Cecil Wakefield Obituary

DECATUR -- Cecil E. Wakefield, 73, of Phoenix, Ariz., formerly of Decatur, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away Friday (July 25, 2003) in his home after a brief illness.

Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Dawson & Wikoff West Wood Street Funeral Home. Memorials: American Cancer Society.

Cecil was born July 15, 1930, in Decatur, the son of Frank Clinton and Mildred Ann Farnsworth Wakefield. He moved with his family to Santa Fe, N.M., in 1954 to become an artist. In 1963, the family moved to Phoenix for Cecil to further his career. He had a very successful life as an artist of all mediums: painting, graphic arts and woodworking. He is nationally and internationally known for his woodcarving skills and has won top awards in national and international woodcarving shows. He has served as a judge for numerous award shows and was greatly admired as a woodcarving teacher. He was known as the "woodcarver extraordinaire." Cecil was a member of AWA, Grand Canyon Woodcarvers, Cactus Carvers, Southwest Woodcarvers and Woodcarvers Congress. He married Lillian Pearl Bandy, his wife of 54 years.

Surviving are his wife; daughter, Bonnie and husband Dennis; son, Robert and wife Rene; grandchildren, Adrienne and Zachary, Robby, Becky, Linda, Christina, Marie and Karen.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and two sisters.