Wanda Powell

CARLTON – Wanda Delores Powell, 76, went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, December 22, 2010.
Dee as she was known to her family and friends was born December 14, 1934, in Lakeland, Fla., the daughter of the late Arthur and Nell Canady. She was preceded in death by a sister, Violet Canady, who welcomed her into heaven. She was raised on a small farm with her three siblings.

She graduated from Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Fla. in 1952, and worked at Florida Southern College as a secretary to the Dean before meeting and marrying Thomas Powell in 1955. They moved to Cape Canaveral, Fla., in 1955, where she was employed as a secretary with North American Aviation in the early days of the space program. Her work outside of the home ceased in early 1956 when she started a family and being home to care for them became her primary role in life. They moved to Titusville, Fla. in 1957, where Tom was employed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. They raised five children and was always there for a lost/stray child that somehow came to her house to play. Dee developed excellent cooking skills, her specialty was baked ham, baked beans, deviled eggs and potato salad, and seamstress skills that allowed her to make clothing for her girls as well as special dresses and gowns for pageants. She stayed involved with most all of their activities that concerned the children: home room mother, Brownies and Cub Scout Leader, Girl Scout Leader, Pop Warner Football Cheerleading and Little League Baseball and was a member of Beta Sigma Phi.

She was involved in many political activities during her years in Titusville including campaigning for Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, whom she relished meeting at one of his stops. Her work for the Republican Party was a major contribution to establish a two-party system in Brevard County in the early 1960s.

Survivors include her husband, Thomas; sons, Randall (Deb) Powell, Phoenix, Ariz., Stephen (Debbie) Powell, Carlton; daughters, Darlene (Walt) Farrell, Orlando, Fla., Sandra (Rick) Kois, Titusville, Fla., Kimberley (Zane) Taylor, Mims, Fla.; grandchildren, Kate Powell and Hannah Powell, Phoenix, Ariz., Brandon Powell and Shannon Powell, Carlton, Tamara Elbertson, Titusville, Fla., Justin Taylor, Ryan Taylor and Jarrett Taylor, all of Mims, Fla.; great-granddaughter, Isabella Marie Powell, Carlton; brothers, Charles (Deloris) Canady, Lakeland, Fla., Ronald (Judi) Canady, Winter Haven, Fla.; a niece and nephew; aunts and many cousins.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 15, at 2 p.m., from Lord & Stephens Funeral Home. Entombment will be at Athens Memory Gardens. The family will receive friends Friday, January 14, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the funeral home.

Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, East Chapel, Athens, is in charge of arrangements.