WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI PAGE

Obituaries, Page 19

Alan Mills. It is with great difficulty and sadness to announce that Alan Mills is now resting with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Alan was a loving husband, father, son and friend. He passed away gracefully at his home in Rochester Hills, Mich., on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, after spending more than two years fighting the disease that ultimately took his life. He was a 1978 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and Marshall University with a degree in international relations in 1982, and a degree in marketing in 1983. Alan was a dedicated employee of the American Cancer Society, on both a National and Division level. His most recent position was that of director of government relations at the Great Lakes Division of the American Cancer Society. The loss of Alan will be felt by many ACS volunteers and staff across the country who had the opportunity to know and work with him throughout his impressive career. Professionally, Alan was an astute and effective political adviser and advocate for the ACS mission. This was due certainly to his political savvy and expert knowledge, but it was his personal style that made him effective as an advocate. He was a true “country gentleman” which stemmed from his proud West Virginia roots. His gentle southern manner and grace was his unique “signature” and a trait that was admired and enjoyed by virtually everyone who came in contact with him. Alan’s career with the American Cancer Society began in 1987 when he joined the West Virginia Division as public education and public issues director. He then moved to the National Government Relations Office in Washington, D.C., in 1990 where he served in a number of positions until joining the Great Lakes Division as director of federal government relations in 2002. In the Great Lakes Division, Alan led and engaged a dedicated advocacy staff team that managed hundreds of grassroots volunteers throughout Indiana and Michigan. He and his team built an army of dedicated people, from all walks of life, that have become an important force in Indiana and Michigan politics in recent years. Under his direction many legislative issues were addressed and the citizens of Michigan and Indiana were well represented on many important federal, state and local health care policy issues. Alan is survived by his wife, Angie; son, Noah; stepdaughter, Genna Buffa; parents, Kenneth and Macel Mills of Beckley; and sister, Joan Mills of Greensboro, N.C. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to the American Cancer Society or the Noah Mills Education Trust Fund. Visitation was 1 to 9 p.m. Friday at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons Inc., Shelby Township, Mich. Friends may call 10 a.m. today at Oakland Christian Church, 5100 N. Adams Road, Rochester Hills, until time of service at 11 a.m. Interment Guardian Angel Cemetery. Share memories with the family at their online guest book at WujekCalcaterra.com.

Ernest Eugene Morris Jr., 47, of 301 Morris Ave., Beckley, died Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at Raleigh General Hospital following a long illness. Born Jan. 31, 1961, in Beckley, he was the son of Pauline Marie Baxter Morris of Beckley and the late Ernest Eugene Morris. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, was employed as a telemarketer and truck driver and was an Army veteran. In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by brothers, Charles P. “Terry” Morris and Lonnie J. Patterson Jr., and sister, Shirley Dorsey. Left to cherish precious memories are very special friend, Letina Carter of Beckley; son, Velarian “Larry” Carter-Morris of Beckley; daughter, Detria Carter-Morris of Beckley; maternal great-grandmother, Essie Baxter of Beckley; brother, Larry (Judy) Patterson of Beckley; sisters, Phyllis (J.B.) Anderson of Beckley, Vicky (Tyrone) Tanks of Highland Springs, Va., Linda Morris and Kimberly Morris, both of Beckley; grandsons, Tijaiy Pankey of Beckley and Isiah Hairston of Cleveland, Ohio; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at New Hope Baptist Church, 304 Worley Road, with the Rev. Nathaniel Carey, Rev. Abner Wright, Rev. Jerry B. Staples and Rev. Rodney Hill officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call one hour before service at the church. Arrangements entrusted to Ritchie & Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.

Cleve Eugene Wood Sr., age 86, of Prosperity, W.Va., died Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, at the Raleigh General Hospital, following a long illness. Born in Raleigh County, W.Va., on Feb. 8, 1921, he was the son of the late Stephen Matthew Wood and Miranda Sizemore Wood. Mr. Wood was a retired employee of the W.Va. Turnpike Commission where he served as a supervisor of signs and markings. He was a U.S. veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Cates. He was a member of the DESA, and was a member of the Prosperity Church of Christ. At his church, he served as Elder and Song Leader. Mr. Wood was preceded in death by his first wife, Stella Wood; by brothers, Roman, Jimmy, and Howard Wood; and a sister, Norma Epler. Survivors include his wife, Dianne Spears Wood; sons, Cleve Eugene Wood Jr. and wife Carol of Windsor, Va., and Walter Stephen Wood and wife Diane of Lake Gaston, N.C.; stepson, Todd Spears of Canton, Ga.; brothers, Stephen Wood of Prosperity and Blane Wood of Shady Spring; sisters, Eva Cooper of Beaver, Beulah Karnes of Murrells Inlet, S.C., Selda Jarrell of Beaver, Daphine Stokely of Beckley, and Shirley Lafferty of Prosperity; grandchildren, Greg, Kevin, Shawn, and Scottie; stepgrandchildren, Morgun and Rhianna; and four great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley, with Evangelist Fred Ford officiating. Entombment will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. Friends may call from 6 until 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Family members will serve as pallbearers. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley.

Rev. James  Cole. Heaven’s gates were opened wide as the Lord’s faithful servant, the Rev. James “Jim” Cole, was called home on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. Jim was reunited for all eternity with his loving parents, James “Garland” Cole and Stella “Grace” Wagner; his loving father-in-law, George A. Ward; and mother-in-law, Wanda M. Mandeville. We wish to praise God for blessing our lives with a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, friend and pastor. Jim was born in Winding Gulf and grew up in several mining camps throughout the state. He married his beautiful bride, Mildred C. Ward, 52 years ago on Nov. 19. They were blessed with three children, Debbie and Danny Bowden of Crestview, Fla., Cathy Holland of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and George Cole of Crestview; four grandchildren, Jennifer Heady of Crestview, Tim and Amy Bowden of Crestview, Tracy Mitchell of Chipley, Fla., and Jaime Russell of Sullivan, Ill.; and eight great-grandchildren. Jim was a retired minister and member of Forest Heights Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, where he was pastor for many years. Other churches where he served were Yellow River Baptist Church, Dorcas Baptist Church and on the missions field in West Virginia. We would like to thank the following for their compassion and love toward Jim and his family during his illness: Dr. Lee Thigpen, Dr. Vergil Brown, Dr. Michael Given, Dr. Joseph Pedone, Dr. Michael Neuland, staff at The Parthenon Health Care Facility in Crestview, staff at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and staff of Covenant Hospice in Crestview. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today with the service at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, at Emerald Coast Funeral Home, Fort Walton Beach, with the Rev. David Van Zandt and the Rev. David Ward officiating. Nobody could ever ask for a better example of God’s love than the faithful witness of Jim’s life. In keeping with his service to our Lord, the family would like to request, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the James Cole Memorial Fund, in care of Forest Heights Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, City Church of Fort Walton Beach or Dorcas Baptist Church in Crestview. [Jim graduated from WWHS in 1950 and was the manager of the football and wrestling teams at WWHS.]

Lt. Col. Robert Terrence “Terry” Holt, soldier, husband, lawyer, father, entrepreneur, fiddler and volunteer, of Audubon, PA, died at Montgomery Hospital, July 23, 2007.

Born January 2, 1922, in Pemberton, to the late Robert Pierce and May Rowe Holt, he attended schools in the Beckley area and was a Knight of the Golden Horseshoe for being the top scoring student in Raleigh County in a test of state history. He was graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1937 and attended Beckley College (now Mountain State University) graduating in 1939.

He joined the West Virginia National Guard that same year. His unit was called up to active service in 1940, and from then through 1945 he served in various branches of the Army at many different stations. Posts he served at included the Canal Zone in Panama, where he witnessed the midnight transfer of the Atlantic Battle Fleet to the Pacific after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the Galapagos Islands, where he once single-handedly did battle with a submarine. Lastly and most importantly, as a ‘triple threat’ bombardier/navigator/radar officer, he flew 52 missions in B-17 bombers with the 15th Army Air Corps based in Foggia, Italy as the lead bomber in many dangerous missions, including over Munich, Blechhammer, and three times over Ploesti, Rumania. For this he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.

After his discharge from the military he worked three months in the coal mines at Tams, before attending Duke University. He graduated in 1948 with a BA in sociology and anthropology. There he met his future wife, Jean Lois Rogers, of Jeffersonville, PA. After brief stints as a foundry worker at the old Allen Wood Steel plant in Conshohocken, PA and as a radio announcer at WJLS, he entered the University of Florida law school, graduating in 1950 with a JD, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar. He practiced law for several years in Norristown, PA.

In 1953 during the Korean War he was recalled to active duty by the Air Force, serving as a judge advocate until retiring in 1970 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His various posts during that time included Thule, Greenland; Mitchell Field, Long Island, NY; New Castle, DE, where he served as the base commander; Yokohama, Japan, receiving the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan; Griffith AFB, Rome, NY; the Pentagon, Washington, DC; and finally northern Italy, where he served as the Base Judge Advocate for Aviano AFB.

After his retirement he joined Joseph B. Rogers Jr. Inc. as a partner and legal counsel until that firm’s dissolution in 1973. He then purchased a Rogers satellite company, Mobile Lifts, Inc., and was active there for 37 years until his death. He simultaneously continued his law practice, offering pro bono services to the community, including many hours of his time to the Women’s Center. He was affiliated with the Thomas Paine Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Eagleville, PA.

Terry had an enormous range of interests. He loved foreign and domestic folk music and was writing, playing and performing with the fiddle and guitar well into his 80’s despite increasing deafness due to his World War II service. He also wrote poetry, books, short stories, a musical, loved to joke, and read and traveled extensively worldwide. He also enjoyed speaking and learning languages. He was able to converse fluently in Japanese, Italian, French, and Spanish, and was trying to learn Hindi only days before his death. He liked to sail and was commodore of the Yokohama, Japan, Yacht Club in the early 1960’s. He was active in public service, serving as a member of the Norristown Area School Board from 1973 to 1979, and served on the Montgomery County Historical Advisory Board.

Col. Holt also had a passionate interest in conservation and the natural world. He was a longtime member of and eventually the president of the old Norristown Audubon Bird Club and its successor organization, the Friends of Audubon’s Mill Grove. In the latter capacity he was instrumental in organizing and accomplishing the purchase of the 41 acre tract of the ‘New Lands’ south of Montgomery County’s John James Audubon Sanctuary at Mill Grove, the first home of the noted naturalist in America, which secured the Preserve’s viability. He was also a member of the Norristown Rotary Club and a member of the Beckley Masonic Lodge No. 95, A.F. & A.M.

He was is preceded in death by, other than his parents, a sister, Audrey Moore, a brother, Harold H. Holt and a son, John Rowe Holt. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jean; three children; daughter, Virginia Holt and husband Dr. Ian Parberry, and their three daughters, Elizabeth Ann, Katherine Jane, and Margaret Rose, all of Corinth, TX; two sons, Robert Jackson Holt, and his wife, Janet Ebert, of Chadds Ford, PA and Miles Edward Holt, of Virginia Beach, VA and his daughter Nicole Holt of Raleigh, NC; a brother, D. Neil Holt, as well as sisters Maxine Cole and Nancy Stewart, all of Beckley and sister Muriel Showalter, of Leroy.

A memorial service was conducted in October 2007.

