BURLINGTON — Owen Pleasant, 95, of Burlington, went home to be with the Lord, Monday, April 20, 2009, from St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va.
Mr. Pleasant was born July 1, 1913, in Guyandotte, W.Va., a son of the late Owen Pleasant, Sr. and Iona Gordon Pleasant.
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Burlington where he taught Sunday School, served as a trustee, and sang in the choir and men’s choir. Mr. Pleasant was the owner of Pleasant Janitorial Services from 1948 – 1988, was the former president of the Sybene Senior Citizens Center. He was the first black school bus driver for the Burlington-South Point Schools in 1949-1950, and is the last grandson of the first 37 freed slaves that settled in Burlington.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two children, Regina Maxine Pleasant and Charles Howard Pleasant; two sisters, Helen Pleasant and Louise Parsons; and four brothers, Herman, Lorenzo, Harold, and Chester Pleasant.
Mr. Pleasant is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 75 years, Imogene Maxine Boggs Pleasant; one son, Maurice Pleasant of Burlington; a special daughter-in-law, Shirley Pleasant; six grandchildren, Michael (Francine) Pleasant of Hurricane, W.Va., Maurice (Dianna) Pleasant, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, and Marvin Pleasant, Charles Pleasant, Jr., and Fonda Pleasant all of Huntington, W.Va., and James Pleasant of Columbus; a host of great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews; and his adopted children, Bernard (Maxine) Conwell, Joe (Shirley) Williams, and Sandy Dalton.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Burlington with the Rev. Dr. Douglas C. Carter officiating. Burial will follow in Burlington 37 Cemetery. Friends may call from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. Saturday at the church. Schneider-Griffin Funeral Home, Chesapeake, is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be expressed at www.schneidergriffin.com.