Obituaries for the week of May 28

From staff reports
Published: May 28, 2008

Peter Bayne Barker
Peter Bayne Barker, 72, of Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., died May 14.
He was the son of the late R. Maxwell Barker and Jaquelin M. Barker. He was preceded in death by his sister, Ellen Barker Hills.
He attended Lynchburg Public Schools, and then graduated from Virginia Episcopal School. He graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington. He then worked in sales for 40 years in the Industrial Department of Barker-Jennings Corporation. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church. He was active with the YMCA Youth programs and a member of Oakwood Country Club.
He is survived by his daughter, Laurie M. Barker, and her husband, Ahmad Moini, of Princeton, N.J.; his son, Peter B. Barker Jr. and his wife, Frances Barker, of Moneta; and three grandchildren, Ian Moini and Emily Moini, of Princeton, N.J., and Jessica Pence of Wirtz.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Louise Gentry Bryant
Louise Gentry Bryant died on May 24. She was the wife of Daniel Clifford Bryant for 63 years.
Born in Nelson County, June 28, 1927, she was a daughter of the late Harry Gentry and Claudia Staton Gentry. She was a homemaker and a member of Maple Grove Pentecostal Holiness Church in Winginia.
In addition to her husband she is survived by one son; Benjamin Russell (Peter) Bryant and wife Janice of Appomattox; three daughters, Virginia Bryant Wells and husband David of Rustburg, Doris Bryant Jamerson and husband David of Buckingham, Brenda Bryant and fiance, Grover Smith of Appomattox; twelve grandchildren, Ginger, Bennie, Lauren, Tony, Robin, Ricky, Jennifer, Christie, April, Danielle Louise, Barbara Ann, Tracey Jr. and sixteen great-grandchildren; a number of brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Claudia Ann Deavers.
Funeral services were held on May 27 at Robinson Funeral Home. Burial followed in Maple Grove Pentecostal Holiness Church Cemetery.

Robert Clinton Burford
Robert “Bobby” Clinton Burford, 66, died on May 20.
He was born March 16, 1942, in Lynchburg, to the late William and Lillie Burford. He was preceded in death by his son, Darnell; eight brothers, St. John, Theodore, Herman, Bernard, Peyton, Webster, Tarry and Daniel; and two sisters, Flossie and Baby Ruth Burford.
In addition to his wife, Rochella, he is survived by one son, Troy Burford (Latrese) of Grand Prairie, Texas; one daughter, Shelley Knight (Jeffery) of Chesapeake; two grandchildren, Rachel and Jared Knight; mother-in-law, Mattie Thomas of Monroe; two sisters, Ruth Phillips (Leroy) of Washington, D.C., and Julia Nicholson of Clinton, Md.; two brothers, Terry Burford (Dallas) of Monroe and James Burford (Peggy) of Clinton, Md.; seven sisters-in-law, Ruth Helen and Katherine, both of Monroe, Frances Sally of Washington, D.C., Myrtle of Naruna, Erlene Barbour (Willie) of Lynchburg, Diane Bitting and Melody Burford (David), both of Charlotte, N.C.; two brothers-in-law, Percy Thomas (Debbie) of Newport News and Mark Thomas of Syracuse, N.Y.; three aunts, Laura Ann Jeffrey (George) of New Rochelle, N.Y., Evelyn Wright, of Steelton, Pa., and Margaret Govans of New York; one uncle, Ardie Thomas of Monroe; two god-daughters; one god-son, and a host of other nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
A funeral service was conducted May 24 at Rising Sun Missionary Baptist Church. Interment was in the church cemetery.

Blanche Ripley Callahan
Blanche Ripley Callahan, 88, died May 22.
She was a member of Fairview Rebekah Lodge Number 52 of Madison Heights and had resided at the Odd Fellows Home in Lynchburg for a number of years prior to living with her daughter in New Jersey. She was a member of West Lynchburg Baptist Church.
Born in Andersonville, on Aug. 4, 1919, she was a daughter of the late William and Berta Gowin Ripley. She was the wife of the late Adrian Bernard Callahan for 55 years.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Rodney Adrian Callahan.
She is survived by her son, David K. Callahan of Lynchburg, her daughter, Sylvia Gale Callahan of Pennsauken, N.J.; her granddaughter, Ashley Callahan of Roanoke; her grandson, Brian Callahan, also of Roanoke; and two great grandchildren.
A funeral service was held on May 28 at Heritage Funeral Service. Burial followed in Spring Hill Cemetery.