Charles Randal Hylton.To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Our dear brother, father, grandfather and friend left his earthly body at 4 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, with his daughters by his side. Born Feb. 20, 1954, in Beckley, he was the son of Cora Jane Hylton of Greystone Inn and the late Jack Allen Hylton. Those left to cherish his memory besides his mother are his two daughters, Crystal Arrington and husband, Wes, of Oak Hill and Miranda Hylton of Ridgecrest, Calif.; four granddaughters, Marissa, Kyra, Haylie and Piper; a stepson, Lonnie Tolliver and wife, Kerri; two brothers, Willy Hylton of Hinton and Larry Hylton of Beckley; a sister, Rita Hutchens of Piney View; a host of nieces and nephews; and two very special sisters-in-law, Pat and Sally Hylton. Mr. Hylton grew up in Beckley and graduated from WWHS in 1972. He left Beckley in 1986 to the Fredericksburg and Woodbridge, Va., areas. He worked at the Washington Post Robinson Terminal for 12 years until his retirement. In 2006 he moved back to Stanaford. He attended Stanaford Road Baptist Church. Anyone who came to his house went away blessed. He loved company and to tell stories. He loved gardening and to watch his flowers and plants grow from seed. His favorite flower was the sunflower. So if you come to Stanaford in the summer, look for the tall sunflower plants and smile. He was an avid reader and coin collector. He was generous and always thinking of others, even in his time of hardship. The family wishes to thank Hospice and Bowers House and a very special love and thank you to his Amy, Joann and Jim Fink. Mr. Hylton gave a last special gift for his body to be donated to West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. A celebration of his life will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at Stanaford Road Baptist Church, 575 Stanaford Road, Beckley, with Pastor Lyell Zickafoose officiating. Friends and family will gather one hour before service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Randy Hylton to Stanaford Road Baptist Church. Submitted by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’72]

Mrs. Ethyle Hatcher Huffman, 47, 2251 Hunterfield Rd., Maitland, Fla., died Wednesday afternoon, 10 DEC. 1980 at her home. Born 12 March, 1933 in Beckley, WV, and attended WWHS (51), and was the daughter of James & Viola Hatcher of Beckley, WV. Mrs. Huffman was a bookkeeper and housewife. She was also a former employee of Beckley Manufacturing Co. She is also survived by husband Thomas, daughters Lisa C Weigert and husband Doug of Victor NY, and Miss Cathy Huffman at home. Sons include Robert L Miller II, Ian G. Miller, James K Miller and wife Donna Lynn all of Maitland Fla. & Michael A Miller of Silver Springs Md., brother James A. (P.A.) Hatcher, Jr., of Rockville Md. She also had the one grandson, Adam Weigert. Mrs. Huffman was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Maitland. Services will be conducted Monday at 10 Am in the chapel of Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home in Altamonte Springs with the Rev. Reiney Hooper of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Maitland officiating. She will be cremated as to her wishes and burial will follow in the Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens in Beckley, West Va.

Sue Helen Beaver, 56, of Beckley, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, following a courageous fight with cancer. Born March 10, 1951, in Richwood, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Berlin Clarence Beaver and Madeline Mae Beaver. She was the granddaughter of the late Bert and Nancy Canterbury of Bolt, W.Va. Sue earned a Bachelor’s degree from Concord College and held a Master’s Degree from College of Graduate Studies. She spent her career working in Financial Aid departments at higher education institutions in our region including Valley College, National Institute of Technology, Mountain State University, and WVU Tech. She was a member of Memorial Baptist Church in Beckley. She was a precious sister and aunt and will be dearly missed. Those left to cherish her memory are her loving sister and caregiver, Hilda; a brother, Berlin Beaver and his wife Linda of Beckley; a niece, Lynne Little and her husband Ronnie of Elizabethton, Tenn.; a nephew, Brian Beaver and his wife Christy of Ansted, W.Va.; a niece, Robin Thomas and her husband John of Pennsylvania; a great-niece, Eve Little; and three great-nephews, B.J. Beaver, Austin Beaver, and Levi Little. Brian Beaver, Ronnie Little, Mike Goddard, Bill Lester, Guy Hensley, and Glenn Smith will serve as pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Bowers Hospice House at Beckley, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801. Online condolences may be sent to the guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley, with Pastor Paul Blizard officiating. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity. Friends may call one hour prior to services. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley, W.Va. [WWHS ’69]

Betty Lee Evans, 84, of Mankin Avenue, Beckley, passed away peacefully at Bowers Hospice House on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 5, 2008. Born in Ronceverte in 1923, she was the daughter of the late Roy and Zeuralda Evans. She grew up in Beckley and was a 1941 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. Preceding her in death were her husband, Harry Keith Evans Sr.; a brother, Robert W. Evans; and a grandson, Matthew Evans. Survivors include two sons, Stephen Wesley Evans of Beaver and Harry Keith Evans Jr. and wife, Marcia, of Beckley; three grandchildren, Mark Evans and wife, Kris, and John Paul Evans, all of Beckley, and Sarah Massey and husband, Nick, of Huntington; sisters-in-law, Judy Evans and husband, Mack, of Beckley, Deborah Borschig of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Helen Evans of Deltona, Fla.; a great-granddaughter, Emily Lydon of Beckley; best friends, Betsy Mason, Margaret Curtis and Ruth Loving, all of Beckley; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mrs. Evans retired as bookkeeping operations officer for Beckley National Bank, and was an active member of Beckley Presbyterian Church. She enjoyed reading, sewing, the arts and her dog and cat. She was active in all of her WWHS class reunion activities. Betty was a great mother and friend to her children and grandchildren. She was curious about life and had a gentle spirit, which will affect us all with fond memories of her life. She was always ready to go to any event or trip we suggested. Service for Mrs. Evans will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at Melton Mortuary, Beckley, with visitation from 12:30 p.m. until time of service. The Rev. Adrian Pratt of Beckley Presbyterian Church will preside. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Pallbearers will be Mark Evans, John Paul Evans, Nick Massey, Mack Hart, “Doc” Wood and Edward Evans. In lieu of food and flowers, donations may be made in Betty’s name to Beckley Presbyterian Church, 203 S. Kanawha St., Beckley, WV 25801, or Hospice of Southern West Virginia, P.O. Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25802-1472. Online condolences may be sent to melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

Glenna I. Bailey Dellinger, of Plymouth, Mich., formerly of Johnstown Road, Beckley, died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, following a long illness. She was in her 92nd year. Born Sept. 28, 1915, in Beckley, she was the daughter of the late John and Ada Maddy Bailey. She was also preceded in death by her husband, John O. Dellinger Jr., and sisters, Gladys Truman and Belma Trail Bruster. Mrs. Dellinger was a member of First Baptist Church, Neville Street, Beckley, for over 75 years, where she was a deaconess and a volunteer in First Place. She also was a past member of the Beckley Women’s Club and the Beckley Garden Club. She was a 1934 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley. Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Wall and husband, Tom, of Richardson, Texas; a son, John O. Dellinger III and wife, Judy, of Plymouth; grandchildren, Kim Dugan, Tracy Dean, Lisa Gould, Julie Cassin and Christy Ingalsbe; and 14 great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at First Baptist Church, Beckley, with the Rev. Dr. Phil Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Friends may call noon until time of service at the church. Pallbearers will be family members and friends. The family requests that donations of sympathy be made to Star Manor of Northville, 520 W. Main St., Northville, Mich. 48167. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

Robert D. Wriston, 70, of Millsboro, son of Nanny Beatrice Arthur Wriston and Clyde Osington Wriston died Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at Lewes Convalescent Center in Lewes. Mr. Wriston was born in Beckley, W.Va., and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He loved to sing and excelled with his talent, winning television and radio competitions. After moving to Delaware, he joined the Wilmington Brandywiners musical group where he sang in the musical “The Student Prince.” He was employed by Delmarva Power as a power equipment operator, retiring in 1990. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Mr. Wriston was preceded in death by four sons, Steven, Ralph, Rodger and Russell. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Patricia Smith Wriston; two daughters, Robin Wriston of West Grove, Pa., and Shannon Crockett of Seffner, Fla.; one son, Robert A. Wriston of Ocean City, Md.; a sister, Linda Hicks of Alabama; two brothers, Richard of Beckley, W.Va., and Neal of Ohio; three granddaughters, Jessica Grenier of Newark, and Bailey and Mackenzie Crockett of Seffner; and a grandson, Shaun Wriston of Millsboro. Robert is in the hands of our Lord and at peace. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Services will be private. Arrangements by Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium. [WWHS ’56, from the Cape Gazette, Lewes, Delaware]

Josephine Seijo Costanzo, age 73, of Beckley, W.Va., died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, at the Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital. Born at Milburn, W.Va., on Aug. 26, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Marcial and Onorina Onori Seijo. Josephine graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School class of 1951 and was a graduate of Beckley College, now Mountain State University. She was a retired Postal Supervisor from Grove City Post Office in Grove City, Pa. She had made her home in Grove City, Pa., for nearly 30 years before returning to Beckley in 1993. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Costanzo. Survivors include her sons, Anthony G. Costanzo of Germantown, Md., and Marcial T. Costanzo and wife Jin Yang of Derwood, Md.; a granddaughter, Holly Jin Costanzo of Derwood, Md.; brothers, Lewis Seijo and wife Rosemary of Haslett, Mich., and Manuel Seijo and wife Pamela Darby of Grandview, W.Va.; a nephew, Tyler Seijo; nieces, Lindsey Seijo and Annette Seijo Pastue and husband Vince; and great-nephews, Nicholas and Ryan Pastue. A Funeral Liturgy will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the St. Francis deSales Catholic Church, with Rev. Pericles Malacaman as the celebrant. Friends may call at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley from 6 until 9 p.m. today, where a Christian prayer service will be held at 8 p.m. by Rev. Mr. Don Wise. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society in her memory. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley, W.Va.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Nancy Tomcyzk Armstrong, 63, of Tallahassee, formerly of Beckley, lost a long battle with cancer on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, in Tallahassee. Born in Beckley on Nov. 21, 1944, she was the daughter of the late William Tomczyk and Mary Ball Tomczyk. Mrs. Armstrong was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and Marshall University with a degree in education. She had taught third grade in Parkersburg for many years. She was a member of Aeon Baptist Church in Tallahassee. Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Norman “Butch” Armstrong; a sister, Jane Rasmussen of Beckley; brothers, Thomas Tomcyzk of Tallahassee, David Tomczyk and wife, Deb, of Beaver, Barry Tomczyk of Wilmington, N.C., Erland Tomczyk and wife, Drema, of Stoney Creek, N.C., and Jim Tomczyk and wife, Pat, of Knoxville, Tenn.; an aunt, Moveda Ross of Beckley; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel, Beckley. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Friends may call from noon until time of service Thursday. Family members will serve as pallbearers. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’63]

