Obituaries-01/24/17

Published 10:36 am Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Billy Kazee

May 30, 1926 — Jan. 20, 2017

Billy Kazee, 90, peacefully passed away on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at the Community Hospice Comfort Center in Ashland. He was born May 30, 1926, to the late H. Homer Kazee and Nellie Elizabeth Day Kazee, and was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Lou Boggs Kazee; his daughter, Marijane Littlejohn; infant sons, Gerard and Glenn; and brothers Edward, Vernon, Claude and Charles; as well as an infant brother and sister.
Billy is survived by a large and loving family including his wife, Edna Downey Kazee; daughter, Patty (Terry) Hammond, of Flagler Beach, Florida; son, Rick (Pam) Kazee, of Marina del Rey, California; stepson, Terry (Anne) Downey, of  Medford, Oregon; sisters, Lillian Pruitt, of Flatwoods, Kentucky, and Betty Kitchen, of Bowling Green, Kentucky.
His grandchildren are Amy (Jeff) Clark, of Palm Harbor, Florida, Jon (Michelle) Cook, of Chesapeake, and Sarah (Mike) Sloop, of Cumming, Georgia. Step-grandchildren are Nicole (Chris) Colburn, of Dayton, Oregon, Melissa Simpson, of Lodi, California, Matt Downey, of Boise, Idaho, and Tom (Brandi) Downey, of San Antonio, Texas.
Billy will also be forever loved and missed by his numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Billy grew up in Ashland where he attended the public schools. High school was interrupted when he enlisted in the Navy in September 1943. Assigned to the 106th and 58th naval construction battalions in the States before being deployed overseas, he saw action during the Okinawa campaign. He received an Honorable Discharge in May of 1946.
Billy continued to serve in the U.S. Navel Reserve from December 1946 to September 1954. Soon after from the war, he competed school and received his high school diploma from Ashland High School. He then enrolled in Ashland Business College, where he met his future wife, Betty. Betty and Bill were were married on Oct. 28, 1949. Soon after, they moved to Ironton, raised three children, and remained married until her death on March 9, 1993. On Dec. 29, 1998, he married Edna and they lived comfortably in Hanging Rock, where they enjoyed traveling and visits from family and friends.
Billy was a Master Electrician, and from 1950 until 1978, was employed by, and eventually became the owner of, Boggs Industrial Electric in Ironton. He then worked at the Goodyear Atomic Plant in Piketon from 1978 to 1991.  Billy finished his career as facility manager at the First United Presbyterian Church in Ironton where he was a member and where he served as trustee, elder and deacon. He was a member and past President of the Ironton Kiwanis Club. His hobbies included bowling, fishing, traveling and home renovating.
Visitation will be 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday with services immediately following at the Tracy Brammer-Monroe Funeral Home, Ironton. Burial will follow at Highland Memorial Gardens in South Point.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Close To Home (503 Vernon St.,  Ironton, OH 45638)  ATTN:  Rachel Stevens, with Activity Department on the memo line.

Mary Edwards

Mary Edwards, 78, of New Haven, West Virginia, died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at Pleasant Valley Hospital, Pleasant Valley, West Virginia. Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, Proctorville.  Burial will follow in Rome Cemetery, Proctorville.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.  Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/hall.

Geraldine Whaley

Geraldine L. Whaley, 90, of South Point, died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at King’s Daughters Medical Center, Ashland, Kentucky. Graveside services will be noon Thursday at Highland Memorial Gardens, South Point, with pastor Scott Mann officiating. Friends may call from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday at Slack and Wallace Funeral Home, South Point. Slack and Wallace Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.slackandwallace.com.

Billy Shockley

Billy Ray Shockley, 64, of Chesapeake, died Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at home. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Thacker Shockley. Arrangements are pending at Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, Proctorville.

Richard Sarver

Richard Sarver, 70, of Proctorville, died Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Huntington, West Virginia. Arrangements are pending at Hall Funeral Home and Crematory, Proctorville.

Alma Nelson

Alma Faye Nelson, 79, of Ironton, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, at the Community Hospice Care Center in Ashland, Kentucky.  Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Phillips Funeral Home, Ironton, with pastor Randy Patrick officiating. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery. Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday evening or from 10 a.m. until the time of the service Wednesday at the funeral home.