Roscoe Daphney

Deacon Roscoe Daphney was born on August 20th, 1947, to the late Emary Daphney Sr. and Sadie Mae Daphney, in Thomasville, GA. Roscoe attended the Thomas County School system and was an avid learner even from an early age. Prior to attending Magnolia High School, Roscoe and the other students had to start their own fires and wait until the room was warm enough to begin class at East Ochlocknee Elementary School. Even though there were other challenges, like using textbooks with pages ripped out, and no air conditioning, attending Magnolia High School provided Roscoe and the other students with an opportunity to bond and learn in a somewhat more comfortable environment. Roscoe graduated from Magnolia High School in 1964 and remained close to his remaining classmates throughout his life.

After he graduated from Magnolia, Roscoe worked at Coats and Clark in Thomasville until he was drafted into the United States (US) military. Roscoe joined the US Marine Corps on August 22, 1966. He graduated bootcamp with the 3 rd Recruit Battalion, Platoon 3082, on October 18, 1966, and two months later, the day after Christmas he was shipped off to war in Vietnam to serve with the "E" Co., 2 nd Battalion 7 th Marines. On June 15, 1967, Roscoe and his platoon engaged in what would be a two-day battle with the Viet Cong outside Da Nang. During the battle, Roscoe and his unit took heavy enemy fire and when it was over, six members of his unit were dead, and Roscoe was one of eight wounded from the 28-member platoon. Roscoe was hit by seven machine gun slugs across his chest and body that would later prevent the full use of his right hand. Because of this, Roscoe had to learn how to use his left hand to write and because of his injuries, Roscoe received the Purple Heart Medal of Valor and retired from the Marines on August 1, 1970. He then settled into family life with his wife Rosa Lee and their two sons, Reginald and McCarthy. Sometime later, a third son, Cedrick, was born. After he retired from the Marine Corps, Roscoe attended Thomas Area Technical School, in Thomasville, GA, and earned diplomas in Accounting, Auto Body Repair, and Metal Fabrication. After his marriage, Roscoe took on the role of a single father and spent his life devoted to making a difference with his family, church, and community.

Roscoe followed the Christian training of his mother and father, accepted Christ at an early age, and became a member of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Ochlocknee, GA. On Sunday, November 26, 1989, he was ordained as a Deacon. Roscoe would continue in his Christian service as a deacon after transitioning to Rebecca Missionary Baptist Church in Thomasville, GA, in 2008, where he was well- received and well-liked by his then-new church family, and in 2014, Reverend Andrew E. Jones became his beloved pastor. Roscoe was also a pillar of his community as he was a founding member of the Ochlocknee Community for Concerned Citizens (O.C.C.C.) and a member of the Ochlocknee City Council. While working with the O.C.C.C., he organized and participated in food and fruit giveaways to the elderly, and while working on the City Council he was a strong advocate for the underserved community. Roscoe was also a member-at-large of the American Legion Post 519 in Thomasville, GA, and helped to steer the organization during the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
Roscoe was also a loving father and family patriarch who gave unwavering support to his family, especially his sons, grandsons, granddaughters, nieces, and nephews.

He leaves to cherish his loving memory, a devoted family which includes a brother: Donnie Daphney (Chesapeake, VA), two sons: Reginald Kerenski Daphney (Ochlocknee, GA) and Cedrick Maceo Daphney (Stone Mountain, GA), grandsons: Andreus JaNorris Daphney (Ft. Meade, Maryland), Jalen Daphney (Colorado Springs, CO), and Jordan Daphney (Newnan, GA), granddaughters: Jalysa Patrice Harris (Tampa, FL), Miriam Daphney (Thomasville, GA), Elizabeth Daphney (Killean, TX and Autumn Daphney (Killean, TX), special cousins: Jeff Franklin, Marquita Moore and Linda Samuel, a special nephew, Reginald Jones, and a special friend, Ronald Spicer. In addition, Roscoe leaves a host of other family members, friends, loved ones, and his Rebecca Church family. He was preceded in death by brothers, Emary Daphney, Jr., and Billy Daphney Sr., and son, McCarthy Andrew Daphney.