Lyle Harvey Certain

Mr. Certain was born November 5, 1920 in Chicago, Illinois to Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Buell Certain. During World War II, he served the war effort as a young civilian machinist at the U.S. Naval Yards in Portsmouth, Virginia. After the war, he moved to Columbus, Georgia where he taught high school machine shop. He had been a resident of Glynn County since moving here in 1953.

His business career was in the paint industry, serving in senior management at Dixie Paint and Varnish Company (later The O’Brien Corporation) in Brunswick for 39 years prior to his retirement in 1992 when the facility closed. He was well known in the national paint and coatings industry and recognized for his creativity and innovations.

A lifelong Methodist, Mr. Certain was highly active in church work, serving for many years on the Administrative Board and other leadership capacities at First United Methodist Church, Brunswick during his 55 years of membership there. He continued his commitment to church work during the last three years as a member of Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica on St. Simons. He was also active in a variety of volunteer roles serving the district and conference levels of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, included his writing and publishing of commemorative Memory Books to honor deceased South Georgia Conference ministers and their wives.

During his life of community service, he served on the Glynn-Brunswick Hospital Authority, the Board of Trustees of the Epworth by the Sea Methodist Conference Center, and was a former member of the Brunswick Exchange Club.

Lyle Certain was preceded in death by his first wife of 44 years, Elizabeth Rainey Certain, and by his parents, two brothers and one sister.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 22 years, Betty Hamlett Certain, and their four loving children: Donna Certain Nilsson (Neil) of Brunswick; Lawrence Howard Certain (Vicki) of St. Simons Island; Robert Mann Hamlett (Sheryl) of Surrency; Mary Hamlett Raulerson (John) of Florida; 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to Dr. Ted Feely and staff, the in-home nurses and medical staff of Hospice of The Golden Isles, the staff of DaVita Dialysis Center of Brunswick, and the certified nursing aids of Home Instead Senior Care for their care of Mr. Certain during his illness.

Lyle Certain’s life will be celebrated at funeral services to be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, February 25 at Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica on St. Simons Island with the Rev. John Stephens officiating. Prior to the service, the family will receive visitors beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the church Celebration Hall. Active pallbearers are Dr. Jack Amie, the Hon. John S. Dalis, Don Gehringer, Bill Jones III, Dr. Mitchell Jones, John Laws, Tom Mitchell and Phil Newton. Honorary pallbearers are the members of the Wesley Heritage Sunday School Class and members of the Wesley Monday Morning Bible Study. A private family committal service at Oglethorpe Memorial Gardens on St. Simons Island will occur on Monday afternoon.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica, 6520 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522; First United Methodist Church, 1400 Norwich Street, Brunswick, GA 31520; or Hospice of The Golden Isles, 1692 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, GA 31525.