Deke A. Padgett, age 24, died Thursday, January 27, 2011. Deke was a lifetime resident of Okeechobee and a member of the First Baptist Church of Okeechobee and an active member of their Youth Group throughout high school.
He was a member of the Class of 2005 at OHS and a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the baseball team.
Dekes hobbies were hunting and fishing and he was a member of the Quality Deer Management Federation.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Margie Gray Stokes; grandparents, Robert and Minnie Lea Padgett; and an aunt, Donna Gray Yates. Survivors include his father, Kenny (Wendy) Padgett; brother, Ryan Padgett; sisters, Lindsay Padgett, Tara (Brad) Newman of Orange, Tex.; Uncles, Larry (Judi) Padgett of Dothan, Ala., John (Gretchen) Greer, Vince (Tiffany) Greer, both of St. Cloud, Fla., Paul Gray, Jr., of Okeechobee, Larry and Steve McBride both of Newport News, Vir., Lamar McBride of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; aunts, Becky (Leland) Hale of Lake Wales, Fla., Gigi (Dave) Ridley of Sebring, Gena Gray of Okeechobee, Gail Stark of Cloutierville, La.; grandparents, Paul and Etta Gray of Okeechobee, and Tom and Peggy Greer of Rickman, Tenn.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011, from 4-7 pm at Buxton-Seawinds Chapel at Abundant Blessings Church. Services will be there on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 1 pm. Burial will follow at Kenansville Cemetery in Kenansville.
In lieu of flowers, friends may donate to the Deke Padgett Memorial Scholarship Fund, 14344 N.E. 56th Avenue, Okeechobee, FL 34972.
All arrangements are under the care and direction of Matthew and Paul Buxton of Buxton-Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, 4550 Hwy. 441 N., Okeechobee, Fla.