TIFTON —
“Flo was a fine Christian woman and an active member of St. Anne’s. She always preferred to work quietly in the background, seeking the good of others and never taking credit or glory for herself. Her St. Anne’s family loved and admired her a great deal, and we will surely miss her.”
- The Rev. Lonnie Lacy of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church
“If there was ever a sweetheart who walked this earth, it was Flo Rankin. She was always fair and kind. I will have a hole in my heart for a very long time. She was always welcoming. I really think a lot of her and this community is going to miss her positive influence. I don’t understand how she was able to accomplish all that she was able to accomplish. She was completely versatile. We go back at least 20 years.”
- Joe Courson
“I have known Flo since she was such a good friend of my little sisters. I’ve known her for a lifetime. She was the best at what she did. She was a very hard working and dedicated employee who really cared about her community. She will be sorely missed not just by those who knew and loved her but by our entire community.”
- Tifton Mayor Jamie Cater
“She was a true asset to Tift County and a lifelong friend to the Tift County Public School System. Her presence in this community will be greatly missed. She was a true friend to public education.”
- Superintendent Patrick Atwater
“Flo was a true professional. I spoke with her at least once or twice a week on stories pertaining to ABAC. We always have a lot going on at the college, and she recognized that ABAC was an integral part of the community. I will miss her.”
- Mike Chason, public relations director emeritus at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
“I knew Flo Rankin as a cherished friend and as a committed member of our mutual St. Anne’s family. But I knew her best as a fine journalist who was professional, concerned and insightful. Flo loved the history and heritage of Tifton and Tift County, and some of her best features were written about the historically significant places and people of this community. Flo was always willing to tell the stories of events and organizations doing good work. At the same time, she was unafraid to reveal controversial issues that needed the fresh air of honest reporting. A unique and special human being has gone out of our lives, but we will always remember her as one, who in her own quiet way, was a force for good.”
- Syd Blackmarr, director, retired, ABAC Arts Experiment Station
“The memory of a good person is a blessing. Proverb 10:7. Kind, quiet, behind the scene, helpful, but always ready to give a helping hand — this was true of my friend, Flo. Oh, how many behind the scenes edits she did for me over the years. I met her when she became Lifestyle’s editor in 1993 and I became president for my IAAP Professional Association. She did many interviews and stories for me over the years and I would have so much trouble writing an article for her. She would always say, ‘Fran, just start it, write the basic information and I will fix it for you.’ Her kindness and coaching through the years helped shaped my abilities to completely write an article, well almost. Thanks, Flo for your teaching, patience, kindness and friendship over the years. I will miss saying, ‘Flo, here is my article; fix it and add your special expertise.’”
- Fran Kinchen, director of the Leroy Rogers Senior Center
“As tribute to Flo Rankin, we acknowledge her professional skill and talent as a reporter and editor of The Tifton Gazette. She was well known and liked in the community. She always came when notified for pictures and details. Her many years of service to the community included an interest in the Council of Garden of Tifton, Inc. We appreciate her dedication to events and activities. She will be missed for her progressive thought in Tift County.”
- Virginia Pennington Smith, president of the Council of Garden Clubs of Tifton
“Flo Rankin was my friend. Even though I didn’t see her every day, I knew that when I needed her, she was always willing to help me out. She had a “mild-mannered” style that had a calming effect, if you had a problem that seemed unsolvable. I feel that I am a better person for having known her. I will miss my friend.”
- Brenda Saunders, Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals
“The Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence had no better friend than Flo Rankin. It occurs to me that during her years with The Gazette, she has been an honest and positive influence in promoting the best of Tifton.”
- Mike Brumby, executive director of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence
“Flo was such a truly kind human being. I could always depend on her. She was always interested in unusual stories, or stories in the past and what it meant to us as a community and how it related to our present. She was a wonderful writer. She meant a lot to this community. Everybody loved her. She will be missed by all of us.”
- Dr. Steve Rigdon at Affinity
“Flo was always steady as a rock. It didn’t matter how much pressure she was under, she always had time for what was on your mind. I remember her as one of the most tenacious reporters that we had ever had in a while. She was always fair about it. She always had an obligation to the community to tell the story and always did it with a fair and balanced method. I truly respected her. She was one of the greatest women I’ve ever known. She will be missed.”
- Angie Thompson, past reporter for The Gazette and worked closely with Flo for 12 years
“Flo and I have been friends ever since the 1980’s. She always had a sweet spirit. She was a kind and good-hearted person. She was definitely a great editor. When I was the president of the NAACP, she interviewed me on several occasions; we enjoyed our interviews. It was such a shock losing such a great person at a young age.”
- Pat Melton, owner and manager of Melton Funeral Home of Tifton
“One of the things I appreciated most about Flo was her sense of humor and her laugh. She was a great reporter and editor, with the edge to keep people on their toes but the fairness to keep everything in balance. The world is a less interesting place without her.”
- Dusty Vassey, past city editor for The Gazette in 2007
“Flo was a super nice person and was hard working. She gave a 110 percent and didn’t let having kids keep her from her work. Whatever she did, she was good at it. She worked for me in composing (1976) when she had her first baby. She was a wonderful person. We had some good times together. She was a mighty sweet person.”
- David T. Johnson, supervisor of composing at The Gazette from 1976-1991
“This has really shocked me. When I first found out that she had passed, my mind went back to when I first started campaigning. I talked to her on a Saturday — she was working on a Saturday. That was my first time talking to the press and she made me feel so at ease. I’m really going to miss, Mrs. Flo, and I know Tift County is going to miss her as well. My prayers go out to her family.”
- County Commissioner Melissa Chevers
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