Stuart Ashby Doss
Stuart Ashby Doss, 75, of Madison Heights, died on May 20. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Laura Moore Doss.
Born Sept. 29, 1932, in Amherst County, he was the son of the late Walter Clarence Doss Sr. and the late Flossie Ferguson Doss. He served with the U.S. Army and was a member of Amelon United Methodist Church. He was retired from the Lynchburg Foundry.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, W. Clarence Doss Jr., and by a sister, Dorothy Doss Moore.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Gwendolyn Doss Brooks and husband, Carlton, of Madison Heights; one son, Stuart Randall Doss and wife, Angela, of Bedford County; three grandsons, Joshua, Jeremy and Justin Brooks; one brother, Herman Doss and wife, Margie, of Madison Heights; and one sister-in-law, Bertha Doss of Amherst.
Funeral services were conducted May 23 at Whitten Monelison Chapel. Interment, with military honors provided by American Legion Post 16, followed in Old Herman Cemetery in Appomattox.

Robert E. Fitzgerald
Robert E. Fitzgerald, 74, of Kanopolis, Kan., died May 18.
He was born March 6, 1934, in Fairfax County to Herman M. and Mary Viar Fitzgerald.
He was a retired Master Sergeant in the U.S. Airforce at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and a veteran of the Vietnam War.
He was preceded in death by brothers, Herman Jr., Richard and Gene.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon of Kanopolis; daughter, Kimberly Seitz of Ellsworth; sons, Robert A. and Jeff of Ellsworth, Todd, Salina and Michael of Ellis; sisters, Lily Tyler of Schuyler, Virginia, and Elsie Moore of Lovingston; brother, William of Newport News; 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held May 22 at the United Methodist Church in Kanopolis, with burial at the Kanopolis Cemetery.

Maybelle Lowe Fitzgerald
Maybelle Lowe Fitzgerald, 75, of Colonial Heights, died May 20.
She was the daughter of the late Robbie Campbell and Percy William Lowe and was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Earl Fitzgerald, and two grandsons, Peter Gordon and Andrew Scott Fitzgerald.
She is survived by a son, Norman William Fitzgerald of Lorton; a daughter, Darlene Fitzgerald Barnett and husband, Lewis G. of Aydlett, of N.C.; sister and brother-in-law, Roberta L. Wills and Isaac; brother, Percy William Lowe Jr., all of Madison Heights; three granddaughters, Catherine Alexander Fitzgerald, Ashley Elizabeth Barnett and Lori Barnett Sweeney, M.D. and husband, Eric; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral service was held at May 25 in the Chapel of Byrum-Parr Funeral Home. Interment was in the Beech Grove Christian Church Cemetery.

Eulalia Glover Greene
Eulalia Glover Greene, 75, of Lynchburg, died on May 24. She was the wife of the late Herbert Ray Greene.
She was born in Appomattox County on March 30, 1933, a daughter of the late Judy Ferguson Glover Holland and the late Howard Wilson Glover.
She is survived by her sisters, Elnora Tolley Fitzgerald and husband, Marion of Madison Heights and Anne Trent and husband, Eddie of Lynchburg; one niece; one nephew; great-nieces; great-nephew; her sister-in-law, Connie Haak of Florida; and her brothers-in-law, Joe Greene of Lynchburg and Paul Greene of Farmville.
She was a member of Lynchburg Church of God and was retired from General Electric.
A funeral service as conducted May 26 at Tharp Funeral Home. Burial followed at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Farmville.

Mamie Burks Gunter
Mamie Burks Gunter, 92, of Mockingbird Lane, Gladstone, died on May 21. She was the wife of the late Thomas William Gunter.
Born in Nelson County, Jan. 31, 1916, she was a daughter of the late Clifford Winston Burks and Mattie Francis Berkeley Burks. She was a poet, a strong woman of faith and a prayer warrior. She was a member of the Appomattox Pentecostal Holiness Church and a participant in the House of Prayer and Revival Center in Buckingham.
She is survived by three children and their spouses, Aline and James M. Robertson, Richard E. and Mary Gunter, all of Buckingham, and Kathy and Charles H. Seay of Appomattox; two grandchildren, Robin Branch Burrage and her husband, Steven, and Neal Gunter; friends and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a grandson, Steven Douglas Branch; four brothers, Effie Burks, Claude Burks, Ivey Burks and Walter Burks; and three sisters, Lena Childress, Maude Bryant and Minnie Bryant.
Funeral services were held May 24 at Robinson Funeral Home. Burial was private at the Branch Family Cemetery.

Joseph David Hall
Joseph David Hall, 76, of Madison Heights, died May 22. He was the husband of the June Wingfield Hall.
Born July 1, 1931 in Lynchburg, he was the son the late Henry William and Annie Bell Howell Hall. He was a retied self-employed logger.
In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Barry W. Hall; one daughter, Cheryl Bonfonti; one grandson, Joseph Lee Bonfonti and two sisters, Mary H. Reid and Sue J. Light.
He is survived by two daughters, Sandra Pugh and her husband, Donald of Madison Heights and Rebecca Moore of Summerville, S.C.; one brother, Sam Hall of Columbus, Ohio; one sister, Martha Hillegass of Huntingtown, Md.; a daughter-in-law, Kathy P. Hall, of Madison Heights; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was conducted on May 27 at Whitten Monelison Chapel. Interment followed in Virginia Memorial Park in Forest.