Joyce Yvonne Stanley Cernuto, 70, of Beckley passed away Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, at Bowers Hospice House surrounded by loving family and friends. Born March 4, 1937, at Lanark, she was the daughter of the late Vaughn W. and Ruby A. Effler Stanley. She was a dedicated Christian and devoted her life to her husband, family and friends. Joyce loved spending time baby-sitting her grandchildren, attending church, collecting fine collectibles, bird watching, sewing, gardening, cooking, and shopping. She graduated from Concord College, and was a former teacher at Bradley Elementary School. She was a member of the North Beckley Church of Christ. In addition to her parents, Joyce was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Bob Cernuto, and a daughter, Kim Lynette Cernuto. Those left to cherish her memory include her loving daughters, Rhonda Smilek and husband, Stephen, of Beckley, Tonya Cernuto McDowell of Fayetteville, and Tara Mullins and husband, Michael, of Beckley; grandchildren, Stephen, Krysten, and Ryan Smilek, Lauren and McKenna Entsminger, and McKinley and Shaina Mullins, and future granddaughter, Ariel Joy Mullins; brother, Shelby J. Stanley and wife, Sharon, of Lanark; sister, Jill Boblett and husband, David, of Lanark; brothers-in-law, Mel Cernuto and wife, Pansy, of Crab Orchard and Nunz Cernuto and wife, Lou, of MacArthur; and special loving and caring friends, Martha Clay and husband, Terry, and family; and many loving and caring nieces and nephews. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, at Blue Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, with Minister Adam Davis officiating. Entombment will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Stephen Smilek, David Cernuto, Steve Smith, Ronnie Coleman, Gerard Powers, and Larry Steele will be serving as pallbearers. Friends may gather with the family from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Flowers will be accepted; however, donations of sympathy may be made to the Bowers Hospice House, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.blueridgefuneralhome.com. Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley, is in charge of the arrangements. [WWHS ’56]

Jackie Areon Treadway, 66, of Maple Fork Road, made his final journey to be with the Lord on Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley following a long illness. He was surrounded by family in his final hours and the days before he was at home with his family and loved ones. Born in Beckley on Nov. 7, 1941, he was the son of the late Clinton Bryant Treadway and Nettie Mae Honaker Treadway. Jackie was a 1961 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. He was employed by Acme Supermarkets, PCA of America, and Stone and Thomas. He was preceded in death by an infant brother, Jimmy Treadway; brother, Clinton B. Treadway Jr.; sisters, Alice Carpenter, Betty Jo Williams and Estelle Ayers; nephew, Steven Treadway; father-in-law, Chando Malcomb Elmore; mother-in-law, Bethel Margie Elmore; and sister-in-law, Helen Elmore Yancy. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. His wife, Betty Sue Elmore Treadway, and himself would have celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary on Jan. 22. Surviving are his wife, Betty Sue Elmore Treadway; two daughters, Karen Bethel Treadway Cline and husband, Monty Joe Cline, of Maple Fork and Susan Lynn Treadway Kinney and her husband, Jeremy Evan Kinney, of Maple Fork; and the lights of his life, his two grandchildren who were also his namesakes, Areon Chando Treadway of Maple Fork and Drake Richard Areon Kinney of Maple Fork. Also surviving are brothers, Frank Treadway and wife, Linda, of Barberton, Ohio, Charles Treadway and wife, Ruby, of Doylestown, Ohio, and Howard Treadway of Matthews, N.C.; sisters, Annabelle Hagans of Point Pleasant, Joyce Chiras and husband, Bob, of Waynesboro, Va., Judy Scites and husband, David, of Powhatan, Va., and Sue Warner and husband, William, of Woodbridge, Va. At Mr. Treadway’s request, there will be no service. He will be cremated and brought back to his home to be with his family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Maynor Freewill Baptist Church, 2701 Sweeneysburg Road, Beckley, WV 25801. The family would especially like to thank the nurses and staff on 4 North for making Mr. Treadway’s last days peaceful. A special thanks to Melissa Lee and Traci Prichard for taking extra special time with him. Thank you also to Pastor Forrest Gray who came to be with Jackie in his final hours and ensure his passage to his new home be a peaceful one. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.

Marshall D. Gwinn, 81, of Beckley, died Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008, peacefully at home following a long illness. Born June 22, 1926, he was the son of the late Leonard C. and Minnie Ray Gwinn. He was a longtime resident of Beckley. Marshall was a C&O Railroad agent, operator and clerk for 42 years. He was retired. He was a TCU member and a World War II veteran, having served in Germany. He was a member of Memorial Baptist Church. Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife of 53 years, Betty Jo Hess Gwinn; daughter, Margaret Holz and husband, David, of Lindside; son, Bob Gwinn and wife, Joyce, of Rush, Ky.; two brothers, Joel Gwinn and wife, Erna, of Louisville, Ky., and Jon Gwinn and wife, Shelia, of Laurel, Md.; sister, Leona Gwinn Brown of Winston-Salem, N.C.; four grandchildren; five stepgrandchildren; three great-grandchildren and many nephews, nieces, and cousins. He was loved by all. Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, with Pastor Paul Blizard officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may gather with the family noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridgefuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley. [WWHS ’44]

Jerry Goode, Jr., 63 of Hendersonville passed away Tuesday Jan. 8, 2008. Graveside services were Thursday, Jan. 10. 2008 at 11 a.m. from the Middle State Veteran Cemetery at Pegran, Tenn. with Pastor Mike Reid officiating. Mr. Goode was born in Stephenson, West Virginia June 11, 1944 son of the late Guy Gerald Goode, Sr. and Essie Juanita Payne Goode who survives of Beckley, W.Va In addition to his mother he is survived by his wife Deborah Hendrix Goode of Hendersonville, one son Adam Goode of Durham, N.C.; three daughters, Michelle Goode of Beckley, W.Va., Jennifer and Caitlin Goode of Hendersonville; three brothers, David (June) Goode, Jim (Denise) Goode, John Goode; three sisters, Nita Goode, Delores (Mike) Vaughn, and Susie Bowles all of Beckley, West Va. Arrangements were made by Family Heritage Funeral Home. [WWHS '62; taken from Hendersonville, TN newspaper]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Janice Ward Greene, 87, died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, at her home in Jacksonville following a long illness. Born Oct. 26, 1920, in Beckley, she was the daughter of the late Judge Columbus Morgan Ward and Grace Hawley Monroe Ward. She was of the Baptist faith. Mrs. Greene was educated in Beckley schools and was a 1938 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. She attended Concord College for two years and was a graduate of the University of Kentucky in 1942 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at UK, she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Mrs. Greene taught at Beckley Junior High School four years. She and Charles Edward Greene were married Nov. 1, 1947, at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Beckley. They lived in Fairmont and Martinsburg before moving to Seattle, Wash., where they resided on Mercer Island, Wash., for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Greene were both avid golfers and were members of Bellevue Country Club and Overlake Golf and Country Club on Mercer Island. In addition to her parents Mrs. Greene was preceded in death by her husband; brothers, John Collins Ward and Dr. Charles Monroe Ward; and a sister, Helen Virginia Ward Leeber. Survivors include a nephew, Philip Ward Leeber and his wife, Vivian, of Jacksonville; two nieces, Judith Grace Leeber Ash of High Point, N.C., and Barbara Collins Ward Gardner and her husband, Dr. Robert T. Gardner, of Beckley; great-nephews, Philip Jason Leeber of Jacksonville, Robert Tennant Gardner II of Charlotte, N.C., and Charles Morris Ash of High Point; great-nieces, Shannon Dyan Leeber of Jacksonville, Janice Leigh Ash Walsh of Hickory, N.C., Jill Diane Ash of Greensboro, N.C., and Jennifer Collins Gardner Atkinson of Charlotte; and several great-great-nieces and nephews. There will be no visitation. Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Melton Mortuary, Beckley. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church, 422 Neville St., Beckley, WV 25801. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

Ronald “Ron” Eugene Robertson Sr., age 67, of Beckley, entered into God’s rest on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, at the Bowers Hospice House following a courageous battle with cancer. “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Born on July 5, 1940, in Princeton, W.Va., he was the son of the late Alvy George “A.G.” and Margaret Louise Davis Robertson. Ron attended Woodrow Wilson High School, and graduated from Fulton High School in Knoxville, Tenn. His first career was managing the Shainberg’s Department Store. During his 21 years of management, the store was recognized as one of the most profitable in the company. In 1977, Ron returned to Beckley to follow in his father’s insurance career with Kentucky Central, which later became Liberty Life. He had a successful career and was first, second, or third in the company nationwide in sales for 14 years. Ron retired in 1999. Ron was an active member of Memorial Baptist Church and Bykota Sunday School Class. Ron and his wife, Kitty, were co-chairmen of the Senior Adult Ministry known as “Forever Young” for six years. He also served on the church Finance Committee and the Church Council. Ron was known for being an avid University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 23 years, Kitty Lou Mitchell Robertson of Beckley; a son, Ronald Eugene Robertson Jr. and his wife, Sarah Riffle Robertson of Alum Creek; two daughters, Terasa Robertson Miller and her husband, Terry Miller of Charleston, and Tammy Crews and her husband, Scott Calhoun of Beckley; three grandchildren, Samuel Agee Robertson, Teagan Leigh Miller, and Bryn Eliesse Calhoun; an aunt, June Davis Calfee of Princeton; mother-in-law, Lucille Mitchell of Cranberry; and sister-in-law, Kyra Vance of Cranberry. A celebration of Ron’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, at the Memorial Baptist Church, 1405 S. Kanawha St., Beckley, with Dr. Charles Bright officiating. Entombment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum in Beckley. Friends may call at the church two hours prior to the service. Pallbearers will be Barry Cales, Darrell Ford, Lee Hart, Dwain Lilly, Mike Moore, Junior Varney, Walt Watson and Mike White. Honorary pallbearer will be Victor Rizzi. Ron’s request was that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Bowers Hospice House, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801, or to the Gideons International, c/o A.K. Walker, 517 Orchard Ave., Beckley, WV 25801. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’58]

Albert David Bledsoe Tieche, 46, of Beckley, formerly of Los Angeles, Calif., died at home with his family at his side on Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, after a courageous battle with liver cancer. He was born in Beckley on Oct. 30, 1961, the son of Albert McCulloch and Phoebe Anne Bledsoe Tieche. He was the grandson of the late Dr. Albert Updyke and Florence McCulloch Tieche and the late Dr. S. Monroe and Wanda Campbell Bledsoe, all of Beckley. He was preceded in death by his father. He is survived by his mother, Phoebe Tieche-Herring of Beckley; sister, Nancy M. Tieche of Beckley; brother and sister-in-law, Albert Updyke Tieche II and Jennifer Hartsog Tieche of Madison, Tenn.; niece, Taylor Tieche, and nephew, Samuel Tieche, also of Madison; family caretaker and beloved friend, Norma Jean Stover of Beckley; a large extended family, many loving friends and faithful canine companion, Wendell. David attended Woodrow Wilson High School, Beckley, and graduated from The Hill School, Pottstown, Pa., where he received two special music awards, and from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. He was well-known in the Beckley area for his appearances over many years in Theatre West Virginia’s summer productions, “Hatfields & McCoys,” “Honey in the Rock” and annual musicals. He also performed the lead in The Charleston Light Opera Guild’s “42nd Street,” appeared in “La Cage aux Folles,” and sang with the West Virginia Symphony Chorus. In 1990, he established West Virginia State Musical Theatre and produced and directed “Oklahoma,” “The Music Man,” “Baby” and “Peter Pan” at the Woodrow Wilson High School auditorium. Other professional work included shows with San Gabriel Civic Light Opera, the television series “Thirty Something,” the John Sayles movie “Matewan” and print and television ads. Some of his favorite roles included Jordan Marsh in “42nd Street,” the title character in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Harold Hill in “The Music Man” and Jonse Hatfield and Sen. John B. Floyd in TWV shows. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Beckley, where he sang in the choir for many years. He was also a pianist, and sang and played for weddings and funerals in the Beckley area and for the enjoyment of his family and friends. A celebration of life will be noon Monday, Dec. 31, at First Presbyterian Church, Beckley. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Park. Friends may call at the church at 11 a.m. prior to the service. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Tieche home at 851 Dry Hill Road. Pallbearers will be Chucker Lucas, Scott Milne, Robby Moore, James Caldwell, Tim Waugh, Tobias Smith, Seth Smith, Paul Smith, Tom Susman, Jim Way, Jason Bassett, John Hutchinson, Chad Hutchinson, Henry Price, Curtis Tabor, Trey Taylor and Andrew Caldwell. The family suggests that contributions in David’s memory be made to Beckley First Presbyterian Church, Beckley Hospice, Theatre West Virginia, Beckley Area Foundation or the Humane Society. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Melton Mortuary, Beckley, is in charge of arrangements.

