U K Custred

Talk to people who knew UK Custred well and you’ll hear different starting points for describing the man who entered eternal rest on October 15 at the age of 94.

Some begin with his faith, others his intelligence. Still others start by referencing his kindness and love for others. And some speak initially of his generosity, the countless times he gave while insisting those gifts remained anonymous.

The Rev. Dr. Riley P. Short, who served both as senior pastor and interim senior pastor at UK’s beloved church, First United Methodist of Lakeland, sums it up succinctly.

“A brilliant man,” Short said. “A faith filled man. He served in almost every leadership position in our church. He was generous and kind.”

In writing an autobiography for his grandchildren several years ago, UK wanted to make certain everyone knew one thing above all else. Among the typed words, he inserted a handwritten sentence about his wife of 57 years, Linda, who preceded him in death in 2009.

“Any success we had,” UK wrote, “I attribute to her.”

UK is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Linda Fain Custred, parents, Clifford and Auda Custred and brother James Custred. Survived by his two sisters Beatrice Custred and Nancy Bilbrey and sister-in-law Caroline Custred, 4 children, Richard Custred (Christine), Jeffrey Custred (Amy). Diana Russell (Jim), and Steven Custred (Christine). Eight Grandchildren, Eric Custred, Heather Jones (Mario). Stephanie Bowes (Tyler), Paige Fulmer (Drew), Jennifer Miller (Andrew), Victoria Clark (Luke), Abbagale Bond (Edward Chiu), and Amelia Bond. 5 great grandchildren, Theo Bowes, Aubrielle Jones, Jaelyn Jones, Collins Clark and Emory Bowes.

Born January 15, 1929, in the attic of a log cabin on the outskirts of Mayland, Tenn., UK learned to love and serve by watching the example set by his parents, Clifford and Auda. When snowstorms kept buses off the roads, his mother walked just ahead of him on the three-mile journey to school, clearing the way. His father worked in the coal mines, arriving before everyone else on the first shift to check for methane gas and to start pumps if water had accumulated.

When his family moved to Fentress County, Tenn., for his father’s job, UK went to work as a seventh grader, opening the school 45 minutes before the teachers arrived and starting fires in the stoves to warm the classrooms.

In high school, UK’s chore was to milk the family cows in the morning and at night.

“Didn’t leave a lot of time for studying,” he said.

Yet, he graduated from high school at age 16. Too young to work the coal mines, he spent a year in Chicago studying to be an electrician and then returned home to wire the family cabin. Soon thereafter, he went to work mining for Fentress Coal, joining his father and grandfather on the payroll.

Company officials saw quickly that UK was bright.

Fentress gave him a full scholarship to study mining engineering at the University of Kentucky. There, he joined the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, took ballroom dance lessons after deeming himself “deficient in social skills” and found the love of his life in Linda Fain. They married September 2, 1951, and remained “perfect partners” until her death, UK wrote.

While their legacy of love best reflects the partnership, there were small examples, too. They moved to Seattle after UK earned a full fellowship from the United States Bureau of Mine to attend the University of Washington. There, he took a job managing a private theater. Linda managed the concession stand.

Drafted into the US Army in 1955, UK served in an armored division for two years before being honorably discharged with a disability classification due to hearing loss suffered while serving his country.

UK and Linda followed her parents to Lakeland in 1957. His career in the phosphate industry spanned 44 years between working at American Cyanamid Company and Farmland Industries, but took a turn in 1980.

When tough economic times prevented Farmland from building a mine in Hardee County, he switched from mine manager to land manager for the company, overseeing the largest citrus farm in the county for 20 years. He excelled in that role as well and was instrumental in helping the country of Tobago develop a thriving citrus industry.

UK published many articles and holds several patents both in the mining and citrus industries. His awards include the Environmental Education Award from the state of Florida by Gov. Lawton Chiles and an honorary award for citrus research from Florida Southern College.

Soon after moving to Lakeland, the growing Custred family found a home at First United Methodist Church, where UK sang in the choir, taught and led the BYKOTA (Be Ye Kind One to Another) Sunday school class, and ultimately chaired most of the vital committees of the church.

Up until a few weeks before his death, UK continued to participate in the weekly lunch gathering of close church friends who call themselves ROMEOs – Retired Old Men Eating Out.

“I had always been curious about his name so I asked him if the initials stood for anything,” fellow ROMEO member Bob Alexander said. “His response was so different than the usually serious UK. He said with a slight smile that his family was so poor they couldn’t afford any more letters.”

UK had a heart for the underdog, the oft forgotten.

A published author, his book Less We Forget told stories of the 81 young men from Cumberland County, Tenn., who died in World War II. Less We Forget, volume 2, told stories of those from the county who died in wars and conflicts after World War II.

While serving as chair of the Pastor Parish Relations Committee at First United, UK worked to establish a program to provide benefits for church staff members similar to those only pastors received, the first of its kind in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.

As recently as last year, UK took it upon himself to make sure all teachers and staff at First United’s partner elementary school had $25 gift cards for the Thanksgiving break. He visited the school’s website and counted all teachers and staff, then sent the church a check for $1750 to cover the cost. There was one stipulation: don’t tell anyone where the money came from.

In the days following the death of his body, UK’s family heard more and more stories of his unsung generosity.

“I will be forever grateful for having known this remarkable man, a man that I loved and called friend,” Alexander said.

While his family will greatly miss this bright, loving, kind and generous man of God, we find joy in reflecting upon his life well-lived and comfort in knowing UK and Linda are together now, perfect partners once again.