Elmo Thurston Lawhorne Jr.
Elmo Thurston Lawhorne Jr., 74, died May 22. He was the husband of Hazel Dalton Lawhorne.
Born Aug. 8, 1833, in Amherst, he was a son of the late Elmo Thurston and Theresa Rhea Lawhorne Sr. He was the owner/operator of Lawhorne Excavation.
He is also survived by a daughter, Theresa Lawhorne Brown of Amherst; a sister Peggy Johnson of Lynchburg; and two granddaughters, Hilary L. Potts and husband, Ryan, of Norfolk and Heather A. Brown of Amherst.
He was preceded in death by a son, Kenneth Wayne Lawhorne, and two sisters, Elizabeth L. Turner and Marguerite L. Merkey.
Graveside services were conducted on May 27. Military honors were provided by the American Legion Post #16 of Lynchburg.

Virginia A. Napier
Virginia A. Napier, 91, of Charlottesville, died on May 24.
She was born Aug. 9, 1916, in Charlottesville, to the late Walter A. Bryant and the late Sally Marshall Bryant.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Luther Thomas Napier; a son, Luther Thomas Napier Jr.; a granddaughter, Sheri Ann Ford; a brother and three sisters.
She is survived by four daughters, Shirley Yowell and her husband, Paul, Brenda Tomlin, Eleanor Thomas and her husband, Gary, and Charlotte Bartley; three sisters, Claudia Dennis, Ruth Craddock and Elizabeth Currier; nine grandchildren, Kim Maynard, Kathy Rohm, Krissy Pitts, Joe Ford, Brad and Timothy Thomas, Brooke Shaver, L.D. and Thomas Bartley; and 11 great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held May 28 at Teague Funeral Home Chapel. Interment followed at Scottville Cemetery.

Horsley Burks White Jr.
Horsley “H.B.” Burks White Jr., 88, a retires U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant and longtime resident of San Antonio and Atascosa, Texas, died May 21.
He was born Jan. 8, 1920, in Madison Heights, and was the second of seven children born to parents, Horsley Burks White Sr. and Mary Lillian Hamlet White.
He was a 1941 graduate of Madison Heights High School where he was voted “Best Athletic Boy,” excelling in baseball and basketball. After high school, he played semi-pro baseball for surrounding area teams.
He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1941 and served for 23 years, stationed at military installations across the U.S. and the world including, Allison Field, Alaska; Ipswich, England; Wiesbaden, Germany; Tripoli, Libya; and in Texas, Goodfellow, Gary, and Lackland Air Force bases.
He married Velma Lou Smith on Oct. 18, 1948. He retired from the Air Force at Lackland in 1985. After his playing years, he officiated as a Baseball Umpire for the Alamo Umpires Association.
He was a 44-year member of Lackland Baptist Church, a member of the VFW Post #6012, a lifetime member of the Somerset Masonic Lodge Chapter #1205 and Endowed Membership of Lytle Chapter #329, R.A.M. and Lytle Council #266 R.andS.M., the Order of the Eastern Star chapters Somerset #730 and Lytle #355.
He was preceded in death by his father, Horsley Burks White Sr.; mother, Mary Lillian Hamlet White; brothers, Rennie D. White Sr. and Hamlet White; and sisters, Baldwin Kidd, Lillian Bryant Kenton and Irma Mitchell Engledove.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Velma L. White; son, Jerry Wayne White and Janie Harris of San Antonio; daughters, Donna Gale Biles and Quinton R. Biles of Helotes, Texas, and Karen Rene Mella and husband, Chas A. Mella, of Rockport, Texas.; sister, Dorothy Dalton of Lynchburg; numerous nieces and nephews; and other family members and friends in Madison Heights, Lynchburg, San Antonio and Amarillo, Texas, and throughout the country.
Funeral services were held on May 24 at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South. A procession to a gravesite at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with full military honors and a Masonic Graveside tribute followed.

Nelson Winn Smith II
Nelson Winn Smith II, 56, of Charlottesville, died on May 20. He was the son of the late Nelson Winn Smith.
He is survived by his mother, Alie Harris Ford and step-father, William Ford, of Charlottesville; two sons, Kevin Stinnie and Nelson Smith III, both of Charlottesville; five daughters, Michelle Stinnie, Monacco Stinnie, Kimberly Smith, Jernika Morton and Alanna Morton, all of Charlottesville; and one stepdaughter, Avis Gunnell; three brothers, Claude Smith of Charlottesville, Dwain Smith of Troy, and Chris Smith of Nelson County; four sisters, Alice and Karen Smith of Charlottesville, Daphine Bruce of Troy, and Linda Smith of Arvonia; 10 grand-children and one step-grand-child; and a host of other relatives and friends.
A celebration of his life was held on May 24 at Pilgrim Baptist Church.