MACAJAHI RIDGE — John L. Meadows, 57, of Macajahi Ridge, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, at his residence following a long illness. Born Nov. 21, 1950, in Beckley, he was the son of Kelba McKinney Meadows of Basin and the late Ernie Odell Meadows. Mr. Meadows was a 35-year resident of Macajahi Ridge, a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, a former coal miner with 19 years of service, member of UMWA, and was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 30 years, Vickie Johnston Meadows of Lashmeet; two sons, Ernie Meadows of Matoaka and Kenneth Meadows and his wife, Sabrina, of Matoaka; two grandchildren, Damen Meadows and Hunter Meadows, both of Matoaka; his mother, Kelba McKinney Meadows of Basin; siblings, Edward Lee McKinney of Basin, Ernie Meadows of Florida, Frank Meadows of Beckley and Corlis Archie of Ohio; and several nieces and nephews. Service will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Tankersley Funeral Home Chapel, Mullens. Burial will follow in Lewis Graham Cemetery, Basin. Friends may call one hour before service at the funeral home. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Condolences may be expressed online at www.tankersleyfh.com. Arrangements by Tankersley Funeral Home, Mullens.

Jay Rodney Daniel, 72, of Eccles, passed into heaven Wednesday morning, Dec. 26, 2007, at the Beckley VA Medical Center following a long, hard-fought illness. Born Feb. 11, 1936, in Besoco, he was the son of the late Essie Mae Bragg. He was also preceded in death by his grandparents, James and Minnie Bragg, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Jay was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in 1954. Upon graduation he served with the U.S. Air Force, 1954-1958. He graduated from Beckley College with an associate degree in business. He worked as a plumber and owned his own business, Daniel Plumbing & Heating. Jay was very active with Little League baseball, the Trap Hill Lions Club and he volunteered for athletic programs for Trap Hill and Eccles children. He enjoyed being with his family, sports, crossword puzzles, church and his two cats and dog. He was a member of Eccles Community Church. Survivors include his wife, Margaret Ann Cormack Daniel; a son, John Rodney Daniel of Beckley; daughter, Cindy Fink of Eccles; grandson Jason Fink of Eccles; and a large extended family and many friends. Memorial services will be noon Friday, Dec. 28, at Harper Free Methodist Church with the Rev. Carl Sellards officiating. Family and friends may visit 11 a.m. until time of service. The family requests that donations of sympathy be made to Harper Free Methodist Church, Harper, W.Va. 25851, or Eccles Community Church, Eccles, W.Va. 25836. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net Melton Mortuary, Beckley, is serving the Daniel family.

VIENNA — May Beckley “Becky” Johnson, 78, of Vienna, passed away Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She was born May 1, 1929, in Beckley, a daughter of the late Jesse and Mary Lemon. Becky was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, was a homemaker, a member of Vienna Baptist Church and enjoyed being a volunteer. She was a member of the Camden Clark Hospital Auxiliary for nearly 30 years, serving as president twice, as well as other offices. She served with the WV State Board of Hospital Auxiliaries in several different offices over the years, as well. She is survived by her daughter, Amy Johnson of Parkersburg; a niece, Jessica Smith and husband, Rick, of Dawson; several nieces and nephews; and great-nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald G. Johnson, in 1997; four brothers, James H., Lionel C., Jesse G. and Harry L. Lemon; and a sister, Wilda Buckland. Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, Vienna, with Pastor Bill Brown officiating. Interment will follow at Mount Carmel Cemetery. Visitation will be noon until time of service Wednesday at the funeral home. Arrangements by Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, Vienna.

Virginia Canterbury Patterson, age 75, died in Beckley, on Dec. 14, 2007, after a long illness. She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered as a loving wife and mother, a valued friend, and a compassionate, generous soul, a truly special human being. As one good and loyal friend said recently, “When God made Ginger, he definitely broke the mold.” Generosity and compassion for others less fortunate were among her most cherished values, and were never more clearly evident than in her fondness for animals. She routinely took in stray animals whenever she could and her compassion for “all things great and small” was one of among many truly exemplary and unique aspects of her character. She was extremely proud of her family and distilled into her children a simple philosophy embodied by the Golden Rule, which she quoted to them often: “Do unto others, as you would have done unto yourself.” She was preceded in death by her parents, Alfred Kirkland Canterbury and Mae Chilson Canterbury of Beckley; her loving husband and life partner, Harry M. Patterson III of Beckley; a son, Harry M. Patterson IV of Bradenton, Fla.; a brother, John Richard Canter of Bradenton, Fla.; and a sister, Anne Canterbury Sheffler of Bradenton, Fla. She is survived by her sons, William Mahan Patterson and wife Casey of Siler City, N.C., John Robert Patterson of Beckley, W.Va., Thomas Kirkland Patterson and wife Sheri of Beckley, W.Va., and Robert Chilson Patterson and Jodi of Louisville, Ky.; and many grandchildren of whom she was exceptionally fond, as well as her brother, Alfred Kirkland Canterbury, 11, of Charlotte, N.C. The family would like to express their sincere and deep appreciation to her physician, Dr. Mustafa Rahim, whose attention and dedication are most appreciated, as well as the members of the staff who cared for her at Heartland of Beckley and Raleigh General Hospital. Your kindness and compassion to her did not go unnoticed and are profoundly appreciated. Pursuant to her wishes, there will be no memorial services. In lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy are suggested by the family to the Raleigh County Humane Society, or any other charity of the giver’s choice dealing with animals. Condolences may be mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley. [WWHS ’49]

Clifton A. Compton Sr., 77, of Madisonville, KY died at 12:51 A.M. Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at the Regional Medical Center. Born December 1, 1930 in Prosperity, West Virginia he was the son of the late Dewey Compton and Martha Lilly Compton. He was a manager for Wal-Mart and a member of the Madisonville Church of Christ. He volunteered with P.A.C.S. as a tax preparer and was the 2006 Volunteer of the Year. He was a U.S. Navy veteran. He is survived by his wife, Vicki Compton of Madisonville; three daughters, Beverly Clevenger of Hartselle, AL, Diane Killough of Madisonville and Jody Hammer of Bradenton, FL; two sons, Clifton A. Compton Jr. of Indiana and Steve Compton of Woodstock, GA; one sister, Aileen Duff of Hartselle ; one brother, Dewey Compton of Coal City, West Virginia; ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School 1948. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, December 14, 2007 at the Church of Christ with Mr. Russell Kline officiating. Friends may call at the church on Friday after 10:00 A.M. Memorial gifts may take the form of donations to the Diabetes Assc. or the American Cancer Society. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.barnettstrother.com.

Gary Edward Ball Sr., age 60, of 200 Murray St., Beckley, W.Va., died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at 4:30 a.m. at the Bowers Hospice House in Beckley following a short illness. Born at Beckley on March 2, 1947, he was the son of the late Ruth Ball Jordan, and was reared by his late grandparents, Landon and Lania Ball. Mr. Ball was a disabled coal miner, and was a member of the Hillcrest Baptist Church. He was also preceded in death by a granddaughter, Lania Carol Ball. Survivors include his wife, Rebecca Jane Fitzwater Ball; a son, Gary E. Ball II and wife, Trina, of Mullens; two daughters, Jennie Durrett and husband, Jessie, of Beckley, and Amber Dawn Ball at home; two sisters, Lana Ford and husband, Robert, of Stafford, Va., and Kelly Hinzman and husband, Rick, of Stafford, Va.; and eight grandchildren. Service will be 1 p.m. Friday at Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley, with Pastor Gene Miller officiating. Burial will follow in the Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Wayne Fitzwater, Fred Wood, Rick Metrick, Monroe Cook, Blaine Redden and Larry Fitzwater. Online condolences may be sent to our gust book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’65]

John Mark “Johnny” Jones, of 225 Morris Ave., Beckley, returned to his Lord on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, following an extended illness. John Mark was born on July 10, 1959, at Beckley, W.Va., to the late Deacon Thomas and Elder Elizabeth Norris Jones. John Mark became a member of New Bethel Temple United Holy Church at an early age, under the pastorate of Bishop Alvester McConnell, and remained a member in good standing until his death. John Mark attended Woodrow Wilson High School, he served in the National Guard for 12 years, receiving an honorable discharge, and was a former employee of Shoney’s restaurant. John Mark was preceded in death by his mother and father, Thomas and Elizabeth Norris Jones; wife, Sandra Jones; three brothers, Elder Timothy K. and David Jones and Harold Glenn; brother-in-law, Bobby Robinson; and foster brother, Horrie Massey. John Mark leaves to cherish his memory: two daughters, Timberl Jones of Beckley, Alisha Goodman of Virginia; special daughters, Shelby Helm and Tia and Dominela Farmer; seven grandchildren; three brothers, Thomas (Belva) Jones, Roger Jones and fiancée, Rhonda Finney of Beckley, Clyde (Harriet) Coy of White Plains, N.Y.; special brothers, Sandy Dowdin of Beckley and Cory Dowdin of Charleston; four sisters, Valerie (Daniel) Waller, Emanuela Robinson, Patricia (Larry) Avery, Christina Ray, all of Beckley; two special sisters, Darlene Keith of Atlanta, Ga., and Lisa Davis of Roanoke, Va.; an uncle, C.J. (Cornelius) Norris of Cleveland, Ohio; two aunts, Bert Jones of Amherst, Van and Mary Jones of Furry, Va.; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and church family. Special thanks to Bishop Alvester and Pauline McConnell, second mother and father of the family. Services will be 12 noon Monday, Dec. 10, 2007, at New Bethel Temple Church, Mool Street, Beckley, with Bishop Alvester McConnell, Elder Virgillious Glenn, Elder Cleo Moore, Elder Bernice Wilson and Elder Howard Napier officiating. Visitation will start at 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. The VFW Post 4326 of Midway will be performing military rites at the cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to Durgan Funeral Services, Beckley.

Patricia Ann McCommas departed this life from Penderly Memorial Hospital on Nov. 29, 2007, in Burgaw, N.C., after an extended illness. Her surviving relatives in Burgaw, N.C., are her husband, John; a son, Na-than Stev-ens; and her mother-in-law, Elma, the three of whom provided her care. She is also survived by her son, Jonathan Pyles, stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky.; her mother, Mary Alice Fielder Simmons of Bradley; her granddaughter, Skylar Ann Pyles; her sister, Mary Beth Paletta and husband Anthony of Bridgeport; her brothers, William H. Simmons Jr. of Bradley and David C. Simmons and wife Sandra of Soak Creek; her niece, Mary Virginia Paletta of Bridgeport; a nephew, A.J. Paletta Jr. of Bridgeport; her aunt, Karen Kruchek of Beckley; and her great-aunt, Dorothy Ayers of Endicott, N.Y. She was preceded in death by her father, William H. Simmons Sr., in 1997. Patricia was a 1975 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, a member of Winolia Chapter No. 59 of the Order of the Eastern Star in Mount Hope. She graduated with a nursing degree from West Virginia University in 1980. She grew up in the Bradley Presbyterian Church and while living in Burgaw, N.C., was a member of the Burgaw Baptist Church. There will be a memorial service at Bradley Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, at 2 p.m. with Commissioned Lay Pastor Elizabeth Stone officiating.

