Walton mourns losses in business community
By Deborah Wheeler
Tuesday morning, as Harry Millsaps and other Realtors sat around a table sipping their morning coffee, the talk was somber.
As members of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, the group was discussing what they could do for two of their own who died suddenly and tragically three days before Christmas in a plane crash.
Millsaps knew both Deborah Irby and Roxanne Costello, who were on the plane that went down in a remote area of Washington County on Dec. 22. The women were established Realtors and brokers who owned their own firms in South Walton. Also on the plane were Deborah’s mother, Wanda Irby, Roxanne’s husband Barry DeLong, and pilot John Johnson of Fort Walton Beach. They were flying to the Bahamas for the holidays. All onboard the twin-engine Cessna were killed in the crash.
Thunderstorms passed through Destin around the time of the scheduled 8:30 a.m. take off from Destin Airport.
Tyndall’s Public Information Office confirms they were in contact with the plane shortly before its disappearance from their radar and advised Bay County Sheriff’s Office of the occurrence.
People in the crash area said the area was experiencing heavy rains and thunderstorms at the time.
The wreckage was found near Highway 77, just north of the Bay County Line.
Johnson reportedly was an experienced pilot and FAA-accredited flight examiner.
Costello owned and operated Seashore Properties of the Emerald Coast, located in Grayton Beach. In the area for approximately six years, she was named Business Woman of the Year for 2003 and 2004.
Pam Holloway had been a neighbor of the DeLongs for the past three years and had known them for six years.
“They were one of the first couples we got to know when we started coming here,” said Holloway. “They were wonderful people. Barry grew vegetables in his back yard and he gave the kids popsicles. Roxanne was a wonderful, spiritual person. She made you feel good just being around her. She always had a happy glow and a way about her that was uplifting. We’re all very sad for the loss of our dear friends. We loved them.”
Neighbors of the DeLongs gathered at Santa Rosa Beach Club Wednesday afternoon to share memories of their neighbors.
Irby owned and operated Irby Realty Group in Santa Rosa Beach. Her sister, Rebecca Grice, said Deborah was flying to the Bahamas to meet her husband of 18 months, Harry Ivy. They had built a home there and were looking forward to spending their first Christmas in it together.
“I have a quadruple loss,” said Grice. “Deborah and Roxanne were very close. After Deborah and Harry married in the Bahamas, Roxanne and Barry went with them on their Mediterranean honeymoon cruise. On the cruise, Roxanne and Barry were married. The couples did a lot together.
