from the Pacific and Edward R. Murrell came on the radio with an announcement for a "big shout out to Homer Wells from Blaine, Kentucky for restoring communications in the Pacific for working 72 hours non stop in a typhoon."
He received a Master's of Science in 1949 from the University of Kentucky. He remained loyal to his Kentucky Wildcats! He received his Doctorate of Philosophy in 1954 from North Carolina State University. He was employed with the United States Department of Agriculture in Tifton from 1953 until his retirement in 1998.
During the course of his career, he wrote and co-authored more than 178 scientific articles and abstracts with approximately 50 scientists from around the world. He was in the first People to People Mission to China, lecturing at 9 universities and hosting many students to train with him. He also worked with scientists in China, Australia, Europe, Peru, India, and Chili.
He was awarded Fellowship into the American Phytopathological Society, and gained multiple awards from the American Forage and Grassland Council, the Golf Associations and many more. He was also very proud of his Parent of the Year award for the supports he provided his grandson Scott's class at school. He worked diligently for the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and United Way in Tifton. He was awarded the Outstanding Plant Pathologist of the South.
He and Shirley raised, trained, hunted with, loved-but rarely sold fine pedigree Walker Fox Hounds. He had numerous fox hunting buddies in eastern Georgia and Kentucky. He wrote monthly articles for the Chase Magazine for many years and other outdoor magazines. He was colorful with many stories about his foxhunting, deer hunting, wild hog hunting and wild dog hunting.
He is world renowned for his walking sticks. He carved canes from dogwood trees he would dig on his property in Kentucky, let them dry and let them tell him what they wanted to be. His canes are in the hands of the rich and famous and just every day ole folks. President Nixon and President Carter have his canes. Kenny Rogers has a Gambler cane. He hand whittled them with his pocket knife. He made canes for all of his special occasions, including the one he carried to China. He boasted of banging on Ming's Tomb and walking on the Great Wall of China with it and carrying it into the Forbidden City. He had frivolous canes of the rear end of horses and his very famous "Dolly Parton" cane that his brother carried until his death and he proudly carried on the tradition and fun.
Listening to fox races, carving walking sticks out of dogwood, deer hunting, fishing, and keeping up of two grandsons kept him happy with life. He led a very active and productive life. His life was truly a success. One of his "boys", Mike said "Homer taught me how to not complain for the hand dealt us and be an optimist and positive no matter what we faced. Honesty, sincerity and character do matter."
He is survived by his daughter, Lynnette Wells Bragg, and son in law, Randall E. Bragg of Springfield, Georgia and the many "boys" and "girls" he raised; brothers, Russell Wells (Nora), Ben Wells (Freida); sister, Rebecca Lee Wilson all of Kentucky.
Visitation will be 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday in the chapel.
Interment will follow in Effingham Memorial Gardens.
Thomas C. Strickland & Sons Funeral Home, Effingham Chapel. 754-6421