Carolyn James Cowan passed away Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, in New Orleans, La., after a long battle with cancer. She was the daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Harwood James of Blue Jay, W.Va. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Rev. Harry L. Cowan; her daughter and son-in-law, Becky and Steve Patterson and her grandson, Tyler, of Alcoa, Tenn.; her brother and sister-in-law, Ben and Pam James, and niece and nephews, Ashley, BJ and Tyler James of Ft. Collins, Colo. Friend and business partner, Joe Simon, will also miss her. Carolyn was a very talented musician who graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She studied piano and organ at Oberlin College, Ohio, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., and Loyola University in New Orleans. She taught music and shared her talents with many through the years. Carolyn had a wonderful career-playing organ for First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ala., and at First Baptist Church New Orleans. For the last 17 years, she has been co-owner of Joe Simon Jazz, Inc. as business manager and event planner. Friends are invited to attend the visitation at First Baptist Church New Orleans, 5290 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, La., noon to 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Faith Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA or to Bridgehouse. A second service will take place on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007 at Akard Funeral Home, 1912 West State, Bristol, Tenn. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until time of the service at the funeral home. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Glenwood Cemetery, Bristol, Va. Akard Funeral Home will handle arrangements. To view and sign the guest book, please go to www.lakelawnmetairie.com Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, New Orleans, La., is in charge of the arrangements. [WWHS ’55]

CHAPIN, S.C. — Stormy Jean Kennedy May, 55, formerly of Beckley, passed away Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007. She was born Sept. 15, 1952, in Roncerverte. She grew up in Quinwood. She attended Greenbrier West High School, graduating in 1971 from Woodrow Wilson High School. In recent years, Stormy had become a crafter, creating beautiful jewelry pieces for family and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Bill Kennedy Jr.; her mother, June Lee Stoutamyer Kennedy; and her sister Vicki Lynn Kennedy Coughlin. She leaves behind her husband of 32 years, Herbert May Jr. of Chapin; a daughter, Erica Lynn May or Apopka, Fla.; and a son and daughter-in-law, Shane and Amanda May of Winter Garden, Fla. She also leaves behind many beloved extended family members and friends. Visitation will be 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, South Kanawha Street, Beckley. Funeral service will follow at 4 p.m. with Pastor Ken Overdorf officiating. Burial will be at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that all donations be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 623 Lee St., Charleston, W.Va. 25302 or www.wishwv.org Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley.

Robert “Charcoal” E. Bryant, 72, of Daniels, died Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007, at Bowers Hospice House following an eight-year struggle with Alz-heimer’s disease. Born May 30, 1935, at Charleston, he was the son of the late Leslie Bryant and Christina Roberts Bryant Sobczyk. Mr. Bryant had been a resident of Daniels for 35 years. He was a graduate of the class of 1953 of Woodrow Wilson High School. He served in the National Guard. He was a graduate of Johns Hopkins School of X-Ray and worked there for several years before returning to Raleigh County where he was employed as an X-Ray Technician at Beckley Hospital for many years. Mr. Bryant retired ten years ago from Beckley Bone and Joint Clinic. He was an avid sports fan and was particularly fond of the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was preceded in death by his stepfather, John Sobczyk; brother, Jack Roberts; a mother-in-law, Maude Fraley; a stepson, Gary S. York; and a stepdaughter-in-law, Kimberly Ann York. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Geraldine Fraley Bryant; a daughter, Jamie Quesenberry and her husband, Ronald, of White Oak; a brother, Johnny Suptic and his wife, Janet, of Virginia Beach, Va.; beloved nephew, John A. (Tony) Suptic and his wife, Alison, of Sweeneysburg Road; nephew, O.L. Bryant and his wife, Betty, of Beckley; stepsons, Michael York and his wife, Barbara, of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Gregory York of Bolt, W.Va.; nieces, Kristi Suptic of Odd, Debbie Gill and her husband, Toby, of Princeton; two grandchildren, Heather and Stephen Quesenberry; seven stepgrandchildren, Lacy, Kayla, Jessica, Caleb, Christopher and Ashley York and Heather Lee; great-niece, Nicole Suptic; and a host of friends and church family. He is a member of the Crow Baptist Church at Crow. Services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring, with Pastor Dennis Burks officiating, and Pastor Rodney Allen assisting. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Gregory Tanner, Steve Tanner, Joe Cook, Howard Earehart, Robert Maltempie, and James Pate. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bowers Hospice House, 454 Cranberry Drive, Beckley, WV 25801. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home at Shady Spring.

JUMPING BRANCH — John Griffin Roles, 68, of Jumping Branch, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2007, at the Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following a sudden illness. Born March 9, 1939, at Beckley, he was the son of the late William Henry Roles and Mildred Rebecca Holliday Roles. Mr. Roles was a former distributor with Black Diamond Distributing in Beckley and was an industrial salesman for Kimball-Midwest. Mr. Roles became disabled in 1998. Mr. Roles was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during the Cu-ban Missile Crisis, and was a member of the American Legion Post 32 of Beckley. He was of the Baptist faith. Surviving are his wife, Patricia Ann Patrick Roles; two sons, William Glenn Roles of Biscoe, N.C., and Mark Alan Roles and wife, Jamie, of Jumping Branch; three sisters, Rebecca Ann Lilly and husband, Naaman H. Lilly, of Grandview, Judith Davis and husband, Jim, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Mary Louise Sparks and husband, Robert, of St. Albans; five grandchildren, Ty Dylan Roles and Trip Owen Roles of Jumping Branch and Jocelyn Roles, Jenna Roles and Jessica Roles, all of Biscoe. Service will be 3 p.m. Sunday at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring Chapel, with the Rev. Paul Holstein officiating. Entombment will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Roy “Buck” Cole, Walter Welch, Jim Elswick, Bob Sparks, Jim Davis and Mike Horton. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.com. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Shady Spring. [WWHS '58]

Dr. Doff D. Daniel Jr., 84, died Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, following a brief illness. He was born in Raleigh County on March 15, 1923, to Dr. Doff and DeMerse Daniel and was the grandson of Dr. G.P. and Nettie Mae Daniel. He obtained both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Virginia. He was a veteran of World War II, having served his country in the Air Force as a physician with the rank of captain. While attending the University of Virginia he met the late Joan Crawford Daniel to whom he was married for 40 years until her death in 1987. Dr. Daniel was a specialist in internal medicine who practiced in Beckley until shortly before his death. He is survived by his children, Cheryl Daniel of Morganton, N.C., and Doff Daniel III of Beckley. Cheryl and Doff would like to express their gratitude for their father’s example of integrity and compassion, and for the guidance he provided throughout his life. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. John M. Daniel of Beckley; his sister, Mrs. Joan Powell of Florida; and several nieces and nephews. Dr. Daniel touched many lives during his years of dedicated medical service. He will be greatly missed by his patients, colleagues, friends and family. Those wishing to honor Dr. Daniel’s memory and his work are requested by the family to make a contribution to a community or medical charity in lieu of flowers. Memorial service for Dr. Daniel will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Calfee Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Eric Miller officiating. Entombment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. The family will receive friends noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. An online guestbook is available at www.calfeefh.com. Pallbearers will be Randy Snuffer, David Kennedy, Richard Hash, Frank Dearing, Carroll Simpkins, Robert Gardner, John Richmond and Richard Hardison. Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’40]

SURVEYOR — Tammy Lynn Slate, age 40, of Surveyor, died Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007. Born at Beckley on Jan. 7, 1967, she was the daughter of Brenda Cantley Delp and Edsil Delp of Shady Spring. Tammy was of the Church of God faith, and had attended Woodrow Wilson High School. Other survivors include her stepbrother and stepsister, Aubrey Delp of Shady Spring and Becky Delp of Josephine; and adopted sisters, Louise and Tina Delp of Shady Spring. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home Shady Spring Chapel, with Rev. Allen Shields officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home from 11 a.m. until service time on Wednesday. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home at Shady Spring.

On Sunday morning, Nov. 11, 2007, her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ mercifully released His child, Sarah Elizabeth Merrylees O’Neal, from her long and courageous struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and welcomed her home into His presence. Sarah was born Nov. 27, 1921, and spent her early childhood living in Itmann and Mullens before moving to Beckley. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1940 where she was a member of the orchestra. In the mid-1940s she was the manager of the Charm Shop, a women’s fashion store in downtown Beckley. In 1947 she married and then became a full-time homemaker and mother in 1949 when her daughter was born. A former member of Beckley Regular Baptist Church, she served there as a teacher of the junior girl’s Sunday school class for a number of years. She was also regularly heard on the church’s then live Monday-Friday morning broadcast either singing or leading in prayer, and affectionately became known to many listeners as Sister Sarah. In the early 1960s she rejoined the labor force working at Montgomery Ward in the service department until she retired 20 years later. Sarah was a very tender-hearted, loving person who continually gave of herself to her family and many others, putting them ahead of her own needs, as long as she was mentally and physically able. After her grandchildren were born, she became known as Nanny, not only by them and the rest of her family, but also by a host of her grandchildren’s friends who loved to come spend time at her home and enjoy the wonderful meals and snacks she was always making for them. Sarah was preceded in death by her father and mother, Dr. James Lawrence “Doc” Merrylees and Mary Nettie McVey Merrylees; a premature sister; another older sister, Audrey Merrylees; her father and mother-in-law, James Roy and Icie Pearl Daniel O’Neal; and a dear sister-in-law, Joyce Ann Rowe O’Neal. Those blessed by her life and left to cherish and honor her memory are her husband of 60 years, Donald James O’Neal; her daughter, Donna Lou O’Neal Porterfield; her sister, Mary Lou Merrylees; a grandson, Steven Gerald Porterfield, all of whom resided at home with her; a granddaughter, Laura Lee Porterfield Koresmaros and husband Michael of Hedgesville; a great-granddaughter, Amanda Beth Koresmaros of Martinsburg; two great-grandsons, Steven James Porterfield of Pocatello, Idaho, and John Louis Porterfield of Maple Fork; brother and sister-in-law, Marshall Eugene and Alice Moore O’Neal of Beckley; brother-in-law, Denvil Lee “Dick” O’Neal of Abingdon, Va.; nephew, Eugene Randy and wife Virginia “Sue” O’Neal of Beckley, and their children, Chris and Kevin; nieces, Peggy O’Neal Haines and husband Greg of Australia and Kathy Gene O’Neal-Smith and husband Walter of Abingdon, Va., and their son, Neal; two former granddaughters-in-law who always remained close, Cheryl Phillips Porterfield of Maple Fork and Lisa Langston Dill of Pocatello, Idaho; caregivers, Tammy Johnson from Mountain State Home Health and Gail Moorefield, CNA, from Hospice, and Hospice nurses who visited and cared for her, JoAnn, Kelly, Heather, Sonya, Della, and Jim. Graveside rites will be at the McVey Family Cemetery, Sullivan, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, at 11 a.m., with the Rev. James Johnson officiating. There will be no visitation, but friends and family are welcome at gravesite. In lieu of flowers, donations of sympathy may be made to Hospice of Southern West Virginia, Box 1472, Beckley, WV 25801, or Beckley Regular Baptist Church, 707 Johnstown Road, Beckley, WV 25801. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley.

GLENDALE, Calif. — Bob Beane passed away suddenly on Oct. 23, 2007. He was born in Beckley in 1939 and resided there until he moved to Glendale in his late teens. Bob left his loving wife, Bonnie; his adult children, Roger Beane, Karen Wright, Annette Mardiney Cheryle Bingham; and seven grandchildren. Memorial service will be 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Grandview Presbyterian Church, Glendale. In lieu of flowers, please send all donations to the American Diabetes Association, 1570 Brookhollow Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92705. O'Connor Mortuary, Laguna Hills, Calif., is serving the Beane family. [WWHS '56}

Holly Elizabeth Rakes, 23, of Piney View, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. Born Dec. 18, 1983, in Beckley, she was the daughter of Christina Salazar Rakes of Piney View and William A. Rakes of Beckley. Holly attended Woodrow Wilson High School and was a current student at the Raleigh County Vocational Technical Center. She was a lifelong resident of Raleigh County. Holly was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Mary and Pete Salazar; and paternal grandfather, Arthur Bill Alberty. Surviving are her mother, Christina Salazar Rakes of Piney View; her father, William A. Rakes of Beckley; her sister, Erica Mounts, and niece, Madison Mounts, both of Piney View; her grandmother, Laura Rose of Beckley; an uncle, Nelson Salazar and his wife, Jackie, of Beckley; an aunt, Mabel Miller and her husband, Jack, of Beckley; cousins, Maria and Marcus Christian, Mariah Hicks, Olivia and Eddie Christian, Darien Salazar and Frankie Miller, all of Beckley; and a special friend, Todd Cantley of Beckley. Service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Calfee Funeral Home Chapel, Beckley, with the Rev. Vondie Cook officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Friends and family members will serve as pallbearers. Online guest book is available at www.calfeefh.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Holly Rakes’ memory to the Humane Society of Raleigh County, P.O. Box 115, Beckley, WV 25802. Arrangements by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley.

Gene Robert Shrewsbury, 80, of Beckley, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, at Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill. Born Sept. 7, 1927, he was the son of the late Willard F. and Otie Thompson Shrewsbury. Gene was retired from Pinecrest Hospital with 17 years of service. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He enjoyed sports, gardening, flowers, and was a member of the Beckley Moose Club. At age 15, he was the youngest draftee of the New York Giants baseball team and played in the Appalachian League where he was a catcher. He was a member of First Christian Church of Beckley. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Gory R., Willard F. II and Thomas Shrewsbury; and an infant sister, Ruth Marie Shrewsbury. Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Lura Meadows Shrewsbury; a daughter, Cathy Showalter and husband, Gary; three grandchildren, Chris Showalter and wife, Tiffany, Erin Ratliff and Clinton Showalter and wife, Stacey; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Virginia Bradley; and two brothers, Harold Shrewsbury and wife, Dorothy, and Dennis Shrewsbury and wife, Gloria. Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley, with the Rev. Robert Matherly officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. Friends may gather with the family noon until time of service at the funeral home. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. The family would like to thank the staff of Plateau Medical Center for all their excellent care. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridgefuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, 5251 Robert C. Byrd Drive, Beckley.

A. Dwayne Simmons, age 46, of 606 Russell St., Beckley, died Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, following a sudden illness. Born at Beckley, Feb. 2, 1961, he was the son of the late Leona Barrett Simmons and Albert Raymond Simmons. Dwayne was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and the Raleigh County Vo-Tech Center. He was self-employed in the heating and air cooling business, and was a former member of the Army National Guard. Dwayne was an avid golfer, and was a member of the Jones Memorial Baptist Church. Other than his parents, he was preceded in death by a nephew, Brian Staples, in April 2000. Survivors include his wife, Melissa Epperly Simmons; sisters, Sherron Quesenberry and husband Amos of Shady Spring and Beverly Meade and husband Jack of Amherst, Ohio; father and mother-in-law, Carlyn and Betty Epperly of Johnson City, Tenn.; nieces and nephews, Rene Lusk and husband John and their children, Cameron, Jessica, and Austin, Sharon and Leighann Staples, Sharon, Sherron, Jackie, and MacRae; and a host of close friends. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley, with Dr. Rick Metrick and Rev. Dennis Epperly officiating. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6 until 9 p.m. Wednesday. Family members and friends will serve as pallbearers. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley.

Cecil E. Sweeney, 73 years old of Parma, Ohio, [WWHS 53] died on October 20, 2007, following a long illness. A loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he is survived by his wife of 50 years, Doris (Mackey) [WWHS 55], daughter Jessica Walsh, husband Jeff, of Greensboro, NC, sons, Cecil R., wife Maria of Brunswick, OH, Donald W, wife Patti, of Parma, OH, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Brother of Lucille Slipski, Gene, Harold, Lenore Turner, Barbara Kibby, and the late Ray. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He retired from Ford Motor Co., Cleveland Engine Plant One in December of 1996 with 42 years service, as a General Supervisor. Over the years, he enjoyed flying his plane, working in his garden, the game of golf, along with days at the track. He had a love for antique cars, driving, and traveling. He served in the Army with the 82nd Airborne Division. Funeral Services are at The A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home, 18149 Bagley Road, Middleburg Hts, OH 440-260-8800.

Clinton Martin, 83, of Beckley, died Thursday evening [Oct. 18, 2007], at Raleigh General Hospital, after a long illness. A loving husband, dedicated father and grandfather, he was a member of the First Baptist Church for over fifty years, a WWII Marine Veteran and Amateur Radio Operator. He is survived by his wife, the love of his life, Geraldine B. Martin; his daughter, Pamela Lunn, son-in-law, Jim Lunn, and two grandchildren, Clinton Preston Lunn and Carleigh Elizabeth Martin Lunn, of Tampa, Fla. Also surviving are his brother, Larry Martin and wife, Carol; his sister, Ramona Malcolm and husband, Paul; and brother-in-law, John H. (Bud) Berry. He was preceded in death by parents, E.W. and Beulah Martin; four sisters, Mae Fuller, Freda Gurack, Marie Upton, and Thelma Tanner; and a brother, John Martin. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and attended Beckley College. Mr. Martin served over the years in many positions at the First Baptist Church from Junior Deacon/Deacon to Sunday School Superintendent to Fellowship Class Teacher. As a WWII Veteran he served with the 4th Division in the South Pacific. He was engaged in battles in the Marshall Islands, Saipan and Tinian. He received three Battle Stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for Saipan. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi! He was retired from Prudential Insurance Company after 35 years serving during that time as Agent, Special Agent, and Manager of the local office. As Amateur Radio Operator, WB8BSN, he worked many disasters and humanitarian missions linking those in need with loved ones though his radio hobby. Clinton and his wife danced with the Calico and Jeans Square Dance Club in Beckley for over fifteen years. Friends may call this evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at Melton Mortuary to visit with the family. His life will be honored in services at Melton Mortuary in Beckley on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m., with Dr. Phil Smith officiating and honorary speaker, Rev. Gene Hall. He will be entombed at Sunset Memorial at Mausoleum B immediately following the services. Special music to be provided by Sharon Buckland Volpe. Pallbearers are Johnny Scott, Earl Whitener, Eddie Ballard, C.R. Brown, Ed Richmond, and Ross Hutchens. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

Edna Louise Rasco Pack, formerly of Beckley, went to her eternal home from the Hospice House in Huntington on Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, following a long illness. Born Aug. 6, 1919, in Ashland, Ala., she was the daughter of the late Marvin T. and Maude Jacobs Rasco of Crab Orchard. Louise was a longtime member of Pemberton Methodist Church and was instrumental in its relocation to the New River Park as the coal camp church at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. She then became a member of First United Methodist Church on Heber Street in Beckley where she was an active member of First Circle. Louise graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1938. She worked for the Lillybrook Company Store in Sullivan before joining her late husband, Leeburn E. Pack, in his family’s business. Louise and Leeburn operated Pack’s Supermarket on South Fayette Street in Beckley, which closed in 1986. Louise was an active member and past president of Town and Country Community Education Outreach Service (CEOS). In June 1991 she represented the Raleigh County Extension Homemakers as the “Belle” in the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville. She was co-chair and participated in the annual quilt show and apple butter making for the Appalachian Arts and Crafts Festival at the Raleigh County Amory Civic Center. Louise was a volunteer at Pine Lodge, Well I’ll Bee, AARP Chapter 409, Shepherd Center and Friends of the Library. Surviving are two daughters, Carolyn Callopi and Betty Willis of Huntington; a son, Marvin L. Pack and wife, Cherryl, of Ocala, Fla.; a sister, Nell Kelly of Charleston, S.C.; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many very special nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leeburn Emory Pack; two sons-in-law, Louis J. “Sonny” Callopi and Harry A. Willis; and a brother, James T. Rasco in World War II. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the E. Louise Pack Memorial Fund, c/o Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, Attn. Renda Morris, P.O. Box 2514, Beckley, WV 25801 or First United Methodist Church, Memorial Fund, 217 S. Heber St., Beckley, WV 25801. Memorial service will be 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at First United Methodist Church, 217 S. Heber St., with Dr. Robert G. Stoddard officiating. Graveside rites and burial were at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley, prior to the memorial service. There will be no visitation. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley

Cathy S. Holliday, 57, of 209 Queen St., Beckley, passed away Sunday [Sept. 30, 2007], at the Raleigh General Hospital, after a long illness. Cathy was the daughter of the late Guss E. Lilly Jr. and the late Iva L. Lilly. Cathy was a retired homemaker after having worked for Quick Prince Printing in Beckley and Resource Plus in Jacksonville, Fla. She enjoyed cooking and spending time with her friends and family. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Beckley. She will be sadly missed by John, her husband of 37 years, her son Michael and his wife Christy of Charlotte, N.C., her daughter, Kristin and her husband Roy of Jacksonville, Fla., her grandson, Andrew of Charlotte, N.C., and her close relatives and friends. There will be a celebration of life on Wednesday evening from 5 until 8 p.m. at Calfee Funeral Home. A private service will be held at a later date. [WWHS Class of 1969]

Alta Pearl Kincaid, 83, of Beckley, died Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007, in the Bowers Hospice House, following a short illness. Born July 2, 1924, in Bolt, W.Va., she was the only child of Phillip and Rettie Richmond Stover. Alta moved to Beckley at the age of 2 and was a resident of Stanley Street for 81 years and she was a 1943 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. She was a very devoted employee of the W.T. Grant Co., where she worked for 35 years until the business closed in 1975. She also had 15 years of employment with the Hub and Vogue. She was a friendly, loving, caring and wonderful person. She loved her involvement with her very special friends the “Grant Girls”: Lucille Quesenberry, Queen Schoolfield, Margaret Ann Stephens, Julie Worley, Jean Hilbert, Blanche Pennington, Lillian Brownlee, Gloria Baird, Doris Smith, Delilah Bandy and Mary Reid, and she looked forward to their monthly dinner out. She will be missed by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her husband G.Z. “Mate” Kincaid in 2000. Survivors include several nephews and nieces, including her nephew Carlos Kincaid and his wife Sandra with whom she made her home the past seven years and Virginia Johnson and her husband Ralph of Cleveland, Ohio, whom she considered as her children, and David Kincaid and his wife Ann of Bluefield; and by several cousins including Marie Summers and Genny Smiley. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007, in the Melton Mortuary Chapel with the Rev. Robert Barley officiating. Burial will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, Beckley. Friends may call this evening from 6 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home. Condolences may be mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

William Walter “Goose” Andrews, 69, of Oak Hill, died Friday, Sept. 28, 2007, at Pearisburg, Va., as a result of an accidental drowning. Born Aug. 10, 1938, he was the son of the late Carl and Pauline Harrah Andrews. Mr. Andrews was manager of John W. Eye/Big Sandy in Beckley with 43 years of service. Most recently, Mr. Andrews served as the company’s vice president for sales, overseeing the opening of three new stores in the last 10 years. Mr. Andrews, along with Glenn Scott and Randy Scott, started Grandview Country Club in 1971. He had served in the U.S. Army Reserves. He lived and he loved, and those include his family, children and grandchildren. He loved fishing the New River and hunting elk out west. Survivors include his wife, Carol Tolbert; sons, Kent Williams and wife, Julie, of Charleston and Christian Williams and wife, Meredith, of Charlotte, N.C.; daughters, Lisa Welsh and husband, Jack, of Milwaukee, Wis., Laura Andrews of Beckley and April Gardner and husband, Walter Moore, of Charleston; a brother, Mark Andrews of Beckley; a sister, Ethel Meador and husband, Wendell, of Beaver; six grandchildren, Justin, Autumn, McKenzie, Haley, Sean and Thomas; and his former wife and the mother of his children, Selma Andrews of Beckley. Service will be 4:30 p.m. today at Oak Grove Christian Church with Pastor Ken Overdorf officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery. Friends may call 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. today at the church. Pallbearers will be John Eye, Ben Williams, Larry Holyman, Bill Blankenship, Lawrence Burkel, Steve Sto-ver, Randy Parsons and John Withrow. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’57]

HERMITAGE, Tenn. — Michael Scott Lusk, 42, died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007. Mr. Lusk was a baseball coach at Donelson-Hermitage Rotary Park and a member of Two Rivers Baptist Church. He graduated and played baseball at Belmont University. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, where he was inducted into the WWHS Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. He is survived by wife, Suzie Ballard Lusk; a son, Cameron Lusk; a daughter, Abby Lusk; father, Wendell Lusk; sisters, Angie Keys and Michele Jones; Casey and Morgan Rash; and Madison Jones. Service will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Two Rivers Baptist Church with interment to be held at Hermitage Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the education fund for his children at Region Bank. Visitation with family will be 5:30 to 8 p.m. today and one hour before service at the church. Arrangements by Hermitage Funeral Home. Tributes at www.mem.com.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007, Boyd Edwards passed away in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. He was in his 84th year. Known affectionately as “Red,” Boyd Bland Edwards was born on June 15, 1923, at Beckley, one of four children born to the late Goldie Halstead Edwards. In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by his sisters and brother, Ava Clyde Lilly, Georgia Huffman, and Ray Edwards. A lifelong resident of Joseph Street in Beckley, Mr. Edwards was a 1941 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. A veteran of the U.S. Navy during WWII, he was a recipient of the Pacific Theatre Ribbon, American Theatre Ribbon, WWII Victory Medal and Philippine Liberation Ribbon. After his stint in the Navy, Boyd began a career in the meat packing industry. First employed by Armour, he retired from Peerless Packing Company as a sales manager with 35 years of service. Devoted to his family, he enjoyed reading and yard work in his leisure time. He was of the Christian faith. Boyd has been the beloved husband of Geraldine “Gerry” Landreth Edwards for the past 47 years; the loving father of Daniel Boyd Edwards and his wife Teresa of Raleigh, N.C., and David Charles Edwards and his wife Debbie of Christiansburg, Va.; the fond stepfather of Deborah L. Dale Devores of Beckley; the dear grandfather of Alex, Jake, Justin and Amy Edwards, Courtney Devores and her husband Phil Strickland, Adam Collins and his wife Katie and Matt Collins; the uncle of Margaret Pierce and her husband Jim and Kylette Brown and her husband Mike, all of Beckley. Funeral services will be Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Melton Mortuary Chapel with the Rev. Robin Debnam officiating. Entombment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum in Beckley. Friends may call on Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. until time of the services. Family members and friends will serve as pallbearers. Condolences may be mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

On Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, Ann L. Rodgers of Beckley died in a Beckley hospital following a long illness. She was 71 years of age. Ann was born on Feb. 6, 1936, at Thayer, the daughter of the late Omar and Dottie Holliday Richmond. A longtime resident of Northwestern Avenue, Ann was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, Class of 1954. Ann had been active with her high school reunion committee throughout the years. She was a member of the Memorial Baptist Church, where she was the church hostess for many years and had been a circle leader. Ann was a former employee of Sunset Memorial Park in Beckley and Highlawn Funeral Home in Oak Hill. In addition to her parents, Ann was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bascom “Buck” Rodgers. Ann is the beloved mother of Gregory S. Rodgers of Beckley and Terri L. Thompson and her husband Doug of Atlanta, Ga.; the dear grandmother of Kenzie Leann Thompson, Emily Dawn and Shane McNeal Rodgers; the fond sister of Mrs. Harold (Barbara) Knuckles of La Plata, Md.; sister-in-law to Thelma Scott Young of Martinsville, Va.; her best friend, Teddie Sepkowski; the aunt of Janet Steel of Oak Hill; Alan Knuckles of Raleigh, N.C.; Gary and Mark Knuckles and Beverly Greenwald, all of La Plata; and Robin Young of Martinsville. Committal services will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Sunset Memorial Park, where Ann will then be laid to rest beside her beloved Buck. Friends may call Tuesday at the Melton Mortuary from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Those wishing to attend the graveside services are asked to meet at the mortuary by 12:30 p.m. Family members and friends will serve as pallbearers. Donations of Sympathy can be made to the Beckley Area Foundation Inc., 129 Main St., Suite 203; Beckley, WV 25801. Condolences may be mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007, Ethel Taylor Jessup, gentle Christian lady, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, dedicated school teacher and a good friend to many people, passed away in a Beckley hospital following a short illness. She was in her 83rd year. Ethel Taylor Jessup was born Aug. 29, 1924, in Beckley, one of three daughters born to the late Olen Ray and Bertha Jones Taylor. Mrs. Jessup spent her childhood in Beckley. She was a 1942 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. She attended Morris Harvey College (University of Charleston) where she received a degree in teaching. She held a Master's degree in education from West Virginia University. Mrs. Jessup began her teaching career at Bradley Elementary, retiring from Maxwell Hill Elementary. She taught school for 24 years. Along with teaching, Mrs. Jessup helped her husband, Odell, in his business, the O.E. Jessup Co., a wholesale feed and grocery store. She was an active member of Maxwell Hill Baptist Church where she was a member of the Senior Saints. Mrs. Jessup had made her home on Maxwell Hill since 1960. In her leisure time Mrs. Jessup loved to read and was a member of Senior Friends. Two months and six days ago, on July 12, Mrs. Jessup lost her beloved husband of 64 years, former Raleigh County Assessor Odell E. Jessup. She was also preceded in death by a great-grandson, Ethan Hunter Jessup. Mrs. Jessup was the loving mother of Sharon England and her husband, Ronald, of Beckley, Dr. Earl Jessup and his wife, Beth, of Barrie, Ontario, Canada, and Larry Jessup and his wife, Daphne, of Crow; the dear grandmother of Penny Carrico, Chuck Jessup, Wendy Poteat, Natalie Cochran, Crystal Miller, Jay Jessup, Susanna Owen, Rachel Jessup, Joel Jessup, Jeff England and Jennifer Meadows; 14 living great-grandchildren; and the fond sister of Ruth Phipps and Mary Anderson, both of Beckley. Service will be 3 p.m. Friday at Maxwell Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Ken Killen officiating. Mrs. Jessup will then be entombed by her beloved husband Odell at Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call 1 p.m. until time of service Friday at the church. Grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Donations of sympathy can be made to Baptist Church Planting Ministry, for the establishment of new Baptist churches, Attn: Seed Bank; P.O. Box 240904; Apple Valley, MN 55124. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl.net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

ARNOLD GENE RIFFE. On Thursday, September 13, 2007. Beloved husband of Margaret S. Riffe and the late Shirley Denny Riffe; loving father of Shirleen Gail Riffe, Vaughn Kyle (Diane) Riffe and Darleen (Brian) Riffe-Sheedy; stepfather of Christine (Dennis) Blunt, Gregg (Maggie) Schanne, Mark (Donna) Schanne and Troy (Kathy) Schanne; grandfather of Sara Jean Burke, Carlie Patricia Riffe, Kevin Tyler Burke, Rachel Lynn Federline and Kyle Denny Riffe; stepgrandfather of Alisa Schanne, Stephen Schanne, Brian Schanne, Daniel Schanne, Zachery Blunt, Caitlan Schanne, John Schanne, Haley Schanne, Whitney Blunt, Nick Schanne, Sean Blunt and Kevin Schanne; brother of Ruth (David) Riffe Astle, Rosanna Riffe Looney, Mary Ellen (Maywood) Riffe Ellifritt, Vivian Riffe, Orpha Loretta Riffe Lilly, Rachel (Dan) Riffe Patton, Rebecca Riffe, Delmar Ray (Jean) Riffe, Bill Riffe, Howard (Marcella) Riffe, Jan (Margaret) Riffe, Robert Riffe, Don Kyle Riffe and S.D. "Butch" Riffe; brother-in-law of Richard and Sophia Riehl, Philip and Marilyn Riehl, Loretta and the late Kurt Riehl, and Jean Riffe. He was predeceased by an infant brother, Charles Walton Riffe, Jr.; a sister, Sandy Riffe Smith; and a brother, Carl Lee Riffe. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Born in Mabscott, WV, he was the fifth of 18 children born to the late Walton and Alma Riffe. He graduated from the former Morris Harvey College, now the University of Charleston and the University of Maryland Law School. Relatives and friends may call at BORGWARDT FUNERAL HOME, 4400 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD, on Monday, September 17, from 10 a.m. until time of service at 12 noon. Interment private. Memorial contributions may be made to Riffe Memorial, c/o Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 576, Callao, VA 22435. [From the Washington Post, Sept. 16, 2007. He was living in Hague, Va., at the time of his death.]

Edward “Shan” P. Stansbury, of Beckley, passed away the 15th day of September, 2007. He was born Oct. 19, 1922, in Beckley. He served as a tail gunner in a B-17 in the U.S. Air Force from 1942-1945. While on a mission, his plane was shot down behind enemy lines and he was held as a prisoner of war for nine months. Due to injuries he received trying to return to allied territory after the crash, he was awarded a purple heart. After his tour of duty, Mr. Stansbury attended law school at West Virginia University, where he graduated in 1950. He was a member of Phi Alpha Delta, the Raleigh County Bar Association, the West Virginia State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He was admitted to practice law in all of the Circuit Courts of West Virginia, as well as the West Virginia Supreme Court and the Federal Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. He was a retired member of the law firm of Anderson, Bridi, Stansbury & Associates, L.C. During his tenure as an attorney, he was appointed City Police Judge for Beckley, and served as a Divorce Commissioner for Raleigh County. He was well known and respected as an expert throughout southern West Virginia in the area of real estate and title work. He was also a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks and Loyal Order of Moose. Mr. Stansbury was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Stansbury; his mother, Theresa Pownall Stansbury; three brothers, Charles Stansbury, Robert Stansbury, and Herbert Stansbury; and wives, Margaret Stansbury and Bonnie Stansbury. Survivors include his two daughters, Sharon Shrader and her husband Vic and Mary Ann Griffith; two grandchildren, Ashley Shrader and John Griffith; three stepchildren, Katherine Kyle Bowden and her husband Jim, Jackie Kyle Titus and her husband Tom, and Ron Kyle and his wife Linda; six stepgrandchildren, Molly Bowden Osyf and her husband Pete, Albert Bowden, Maggie Kyle Bowden, Samantha Johnson and her husband David, Wendy Kyle Esquivel and her husband Julio, and Nathan Kyle; two stepgreat-grandchildren, Sophia Osyf and Kyle Johnson; three nephews, Charles Stansbury and his wife Judy, Herb Stansbury III and Mike Stansbury and his wife Trudy; and his good friends and driver, Marty Fite and Martha Gillespie. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007, at Calfee Funeral Home in Beckley, with Dr. Bob Stoddard officiating. Private family interment will be at Calloway Cemetery in Glen Daniel. Friends may call one hour before the service at the funeral home. Honorary pallbearers will be the Raleigh County Bar Association. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main St., Suite 203, Beckley, WV, 25801. An online guest book is available at www.calfeefh. com. Arrangements made by Calfee Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’41]

On Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, Mary Ann Bava of Gunter Road, Beckley, passed away at the Doug and Lucy Bowers Hospice House following a long illness. She was 77 years of age. Born Mary Ann Davis on May 24, 1930, at Mt. Tabor, she was one of seven children born to the late William Issac and Elivra Gunter Davis. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by brothers Charles, Calvin and Jack Davis and sisters, Ila Harrelson and Frances Loveday. Mary Ann spent her childhood at Mt. Tabor. A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, class of 1948, she attended Concord College where she received a teaching degree. She also held a Master's Degree in Education from the College of Graduate Studies. A dedicated teacher, Mary Ann taught many years at Mabscott Elementary School, retiring from Maxwell Hill Elementary. Mary Ann was a member of the National Education Association, and the Daughters of the Confederacy. She was a member of the Crab Orchard Baptist Church where she belonged to the Friendship Sunday School Class. In her leisure time she had enjoyed reading and traveling. Her last trip was to Rome and Naples. On April 30, 2006, Mary Ann lost her beloved husband of 50 years, Tony Bava. She was the loving mother of Karen Hudson and her husband Richard of Pounding Mill, Va.; and Joseph Bava and his wife Diane of Lady Lake, Fla.; the dear grandmother of Sara and Emily; Ashleigh and Jessica; the fond sister of Margaret Lytal of Dubois, Pa.; and her sister-in-law, Delores Davis of Huntington. Funeral services will be 4 p.m. today, Tuesday, at the Melton Mortuary Chapel with the Rev. Phil Shields officiating. Mary Ann will then be laid to rest by her beloved Tony at the Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens at Prosperity. Friends may call one hour prior to the services today, Tuesday. Donations of sympathy can be made to: Mountain Kids Inc., PO Box 1298, North Tazewell, VA 24630. Condolences may be mailed to the family at melton@wvdsl .net. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.

Margaret Ann Crouch, 42, of Beckley, went to be with the Lord on Friday, Sept. 14, 2007. Born May 24, 1965, she was the daughter of Carlos and Linda Williams Crouch. Margaret loved spending time with her family and spending time with her church family. She was a member of the Church of God Family Worship Center. She was preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Harry and Annie Crouch; maternal grandparents, Basil and Lettie Williams; two uncles, Ralph Williams and Henry Crowder; and a cousin, Lee Venable. Those left to cherish her memory include her parents, Linda and Carlos Crouch; daughter, Ashley Nicole Crouch; sister, Vicky Toney and husband, Ken, of Mechanicsville, Va.; sister, Missy Crouch and Dave Reed of Beckley; brother, Jeff Crouch and wife, Heather, of Shady Spring; sister, Kelly Elkins and husband, Rodney, of Beckley; brother, Bill Crouch and Amy Petrosky of Beckley; three nephews and four nieces. Many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends also survive her. Service will be 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, at the Family Worship Center, Beckley, with Pastor Mark Schrade officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may gather with the family one hour before service at the Family Worship Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in a trust account for Ashley Nicole Crouch of The Bank of Mount Hope. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridgefuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’83]

Lawrence “Larry” Filipek, 64, of Beckley, died Friday afternoon, Sept. 14, 2007, at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital following a long illness of liver disease. Born July 5, 1943, at Raleigh, he was the son of the late Vincent and Stella Lagowski Filipek. Mr. Filipek was a member of St. Francis deSales Catholic Church in Beckley. He was employed by Wilcox and Fairchild for 31 years. His illness required him to be disabled from working. He enjoyed woodworking, gardening and spending time with his family. Other than his parents, Mr. Filipek was preceded in death by a brother, Patrick Filipek, and a granddaughter, Jamie Filipek. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Violet Williams Filipek; two sons, Ralph Filipek and wife, Freda, of Beckley and Douglas Filipek and wife, Amber, of Daniels; two grandsons, Vladek Filipek and Aiden Filipek; two brothers, Frank Filipek of Stanton, Calif., and Robert Filipek of Grandview; and four sisters, Theresa Karras of Cartaret, N.J., Gladys Sutyak of Beckley, Aneiela Skelton of Suffolk, Va., and Connie Filipek of Daniels. Service will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Beckley Church of God, 2211 S. Kanawha St., with the Rev. F.D. Sexton and Father Chapin Engler officiating. Burial will follow at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Beckley. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at the church. A Christian prayer service will be held at 8 p.m. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net. Pallbearers will be family and friends. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home, Beckley. [WWHS ’61]

Kevin Lane Canterbury, 49, lived every day as if it was the last day of his life; that day turned out to be Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, when he died from complications of lung and bone cancer. Mr. Canterbury was a resident of Maxwell Hill in Beckley for virtually his entire life. Kevin had many good friends through the years who knew him as a fun-loving, highly spirited man who rarely could avoid a good time or resist a road trip, and who would go out of his way for anybody — old friend or new acquaintance — who needed a helping hand. Besides his friends, family and co-workers, his primary loves were his various motorcycles, starting with a minibike when he was 12 years old, and many girlfriends through the years, all of whom had a special place in his heart. A construction worker who worked throughout West Virginia, but mainly in the Ohio River Valley, Kevin was a proud member of Laborers International Union Local 543 in Huntington He is survived by his father, “Sarge” Charles E. “Chuck” Canterbury, and stepmother, Barbara Lynn Canterbury, of Mount Hope; brother, Steven D. Canterbury and his wife, Nancy, of Charleston; aunt, Mary Ruth Bowyer of Maple Fork; uncle, Norton Canterbury and his wife, Mary, of Mount Hope; cousin, the Rev. Ronald Bowyer of Capon Bridge; as well as several other loving extended family members. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Bowyer Canterbury Brown. The family also especially appreciates Kevin's good friend, Robert Nasby, who gave tirelessly of himself to help Kevin throughout the last several very difficult months. Kevin's last words were an appropriate reflection of his life: “Put out the fire! Call in the dogs! It's over, boys.” He will be cremated. Memorial service will be held in approximately two weeks. Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Tyree Funeral Home, Mount Hope. [WWHS ’75]

BLUFF CITY, Tenn. — Susan J. Soltes, 48, died Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007, at Johnson City Medical Center. She was a native of Beckley, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She moved to Bluff City in 1985 and was an active member of the PTA at Avoca Elementary School. Mrs. Soltes enjoyed working in her flower garden and dedicated her life to helping others, especially children. Survivors include her husband, William “Bill” Soltes; her daughter, Rhegan Soltes; her son, Hunter Soltes, all of the home; her mother, Patricia DeHart Brammer of Beckley; her sisters, Brenda Thorne and her husband Tom of Beckley, and Sara Barber and her husband John of Baltimore, Md.; and several nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. today, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, at Oakley-Cook Funeral Home, 2223 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, Tenn. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon in the Paul Cook Memorial Chapel of Oakley-Cook Funeral Home with Mr. Bob Robinson, minister, officiating. The committal and interment will follow in Glenwood Cemetery. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family and viewed by visiting www.oakley-cook.com. Mrs. Soltes and her family are in the care of Oakley-Cook Funeral Home, 2223 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, Tenn.; 423-764-7123.

Bobby Ray Turner Sr., age 70, of Beckley, died Friday, Aug. 10, 2007, at the Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, following a long illness. Born at Hot Coal, W.Va., on July 7, 1937, he was the son of the late Eugene Calvin Turner and Mary Blanche Fortner Turner. Mr. Turner was the retired owner of Turner's Shoes for Men in Beckley for over 30 years of business. He was a member of the Oak Grove Christian Church and had lived most of his life in Beckley. He was preceded in death by brothers, James Roland Turner and Billy Gene Turner. Surviving wife of over 51 years, Eleanor Osvart Turner; his children, Bobby Ray Turner Jr. and wife Jeanne of Mooresville, N.C., and Deborah Pettus and husband Andrew of Mooresville, N.C.; a brother, Jack Wesley Turner and wife Cynthia of Beckley; four grandchildren, Bethany, Andrew, and Alexander Turner, and Autumn Pettus; and sisters-in-law, Reta Jean Turner and Mildred Turner of Beckley. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Rose and Quesenberry Peace Chapel in Beckley with Pastor Ken Overdorf officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park in Beckley. Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Roger Slone, David, Jeremy, Andrew, and Brad Turner, and Andrew Pettus. Online condolences may be sent to our guest book at www.roseandquesenberry.net, or you may send condolences to Oak Grove Christian Church, 273 Oak Grove Road, Beckley, WV 25801. Arrangements by Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley. [WWHS ’55]

Yvonne Elaine Valentine Utter, 70, of Port Orange, FL, also residing in Indiana during the summer months passed away September 4, 2007. Yvonne was married to Edward L. Utter and together they had five children and 11 grandchildren. She worked as a civilian employee for the Department of Army, Ft. Harrison, IN, and was actively involved in the Federal Employed Women's organization, and later retired in 1988. Following her husband's retirement in 1999, they purchased a home in Florida where they spent their winter months. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in July, 2006. She was a loving, generous, and strong woman who loved her family and friends deeply. She loved to travel and celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with her loving husband on a Hawaiian cruise in February, 2007, as well as celebrating with friends and family afterwards. After celebrating her 70th birthday in August, her battle with cancer finally came to an end. Yvonne is survived by her beloved husband Ed, who she married April 27. 1957, and children: Mark (Kathy) Utter, Daniel (Lisa) Utter, Indianapolis; Elaine (Patrick) McDowell, Greenfield; Joni (Matthew) Anderson, St. Leonard, MD: and James Utter companion Fred Bowers, Port Orange, FL, and eleven grandchildren and two sisters, Goldie Martin, W. VA and Linda Seymour, AZ. Funeral service will be Saturday, September 8, at Feeney-Hornak Shadeland Mortuary at 11 a.m. Entombment will be at Washington Park East Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday September 7 from 2-8 p.m. at the mortuary. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Community VNA Hospice. Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.MeM.com [WWHS ’55, from the Indianapolis Star]