Shelley Shelton Boone

Shelley Shelton Boone Shelley Shelton Boone, 84, a Florida native, noted educator and longtime resident of Tallahassee, died Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Fancheon Boone. The service will be at 10 a.m. EDT Monday, Oct. 9, 2006, at Trinity United Methodist Church, with burial at Roselawn Cemetery. Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road Chapel (850-877-8191) is handling arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, Southern Scholarship Foundation, 322 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32304, or a favorite charity. A Wauchula native, he graduated from Hardee County High School and Florida Southern College and did post-graduate work at the University of Florida, the University of Miami and Columbia University. Beginning with World War II and then continuing into the 1960s, he served in the United States Navy, with service as a UDT member, line officer and commander of a naval intelligence unit. He achieved the final rank of lieutenant commander, USNR. Upon return from World War II duty, he met and married Fancheon while both were at Florida Southern College. In 1947, his professional career began at Auburndale High School as a teacher, soon moving to be principal at Haines City High School and then principal at Lakeland High School. He served a term as area superintendent and two terms as superintendent of the Polk County School System. In 1968, he and his family moved to Tallahassee, where he started work in the Department of Education as executive director, Florida Community College System. Next, he served as director of elementary and secondary schools in the Department, followed by several years as deputy commissioner of education and acting commissioner of education. As witness to his achievements as an educator, a middle school in Polk County bears his name. His many activities and achievements include being a lifelong Rotarian, past chapter president and Rotarian of the Year; service as president, National Association of Secondary School Principals and chairman, State Post-Secondary Articulation Committee; service on the President's Council; receiving the Outstanding Alumni Service award of Florida Southern College; and being listted in Who's Who in American Education. He was also a founding member, lay-leader and steward of the St. John's United Methodist Church in Winter Haven and a was teacher of the Wesley Fellowship Class at Trinity United Methodist in Tallahassee. He was a Pi Kappa Delta education fraternity member, a Kappa Sigma and a Florida master gardener. His aptitude for growing and sharing roses earned him the title "rose man" in the Department of Education. He served a term as executive for the Southern Scholarship Foundation. In the 1990s, Hardee County Schools named him to their all-time Hall of Fame. He was the son of F.B. and Ethel Clardy Boone. Other survivors include four sisters, Geneva Thornhill of Augusta, Olean Schultz (husband Danny) of Arcadia, Yvonne Dean (husband George) of Fort Myers and Lee Drake (husband Gene) of Winter Haven; two brothers, Elmo Boone of Zolfo Springs and Merle Boone (wife Jane) of Port Charlotte; three sons, Shelley II (wife Anne), James (wife Dayna) and David (wife Dee Ann); seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many loved nieces and nephews.