NAHUNTA — Letha Tucker went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
Born April 10, 1927 in Hickox, Mrs. Tucker was the seventh and only surviving child of Wiley Elbert and Arizona Batten Johns.
Schooled in the Brantley County School System, she went on to study at Georgia Southern Teacher College during WWII. Before getting her degree, then Brantley County School Superintendent R.D. Thomas asked her to return home to teach 3rd grade at Nahunta Grammar School.
At War’s end, Mrs. Tucker and her husband moved to Jacksonville, Fla. She attended beauty school and began a career propelling her into world-wide recognition in the hair dressing industry.
During her career, Mrs. Tucker won three first-place world titles in hair designs, two titles of North and South America, and over 75 first place titles from local hair design competitions.
Mrs. Tucker became an “International Guest Artist” in hair design, representing various hair product companies, and organizations. While in Havana, Cuba as a guest artist of the Cuban Hairdressers National Convention, Fidel Castro began his coup which later became known as “The Cuban Revolution.”
In the fall of 1958, Mrs. Tucker moved her family back home to Nahunta, to open a salon. In 1960 she opened “Letha’s Hair Stylist” of Waycross. Mrs. Tucker worked under her name until 1989, leaving to work for the Regis Corporation and later became co-owner of “Mane Street Designs in Hair” of Kingsland. She returned to the Brunswick area in 1994 until she fully retired in 2003.
A resident of Nahunta since 1958 and loving mother of three, Mrs. Tucker maintained her residence in Nahunta in order to allow her children to be close to family and friends while completing their formal education in her home county.
She is survived by her three children, Tommy Tucker (Angela) of Brunswick, Dona Cox-Cosgrove (Michael) of Kingsland and DeLon Tucker Warner of Nahunta. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren, Wayne Cox, Christian Cox, Jennifer Cox, Eric Tucker, Michael Tucker, Melanie Tucker, Brandon Johnson, Meredith McDonald and Trevor Johnson; 15 great grandchildren, four great-great grandchildren, and many cousin, nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Tucker was a former member of the Nahunta Junior Women’s and Garden Clubs. At the time of her homegoing, Mrs. Tucker was a member of the Hickox Baptist Church.
A Celebration of Life Service was held Tuesday morning, January 3, 2023 at Hickox Baptist Church, with interment following at the Bethlehem Cemetery.
Pallbearers were gandsons Eric Tucker, Wayne Cox and Christian Cox, great-grandsons Austin Dowling, Chandler Cox, little Christian Cox, and nephew Jeffrey Johns.
Arrangements were with Frye Funeral Home, Nahunta.
Family and friends may express condolences using the online registry at www.fryefh.com.
