| | 
Gene Archer (1913-1978) —
of Washington,
D.C.; Brookeville, Montgomery
County, Md.
Born in Parkersburg, Wood
County, W.Va., September
15, 1913.
Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; radio
show host; singer;
performed, Republican National Convention, 1948,
1952,
1956,
1960;
board member, Washington Redskins football
team, 1956-73; also provided halftime entertainment at games; president,
Washington-Baltimore local, American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists, 1969-70.
Died, from cancer,
in the Montgomery General Hospital,
Olney, Montgomery
County, Md., October
4, 1978 (age 65 years, 19
days).
Burial location unknown.
| |  |
Relatives: Son
of Ulysses Grant Archer and Alice (Jarett) Archer; married to Juanita
White. |
|
| |
Robert D. Bailey (1912-2001) —
also known as Bob Bailey —
of Pineville, Wyoming
County, W.Va.
Born in Baileysville, Wyoming
County, W.Va., January
12, 1912.
Democrat. Lawyer;
represented railroads
and timber
companies; served in the U.S. Army during World War II; Wyoming
County Prosecuting Attorney, 1949-61; delegate to Democratic
National Convention from West Virginia, 1956,
1960,
1964;
vice-chair
of West Virginia Democratic Party, 1964-67; secretary
of state of West Virginia, 1965-67; appointed 1965; president,
Castle Rock Bank of
Pineville, Radio Station WWYO, Independent Herald newspaper,
and Pineville Gas
Company.
Methodist.
Member, Veterans of
Foreign Wars; American
Legion; Phi
Delta Phi; Freemasons;
Scottish
Rite Masons; Shriners;
Elks; Moose; Rotary.
Died in 2001
(age about
89 years).
Burial location unknown.
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| |
Walter Roy Blankenship (1892-1966) —
also known as W. R. Blankenship —
of Frankford, Greenbrier
County, W.Va.
Born in Gap Mills, Monroe
County, W.Va., June 11,
1892.
Democrat. Public
relations business; radio commentator; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates from Greenbrier County, 1961-62.
Presbyterian.
Died in March, 1966
(age 73
years, 0 days).
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of John L. Blankenship and Jennie Susan (Fleshman) Blankenship;
married, May 2,
1926, to Marion Claflin Cook. |
|
| |
John W. Bosworth (b. 1908) —
of Elkins, Randolph
County, W.Va.
Born in Huttonsville, Randolph
County, W.Va., August
3, 1908.
Journalist;
radio announcer; author; newspaper
publisher; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates from Randolph County, 1937-38.
Member, Knights
of Pythias.
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Dr. J. L. Bosworth and Rachel (Hutton-Crouch)
Bosworth. |
|
| |
Jack Canfield (b. 1941) —
of Charleston, Kanawha
County, W.Va.
Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny
County, Pa., June 2,
1941.
Democrat. Radio and television newsman; delegate to Democratic
National Convention from West Virginia, 1968;
press secretary to West Virginia Secretary of State John
D. Rockefeller IV; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates 17th District, 1975-77;
resigned 1977.
Catholic.
Still living as of 1977.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of James Willard Canfield and Clydetta Canfield; married, July 23,
1961, to June Smith. |
|
 |
Fred L. Doringer (b. 1889) —
also known as Joe Doringer —
of Fairmont, Marion
County, W.Va.
Born in Boston, Suffolk
County, Mass., October
19, 1889.
Democrat. Auditor;
talent scout for Pittsburgh Pirates baseball
team; studio director, Radio Station WMMN, Fairmont; member of
West
Virginia state house of delegates from Marion County, 1933-38,
1943-52.
Lutheran.
Member, Elks; Moose.
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Phillip Doringer and Phillipine Doringer; married, March
11, 1922, to Cora L. Morris. |
| | | Image source: West Virginia Blue Book
1951 |
|
| |
Nicola Fantasia (b. 1923) —
also known as Nick Fantasia —
of Kingmont, Marion
County, W.Va.
Born in Kingmont, Marion
County, W.Va., January
3, 1923.
Democrat. School
teacher; general manager, WTCS radio station, Fairmont,
W.Va.; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates, 1955-58, 1965-72, 1975-76,
1989-90, 1993- (Marion County 1955-58, 1965-72, 26th District
1975-76, 1989-90, 43rd District 1993-97); defeated, 1972; appointed
1993.
Catholic.
Member, Moose; Elks; Eagles;
Knights
of Columbus; Holy
Name Society; American
Legion; Veterans of
Foreign Wars; Izaak
Walton League; National
Education Association; United
Mine Workers.
Presumed deceased.
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
Joseph Harvey Farris (1922-1997) —
also known as Joe H. Farris —
of Charleston, Kanawha
County, W.Va.
Born in Charleston, Kanawha
County, W.Va., April
14, 1922.
Radio and television personality; sports
announcer; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates from Kanawha County, 1991-97;
died in office 1997.
Episcopalian.
Lebanese
ancestry. Member, Lions.
Found dead in a hotel
room probably from cardiac
arrythmia, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia
County, Pa., August
10, 1997 (age 75 years, 118
days).
Interment at Sunset
Memorial Park, South Charleston, W.Va.
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| |
Carl Edwin Gainer, Sr. (1915-2006) —
also known as Carl E. Gainer —
of Richwood, Nicholas
County, W.Va.
Born in Barbour
County, W.Va., January
19, 1915.
Democrat. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; school
principal; oil
distributor; president, WVAR radio station; owner,
Richwood Television Cable Co.; director, Farmers and Merchants
Bank;
member of West
Virginia state senate 12th District, 1959-82; delegate to
Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1964,
1968.
Methodist.
Member, Freemasons;
Shriners;
Elks; Moose; Rotary;
American
Legion; Veterans of
Foreign Wars.
Died, in Richwood Area Medical
Center, Richwood, Nicholas
County, W.Va., August
16, 2006 (age 91 years, 209
days).
Interment at Mountain
View Memorial Park, Richwood, W.Va.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Marvin James Gainer and Pearle (Poling) Gainer; married, May 23,
1948, to Clarise Smith; third cousin once removed of Glenn
Walter Gainer. |
|
| |
Charlie Gore Jr. (1930-1984) —
of Chapmanville, Logan
County, W.Va.
Born in Chapmanville, Logan
County, W.Va., October
4, 1930.
Democrat. Radio announcer; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates from Logan County, 1961-62.
Protestant.
Died in June, 1984
(age 53
years, 0 days).
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Charlie Gore and Mima (Walker) