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Secretary of Senate Frank Eldridge dies at 73

Longtime Secretary of the Georgia Senate Frank Eldridge, Jr., died early Saturday morning (February 4, 2006) of an apparent heart attack. He was 73.

Governor Sonny Perdue ordered flags on the State Capitol building and grounds be flown at half-staff in memory of Mr. Eldridge yesterday, the day of his funeral.

The family received friends Sunday at Music Funeral Home in Waycross, and his funeral service was held yesterday at the First Baptist Church of Waycross. Interment will follow at Oakland Cemetery.

A former State Senator from Waycross, Mr. Eldridge served as the Senate's administrative officer and unofficial parliamentarian for nearly 14 legislative sessions. He was initially hired under former Lt. Governor Pierre Howard and retained his position under Lt. Governor Mark Taylor and Senate President Pro Tempore Eric Johnson.

"Frank Eldridge was the true definition of a public servant. He dedicated his life to the people of Georgia by serving on the Public Service Commission, the State Senate and was elected by his peers to serve as the Secretary of the Senate," Sen. Johnson said Saturday.

"Every morning he arrived early at the state capitol in his old red pick up truck, ready to do what was best for the members of the state Senate. He was a loyal friend who loved to share stories of the old days in the General Assembly and was wise beyond his years on the way the Senate should run. He loved to fly his plane and today, he has started a new flight, one with his Lord. His wife and family are in my prayers. Frank will be missed and the state Senate will never be the same."

Mr. Eldridge served as a State Senator from 1965 until 1982, when, he often said, he left elective office due to illness.

"The voters were sick of me," he would joke. It always brought a laugh from whoever was in earshot.

A hardware store owner and banker by trade, he also served as executive director of the Georgia Public Service Commission in the late 1980s and early 1990s, prior to being hired by the Senate in 1993.

"Frank Eldridge devoted a lifetime of service to the people of Georgia," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "He was a true servant leader, who earned the respect and admiration of his peers and the public he served with such dedication for over forty years. I considered him a trusted friend and often sought his wise counsel when I served in the Georgia Senate and as Governor. Mary and I treasured his friendship and we offer our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers for his family."

Survivors include his wife Leland Vining Eldridge; son Pete and his wife Ann; daughter Zeda Matich and her husband Walt; sister Margaret Denton; grandchildren Frannie Sweet, Susie Moore and her husband Carl, Brooke Eldridge, Kelly Lee and husband Chris and Frank Schley Eldridge, IV; and three great-grandchildren Peyton, Michaela, and Zane.

Frank Eldridge
(1932-2006)

Lt. Gov. Taylor Comments

President Pro Tempore Johnson Comments

In Memoriam: Former Sen. Rene Kemp
Former State Sen. Rene Kemp died Saturday, February 4 at St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital in Savannah following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 70.

Visitation for Sen. Kemp will be Friday between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. at Carter Funeral Home Oglethorpe Chapel in Hinesville. Services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Hinesville. The Rev. Charles E. Owens will officiate. Interment will follow at the family gravesite in Swainsboro.

A native of Swainsboro, Sen. Kemp served in the State Senate from 1993 until he retired in 2004. He also served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1977 until 1982.

A Democrat, Sen. Kemp once chaired the influential Senate Judiciary Committee, and was named chairman of the Senate Special Judiciary Committee after the Republicans captured the Senate in 2003 giving credence to his vast knowledge of Georgia law and sharp legal mind.

While in the House, Kemp sponsored the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act aimed at organized crime and drug trafficking; and legislation to allow the wiretapping of the telephones of suspected drug smugglers under certain circumstances.

"It has been a tremendous honor to me for the people of southeast Georgia to have given me the opportunity of representing them in the state legislature for almost two decades.

"It is my intent to stay involved and working in the political arena in areas which are dear to my heart and where I think I have had some input over the years. These areas include mental illness, domestic violence, the environment (especially protecting our water from being sold through permits), laws against organized crime, creating jobs, reducing taxes, working to improve our public and technical educational systems and supporting and maintaining our strong military forces."

Rene' Kemp
(1935-2006)

Georgia State Senate