Jack E Surrency

Born in Waycross, Georgia on July 16, 1941, to James Edward and Martha Conner Surrency, he was educated in local schools.

He served in the U.S. Army at Ft. Benning, Georgia and in Germany. In 1970 he obtained his B.A. in English from the University of Florida.

In 1971 he entered the doctoral program at the University of Tennessee. There he received his MA and PHD degrees in English.

He also completed another degree in speech communication, while teaching and acting as the Lab Director for Writing.

In 1986, Dr. Surrency became Dean of Communications at Florida State College of Jacksonville, where he also became Department Chair of Humanities in 1993.

He had a long list of accomplishments, including his being instrumental in founding the Writer's Festival, The Readings of the South, The Book Forum, and the Conference of Communications.

He was also known for his columns "Dr. Grammar" and "Watch your language by Dr. Grammar", which were written for newspapers nationwide.

Dr. Surrency was a published writer and poet, having won multiple awards in poetry and short stories.

In 1988, he was named the Outstanding College Administrator of the year and in 1990 he became Chairman Emeritus of North Florida Writer's Group.

He is survived by his wife, Doriana d' Aragona Atkinson-Surrency and by her family, Carl R. Atkinson (Sonia), and his children, Caroline, Sarah, and Carter, and by step-grandchildren, Waverly, Andrew and Philip Cole.

He is also survived by his sister Joyce Minchew (Carey Wilbur) and their family, and by aunts, Dorothy James and Mary Reed and their families, and by a special cousin, Mary A. James, and by niece and nephew, Jill Roark, and Robby Surrency and their families.

Dr. Surrency will always be remembered as an outstanding Professor and as a very spiritual man.

He will be greatly missed by his family and by his students.

A Church service is scheduled at St. Mark's Episcopal Church (4129 Oxford Avenue. near Ortega Blvd.) on Friday September 4, 2015 at 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon , followed by internment at Homeward Cemetery on State Road 110 in Waverly, Georgia on Saturday September 5 at 11:00 in the morning.

The family requests that, instead of flowers, donations be made in his name to St. Mark's Episcopal School Scholarship fund.

Arrangements entrusted to Hardage Giddens 729 S Edgewood Ave, Jax Fl 32205.