Obituary for Harold Llyoyd Dunbar
HAROLD LlOYD DUNBAR
Harold Lloyd Dunbar, 93, of Cedar Grove, WV, formerly of Elkview, was welcomed home on January 13, 2020.
He was born February 9, 1926, in Blakeley, WV, to Oather A. and Elva Mae Dunbar. He grew up in the coal mining towns of Blakeley, Amelia and Hitop and graduated from Elkview High School in 1945. He served in the Army Signal Corps at the Pentagon, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland until his discharge in 1948. He attended two years at West Virginia Tech in Montgomery, WV and Capital Radio Engineering Institute in Washington, DC.
He was married to Barbara Lee Bird from 1950 until 1964 and they had three children. He was married to Vera Ruth Withrow from 1964 until her death in 2008.
He began his work life at the age of 14 at O.A. Dunbar & Sons, his father’s general store in Hitop. He worked as a Lab Analyst for DuPont at Belle, WV for 18 years. From 1971 until his retirement in 1987, he was a Mine Drainage Inspector for the West Virginia Dept. of Natural Resources, where he loved traveling the backroads of southern West Virginia. He always wanted to “see where this road takes us”.
Harold was a devoted Christian and attended Falling Rock Gospel Tabernacle. He had a beautiful singing voice and sang bass in several quartets. He was a history buff, liked photography and was the keeper of family records. He collected information and wrote several articles for two history books: “Elk River Communities in Kanawha County”, Volumes 1 and 2. He believed in the importance of family history, was a great storyteller and wrote many stories for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was happiest when his family could get together.
He was preceded in death by Ruth, his wife of 44 years; his brother Charley and wife Helen; brother Bill and wife Dorothy; sister Vera and husband Grant Fuller; and his sister-in-law Jessie.
Surviving him are: his brother Cecil; his children Della Goettl (Kevin) of Myrtle Beach, SC, Deborah Scott of Cedar Grove, WV, and Spencer Dunbar (Elvira “Bing”) of N. Las Vegas, NV; grandchildren Jonathan Mooney, Cletus Fisher (Jessika), Leon Fisher, Autumn Ridenour (Scott), Spencer Dunbar II, Sheana Dunbar, Shanelle Dunbar; and 21 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Care, 1606 Kanawha Blvd. W, Charleston, WV 25387 or to the American Legion Post 61, PO Box 973 Clendenin, WV 25045.
Funeral services will be held at Hafer Funeral Home, Elkview, on Friday, January 17, at 1:00 p.m.
Visitation will be 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
Services will be conducted by Clarence Deal and Keith Monday.
Online condolences may be sent to www.haferfuneralhome.net
Arrangements are in the care of Hafer Funeral Home, 50 North Pinch Road Elkview, WV 25071.
Harold Lloyd Dunbar, 93, of Cedar Grove, WV, formerly of Elkview, was welcomed home on January 13, 2020.
He was born February 9, 1926, in Blakeley, WV, to Oather A. and Elva Mae Dunbar. He grew up in the coal mining towns of Blakeley, Amelia and Hitop and graduated from Elkview High School in 1945. He served in the Army Signal Corps at the Pentagon, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland until his discharge in 1948. He attended two years at West Virginia Tech in Montgomery, WV and Capital Radio Engineering Institute in Washington, DC.
He was married to Barbara Lee Bird from 1950 until 1964 and they had three children. He was married to Vera Ruth Withrow from 1964 until her death in 2008.
He began his work life at the age of 14 at O.A. Dunbar & Sons, his father’s general store in Hitop. He worked as a Lab Analyst for DuPont at Belle, WV for 18 years. From 1971 until his retirement in 1987, he was a Mine Drainage Inspector for the West Virginia Dept. of Natural Resources, where he loved traveling the backroads of southern West Virginia. He always wanted to “see where this road takes us”.
Harold was a devoted Christian and attended Falling Rock Gospel Tabernacle. He had a beautiful singing voice and sang bass in several quartets. He was a history buff, liked photography and was the keeper of family records. He collected information and wrote several articles for two history books: “Elk River Communities in Kanawha County”, Volumes 1 and 2. He believed in the importance of family history, was a great storyteller and wrote many stories for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was happiest when his family could get together.
He was preceded in death by Ruth, his wife of 44 years; his brother Charley and wife Helen; brother Bill and wife Dorothy; sister Vera and husband Grant Fuller; and his sister-in-law Jessie.
Surviving him are: his brother Cecil; his children Della Goettl (Kevin) of Myrtle Beach, SC, Deborah Scott of Cedar Grove, WV, and Spencer Dunbar (Elvira “Bing”) of N. Las Vegas, NV; grandchildren Jonathan Mooney, Cletus Fisher (Jessika), Leon Fisher, Autumn Ridenour (Scott), Spencer Dunbar II, Sheana Dunbar, Shanelle Dunbar; and 21 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Care, 1606 Kanawha Blvd. W, Charleston, WV 25387 or to the American Legion Post 61, PO Box 973 Clendenin, WV 25045.
Funeral services will be held at Hafer Funeral Home, Elkview, on Friday, January 17, at 1:00 p.m.
Visitation will be 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
Services will be conducted by Clarence Deal and Keith Monday.
Online condolences may be sent to www.haferfuneralhome.net
Arrangements are in the care of Hafer Funeral Home, 50 North Pinch Road Elkview, WV 25071.