A former Mayor of Aragon, longtime emcee for the Homespun Festival, a veteran and much more passed away Tuesday, August 22.
He was 86 when he passed of natural causes.
Suffridge moved to the area from Gwinnett County after serving as a District Commissioner in the Metro Atlanta area. He was Mayor of Aragon from January 2012 until his term ended in December 2015.
He additionally had many roles in the community from the voice you heard at Homespun and at air shows over the announce system, but also on boards across the range from Elections to Planning, the Chamber of Commerce, the local GOP, tourism committees and the annual Aragon BBQ.
He also was a member of the Rockmart Community Chorus.
He served in the U.S. Air Force and the Georgia Army National Guard during the 1950s 1960s and 1970s in different positions. He additionally was a pilot of the OV-1 Mohawk during his service with the Georgia Army National Guard.
He told the Standard Journal in a statement in 2015 when he decided not to run that “Realizing I’ve been around for almost 8 decades, really puts things in perspective. Being mayor has been hard on family, and it just made me think, you know, life is short, and I’ve been fully engaged in everything I’ve ever done since I was 16 … maybe it’s time to take a break.”
He only partially took that break during the last years, when his health had declined due to various issues he faced since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alvis Miller & Son Funeral Home have charge of his arrangements. Check back for a full obituary when it becomes available.
