Deacon John William Cheatwood

John William Cheatwood went home to be with the Lord; unexpected to family and friends, but in God’s perfect timing, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Lynchburg, Virginia.    He was born December 15, 1956, to the late John Willis and Dorothy Edna Rixey Cheatwood in Lynchburg. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Marian Edna Cheatwood Jackson. John joined the Otterville Baptist Church at an early age and served faithfully in numerous ministries within the church, including the Usher Board and sang on multiple choirs.  

John’s proudest moment was when he was ordained as Deacon of the Ottterville Baptist Church.  He often told his story of how he wrestled against God, and how becoming a Deacon came to be one of the best decisions of his life. He was always so personal in his prayers during service; and he sang in almost every choir. He was a huge supporter of the youth and often encouraged them to keep living for God and never give up. He was faithful to his church and was always excited to represent Otterville throughout Bedford and surrounding counties.

Upon graduating from Jefferson Forest High School, John went to serve his country by enlisting in the United States Army. When he returned home, he started his career at Weyerhaeuser which later became International Paper Inc., where he worked successfully until he retired. His days after retirement became some of the best days of his life; spending time outdoors, enjoying the beauty of God’s creations, reading his Bible, farming, and taking long walks with his four-legged companion, and best friend, “Bentley”. 

John was a hard-working man who never complained.  He was a man of strength, integrity, and love.  He cherished his family deeply and worked hard to plan events to keep the family connected.  The bond with his siblings was unbreakable; and he had a special relationship with all his nieces and nephews and always offered encouragement. He will be missed by everyone that was touched by his life.  Simply put, John was AMAZING.  

To honor and cherish his memory, he leaves a loving wife, Anita B. Cheatwood; three daughters, Miosha Cheatwood of McKinney, TX, Jasmine Cheatwood of Virginia Beach, VA, and Kamaria Clark of Lynchburg, VA; two granddaughters, Jaelyn Cheatwood, Zamaya James; two grandsons, Monteza James and Justin Petersdorf; three loving sisters, Ida Roberta Whorley of Goodview, Hilda Hayes (Ronald) of Lynchburg, Janice C. Coles (Donald) of Bedford, two devoted brothers; Walter L. Cheatwood and Vernon W. Cheatwood (Karen) of Bedford; two additional brothers, Jerry Franklin of Lynchburg, VA and Lee Spinner of Bedford, VA; his mother-in-law Lavern Powell; sister-in-law, Jonna Barbary; brothers-in-law, Lloyd Wethersby (Latonya) and Thomas Jackson III; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

A visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024, at Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Lynchburg. A funeral service will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Brookhill Wesleyan Church, 1043 Cifax Road, Forest, VA., with an internment to follow at Otterville Baptist Church Cemetery.