Amelia Elizabeth Player

Amelia Elizabeth Cole Player, 97, of Americus, GA, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the home of her daughter, Paula Chappell, in Gainesville, FL.Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on April 11, 2026, at Central Baptist Church, with Dr. Bryan C. Myers, Senior Pastor, officiating. The family will receive friends at the church beginning at 1:00 PM, prior to the service. A private interment will follow.Friends may also visit at 316 Pecan Drive, Americus, GA 31709 starting Thursday April 9th.

Amelia was born at home with the aid of a midwife on December 10, 1928, on Little Gasparilla Island, FL, to Ethel Mae Cole and Ralph Martin Cole. She was raised in the small fishing village known as Cole Island and attended Boca Grande School in Boca Grande, FL, where she enjoyed playing basketball. She later married the love of her life, Paul Player, a Georgia native. They made their home in Americus, where they raised their five children.Amelia’s journey of faith began with a visit from the Rev. Milton Gardner of Central Baptist Church. She became a member on September 1, 1959, and remained a devoted member for 67 years, faithfully attending Sunday School, volunteering in the nursery, and serving wherever needed.An avid traveler, Amelia enjoyed trips with her church senior group and traveling through her involvement with the Pilot Club, where she was a dedicated member for 43 years and served in numerous leadership roles. She also loved singing with the Silvertones as they performed throughout the community.A favor for a friend led to what became a 30-year career at Sumter Regional Hospital. Amelia first served as a switchboard operator, then as a hostess known for warmly greeting visitors, and later worked in the business office as a cashier for 20 years before retiring in 2001.

Amelia was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Paul Player; her son, Randy Player; her daughter, Holly Belcher; her granddaughter, Candice Hancock; her parents, Ethel and Ralph Cole; four brothers, Buck Cole, Ronnie Cole, Joey Cole, and Martin Cole; and two sisters, Joan Hayes and Martha Jean Ireland.

She is survived by her daughters, Paula Chappell (Frank) of Gainesville, FL, Christel Hardwick of Atlanta, GA, and Lisa Maurer (Lee) of Montgomery, AL; her sister, Deanna Futch (Otis) of Port Charlotte, FL; nine grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sixteen nephews; and eighteen nieces.