Community mourns loss of beloved postman
Hi Y’all, I hope you had a wonderful New Year’s celebration. May 2025 be a happy and prosperous year for everyone.
I would like to start by celebrating a man who was very dear to many people who lived in Lanark Village for years, or who have visited their families here, and have been connected to the Village for a long time. There are those of you in Lanark Village who will not know who I am talking about, but many of us do. Tommy Jack Massey, who passed away on Jan. 2 at age 89, was Lanark Village’s postman in our little part-time post office.
After many of his lifetime accomplishments, which you can read in obituaries of other writings about him, he settled into our post office. The residents loved him with his friendly, happy ways, his knowledge of the area, and the people in it. He was kind to all, and you could tell that he loved his job and the people who came in every working day to get their mail or just to say “good morning” to him. Those residents who had dogs can tell you how much he was loved; the dogs would almost drag their owners in to see Tommy Jack and they would be rewarded with a treat.
Lanark was lucky to have Tommy Jack for 20 years and he would often come to Coffee Time after he retired to say good morning. He has left big shoes to fill. Condolences from Lanark Village go out to his family and friends. We were all so blessed to have him in our lives. Rest in God’s arms Tommy Jack and thank you.
Lanark Village is beginning to prepare for a prosperous and active year. The snowbirds are beginning to land and start making their nests. Welcome to you all!
The weekly and monthly activities are unchanged. The schedule is posted on the enclosed bulletin board outside of Chillas Hall.
The Lanark Village Association’s first meeting of 2025 is on Monday, Jan. 6 at Chillas Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. Our county commissioner, Cheryl Sanders, will be attending the meeting. Members are invited to arrive between 5 and 6:30 p.m. to meet the new board. Since 2024 memberships have expired, please come prepared to renew or join for 2025. The LVA Boat/RV Storage has lots to rent. It is time to renew your boat storage fees for 2025.
The Lanark Village Golf Club’s first meeting of 2025 is on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 5 p.m.,to be held at the American Legion. All members are encouraged to attend. Renewals of membership for 2025 are due; just a reminder for those who have not joined. The golf course is maintained by the golf club and is the beautiful entrance to Lanark Village.
The Lanark Village Boat Club’s first meeting of 2025 is on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the boat club building. Renewal of memberships is now due. Members are requested to renew their memberships via the website, lanarkboatclub.com.
If you are new in the Lanark area, consider joining all of the organizations.
Love Lanark
Pat Sewell Funderburk is the Times’ Lanark News columnist. Be sure to send news and society items about Lanark Village life to her at p.funderburk@yahoo.com.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.