Kenneth
Kenneth Millard Runyon
d. September 29, 2015
Kenneth Millard Runyon, 71, of Moneta passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 29, 2015.
Born June 11, 1944, in Alexandria, he was a son of the late Ira Millard Runyon and Orpha Violet Kagey Runyon. Ken was also preceded in death by his brother Edwin Harrison Runyon.
Ken is survived by his daughter, Heather Lindsay and her husband, Rich, and their two children, Annabelle and Davison of Charlottesville; her sister, Dianne Runyon Albrecht of Fredericksburg; and countless nieces and nephews.
A survivor of cancer in his youth, Ken endured treatments at the NIH that have advanced a great deal since the late 1950s, and defeated the disease that threatened his life. He took great pride in his victory over cancer and saw that every day since then was truly a gift.
But by far the greatest gift of Ken’s life was his daughter, Heather. Later in life, he showered this same affection on his lone grandchildren, Annabelle and Davison. “Pop Pop” never failed to make them feel special and his Sunday visits always provided great joy to them.
A resident of Moneta on Smith Mountain Lake, he formed a special bond and became great friends with many of his neighbors at the lake, especially Mike and Doris Pilcz and their son, David.
Ken was an independent spirit and enjoyed working in his woodshop crafting furniture or something special for others, and also showing off his model train table which he constructed in his basement. In his retirement, he thoroughly researched the genealogy of his family and their roots in the Shenandoah Valley. He shared this knowledge and his experience to help guide many others who were also looking into their family’s past, making friends in the process. Ken was very thankful for his cousin, Peggy Barbash and his sister-in-law, Karen Grover, who truly were a blessing in his life. In recent years Ken traveled quite a bit with his “sister”, Peggy, and he enjoyed their trips and talking about their adventures. Ken was a gentle soul who brought light into the lives of all who knew and loved him.
All of our family would like to give thanks to the countless staff, doctors, and nurses at both Lynchburg General and the University of Virginia Hospitals who provided amazing care to Ken during his brief illness. We wished to express special appreciation to the team of caring individuals in the medical ICU at UVA whose attentive touch maintained Ken’s care, comfort, and dignity.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, October 6, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Main Street United Methodist Church with Rev. Richard H. Ecklund officiating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Ken’s honor to Bedford Domestic Violence Services, 805 Ole Turnpike Drive, Bedford, VA 24523.
Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Bedford, is assisting the family. To send condolences, please visit obituaries.tharpfuneralhome.com
Born June 11, 1944, in Alexandria, he was a son of the late Ira Millard Runyon and Orpha Violet Kagey Runyon. Ken was also preceded in death by his brother Edwin Harrison Runyon.
Ken is survived by his daughter, Heather Lindsay and her husband, Rich, and their two children, Annabelle and Davison of Charlottesville; her sister, Dianne Runyon Albrecht of Fredericksburg; and countless nieces and nephews.
A survivor of cancer in his youth, Ken endured treatments at the NIH that have advanced a great deal since the late 1950s, and defeated the disease that threatened his life. He took great pride in his victory over cancer and saw that every day since then was truly a gift.
But by far the greatest gift of Ken’s life was his daughter, Heather. Later in life, he showered this same affection on his lone grandchildren, Annabelle and Davison. “Pop Pop” never failed to make them feel special and his Sunday visits always provided great joy to them.
A resident of Moneta on Smith Mountain Lake, he formed a special bond and became great friends with many of his neighbors at the lake, especially Mike and Doris Pilcz and their son, David.
Ken was an independent spirit and enjoyed working in his woodshop crafting furniture or something special for others, and also showing off his model train table which he constructed in his basement. In his retirement, he thoroughly researched the genealogy of his family and their roots in the Shenandoah Valley. He shared this knowledge and his experience to help guide many others who were also looking into their family’s past, making friends in the process. Ken was very thankful for his cousin, Peggy Barbash and his sister-in-law, Karen Grover, who truly were a blessing in his life. In recent years Ken traveled quite a bit with his “sister”, Peggy, and he enjoyed their trips and talking about their adventures. Ken was a gentle soul who brought light into the lives of all who knew and loved him.
All of our family would like to give thanks to the countless staff, doctors, and nurses at both Lynchburg General and the University of Virginia Hospitals who provided amazing care to Ken during his brief illness. We wished to express special appreciation to the team of caring individuals in the medical ICU at UVA whose attentive touch maintained Ken’s care, comfort, and dignity.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, October 6, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Main Street United Methodist Church with Rev. Richard H. Ecklund officiating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Ken’s honor to Bedford Domestic Violence Services, 805 Ole Turnpike Drive, Bedford, VA 24523.
Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Bedford, 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 Kenneth Millard Runyon, please visit our flower store.
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