Elwood Willis Jeffries

Elwood Willis "Red" Jeffries

Elwood Willis "Red" Jeffries of Zellwood, Florida passed into the presence of his Lord Jesus Christ, family members and loved ones at age 88 on February 10, 2024. He was born September 17, 1935, in Green County Kentucky to the late Coy and Capitola Jeffries. He graduated in 1955 from Greensburg High School in Greensburg, Kentucky, where he played on the baseball and basketball teams, was a member of the 4-H Club and met the love of his life and future wife, Gardenia Antle, to whom he was married from 1956 until her death in 2022.

Fascinated by the "Golden Age of Radio," he began a career in broadcasting while in high school, working at a local radio station, WLCK. He also worked at WLBN in Lebanon, Kentucky, and WKAY in Glasgow, Kentucky before being called into Christian radio at WHKK in Erlanger, Kentucky in 1969. He especially enjoyed being a member of the sports broadcasting team at Glasgow and Erlanger. Two years later he moved to Orlando to work at WWQS/WVCF in Windermere/Ocoee, eventually becoming the station Manager at WVCF. Later he also worked for WTLN in Apopka.

After seeing a billboard on Highway 50, Red and family visited and then joined "The Exciting First Baptist Church of Pine Hills," later renamed the First Baptist Church of Central Florida, now Church At The Cross, where he became a Sunday School teacher, Deacon and member of the choir.

In 1980 "Brother Red" became Associate Pastor at the church, where he aided in worship services, pastoral care, weddings, funerals, producing the church's radio program on WTLN and organizing the activities of the Jolly Christians senior adult ministry, now Legacy Adults. He also made announcements of church activities, where he especially enjoyed informing the church of "a special glow" in the sanctuary whenever a couple had become engaged to be married. He was also known to encourage members attending church dinners to bring a covered dish – "with food in it."

In 1989 he recorded the entire New American Standard Bible for the Spoken Word of God.

After almost 25 years of faithful service to the church, he retired in January 2005.

Along with his wife, Gardenia, and his parents, Red was preceded in death by his sisters, Dorothy McKinney and Millie Atwell, brother Wallace Jeffries and half-sister Illeama Davis. He is survived by his, son Mark and daughter-in-law Kim Jeffries, daughter Julie and son-in-law Jeff LeMaster, and grandchildren Justin and Ariel Jeffries, Drew Jeffries, Carrie and Sammy Rider, Dorrie LeMaster, Robin LeMaster, Kaylee LeMaster and Jordan LeMaster.

Services will be held at Church at the Cross, 700 Good Homes Road, Orlando, FL on Saturday, February 24, 2024. The family will receive friends from 10 AM - 11 AM with service to follow at 11 AM. Burial will be at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Gotha, FL following the service.