John
John Alfred Langford
d. January 3, 2018
John Alfred Langford, 69, of Oxford Furnace, passed away on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at the Retreat Doctor’s Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, following a long illness.
John was born on October 6th, 1948, to Leighton Theodore and Virginia Inez Scott Langford in Forest, VA. He attended Lynchburg College, where he met his loving and devoted wife, Joanne Rode. They were married for nearly 40 years.
In 1978, John began a long and successful career as the Weatherization Coordinator for the Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging. He and Joanne were soon working together as business partners in their own company, J&J Weatherization, Inc. which Joanne continues to run. As a pioneer in his field, John was an expert in all aspects of the business of Home Performance. From auditing, installation, troubleshooting, and navigating attic and crawl spaces, he could do it all.
Prior to his retirement in 2013, he was a lead trainer with the Department of Energy Hot Climate Initiative and volunteer trainer for the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, lending his expertise to many. John had an uncanny ability to look at a problem and instinctively know what needed to be done. His mechanical abilities are legendary, as anyone who has ever visited him in his shop can attest. John was also an avid collector and restorer of British sports cars, a passion he enjoyed for over 40 years. Rebuilding these vehicles was a labor of love for him, and he was never happier than when he was at work on his latest project.
John rose at dawn every day, and made use of every minute. Whether it was working with the crew at J&J, gardening, mowing, or staying on top of all the upkeep and maintenance on his beautiful home and property–he was a powerhouse!
Raised on a farm, John loved the outdoors. He loved his family and his routine and as the sun set each day he would watch the news with Joanne, read for a little while, and then be off early to bed.
John’s dedication to family, his industriousness, his legendary mechanical abilities, and his basic goodness will be remembered by all who knew and loved him.
In addition to his wife, John is survived by his son, Matthew (Catherine) Langford, and their two daughters, Elise and Claire; and his daughter, Briana L. (Kyle) Stephens. John is also survived by his two brothers, Leighton T. (Susan), and Scott (Margaret) Langford; and his three sisters, Margie (JE) Warren, Rosalie (GE) Murray, and Nancy (Rick) Friend; mother-in-law, Doris Rode; sister-in-law, Janet R. Siegel and brothers-in-law, David G. Rode, and Jesse Keesee; he is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
John was predeceased by a sister, Harriet Keesee.
The family wants to share special thanks to all of John’s dear friends who checked in on him regularly and took him to lunch and most especially to the J&J family for continuing to uphold John’s standards for excellence in professionalism and service!
A Celebration of John’s Life will be held in the spring at Joanne and John’s home at Oxford Furnace.
Please consider a memorial contribution to the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences, please visit obituaries.tharpfuneralhome.com.
John was born on October 6th, 1948, to Leighton Theodore and Virginia Inez Scott Langford in Forest, VA. He attended Lynchburg College, where he met his loving and devoted wife, Joanne Rode. They were married for nearly 40 years.
In 1978, John began a long and successful career as the Weatherization Coordinator for the Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging. He and Joanne were soon working together as business partners in their own company, J&J Weatherization, Inc. which Joanne continues to run. As a pioneer in his field, John was an expert in all aspects of the business of Home Performance. From auditing, installation, troubleshooting, and navigating attic and crawl spaces, he could do it all.
Prior to his retirement in 2013, he was a lead trainer with the Department of Energy Hot Climate Initiative and volunteer trainer for the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, lending his expertise to many. John had an uncanny ability to look at a problem and instinctively know what needed to be done. His mechanical abilities are legendary, as anyone who has ever visited him in his shop can attest. John was also an avid collector and restorer of British sports cars, a passion he enjoyed for over 40 years. Rebuilding these vehicles was a labor of love for him, and he was never happier than when he was at work on his latest project.
John rose at dawn every day, and made use of every minute. Whether it was working with the crew at J&J, gardening, mowing, or staying on top of all the upkeep and maintenance on his beautiful home and property–he was a powerhouse!
Raised on a farm, John loved the outdoors. He loved his family and his routine and as the sun set each day he would watch the news with Joanne, read for a little while, and then be off early to bed.
John’s dedication to family, his industriousness, his legendary mechanical abilities, and his basic goodness will be remembered by all who knew and loved him.
In addition to his wife, John is survived by his son, Matthew (Catherine) Langford, and their two daughters, Elise and Claire; and his daughter, Briana L. (Kyle) Stephens. John is also survived by his two brothers, Leighton T. (Susan), and Scott (Margaret) Langford; and his three sisters, Margie (JE) Warren, Rosalie (GE) Murray, and Nancy (Rick) Friend; mother-in-law, Doris Rode; sister-in-law, Janet R. Siegel and brothers-in-law, David G. Rode, and Jesse Keesee; he is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
John was predeceased by a sister, Harriet Keesee.
The family wants to share special thanks to all of John’s dear friends who checked in on him regularly and took him to lunch and most especially to the J&J family for continuing to uphold John’s standards for excellence in professionalism and service!
A Celebration of John’s Life will be held in the spring at Joanne and John’s home at Oxford Furnace.
Please consider a memorial contribution to the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences, please visit obituaries.tharpfuneralhome.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Alfred Langford, please visit our flower store.
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