Willie E. Ladner, Jr.

Willie E. Ladner, Jr. August 29, 1935 - May 4, 2014 W.E. (Bill) Ladner, Jr., 78, celebrated his entrance into heaven on May 4, 2014 in the presence of loved ones after a 10 year battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was born in Prichard, AL and graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile with the class of 1951. His life was transformed as a child when he received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He attended Howard College in Birmingham, AL and graduated from Baylor University in Waco, TX with a degree in Business Administration. He served his country in the United States Air Force following the Korean War. Mr. Ladner moved to Temple Terrace, FL in 1968 where he successfully owned and operated his own Independent Insurance Agency, Ladner and Company, for 30 years. He was a member and former president of the Florida Association of Independent Insurance Agents. He served the community of Temple Terrace as a member and former president of the Temple Terrace Rotary Club. He was a respected member of First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace, FL for 38 years where he served as a faithful Sunday School teacher and Deacon, including Deacon Chair. Following his retirement, he moved to St. Augustine in 2008 where he became a member of Anastasia Baptist Church. Bill is survived by his devoted wife, Janice Hurt Ladner of St. Augustine, FL, his mother, Bonnie Harris Ladner of Mobile, AL and his brother Benjamin M. Ladner (Nancy) of Greenville, SC. He is also survived by his daughters Cindy Ladner French (Rick) of St. Augustine, Julie Ladner McNair (Randy) of Lakeland, Jennie Ladner Jones (Dan) of St. Johns, Leigh Ann Hurt McBride (Greg) of Birmingham, AL, and Laura Hurt Sevier (Doug) of Denton, TX. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren Derrick, Josiah, Sarah, and Stephen French, Nate and Noah McNair, Nick, Zack and Luke Jones, Erath and Sean Old, and Anna and Bailey Sevier. He was preceded in death by his father, Willie Elton Ladner, Sr. of Mobile, Alabama, and his sister, June Ladner Brown, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. A memorial service in his honor will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2014 First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace. Committal services will be at the Mobile Memorial Gardens in Mobile, AL at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's memory can be made to: Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL. 32080, First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace, 10002 N. 56th Street, Temple Terrace, FL. 33617 or to Dauphin Way Baptist Church, 3661 Dauphin Street, Mobile, AL 36608. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.