Doris Connelly Tallman

Doris Connelly Tallman of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, February 13, 2020 at Winter Haven Hospital.

She was born November 12, 1935 to the late Gus and Frances Connelly in Lake Wales, where she grew up. She was a Mission Operations Specialist at the National Aeronautics Space Administration for almost 30 years, working through the Honeywell Corporation at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. She retired from Honeywell in 1999 and moved back to Lake Wales at that time. She was a member of the Eastern Star in Hyattsville, Maryland for many years. She had a love for cooking and baking, she enjoyed gardening and creating floral and orchid arrangements. She had a love for animals and cared for her pet cats greatly. She loved to travel abroad when she was able. She was a good caregiver to her loyal companion in life, Donald Brown of Lake Wales. Doris was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved her sisters, other family members and friends tremendously. She wanted to help others and contributed to many charitable organizations over the years. She had a great love for life and tried to live life to its fullest. She will be truly missed but not forgotten.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, husband, John Tallman, and her daughter-in-law, Debra Gray Clemons. Survivors include her companion, Donald Brown of Lake Wales; two sons, Jeffrey D. Clemons and his wife, Mary of Simpsonville, South Carolina and Richard Clemons and his niece, Dana Henry of Alma, Arkansas; sisters, Cloyce Ann Mamakos of Florida and Sarah Augusta Dixon and her husband, Delmas of Tennessee; two granddaughters, Denise Smith and her husband, Eric of South Carolina and Renee Gonyier of Texas; two grandsons, Jeffrey D. Clemons, Jr and his wife, Brittany of Virginia and Richard Dereck Clemons and his wife, Megan of California; great-granddaughters, Emerson Lea Smith of South Carolina and Camille Gray Wong Clemons of California; one great-grandson, Gage Gonyier of Texas; nephews, Stephen Keith Mamakos of Virginia, Michael Dixon and Glenn Dixon both of Tennessee; lifelong, childhood friend, Marlene Eures of Sebring, FL; along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Memorial service will be held 3:00p.m. Friday, February 21, 2020 at Marion Nelson Funeral Home in Lake Wales with Rev. David Durham officiating.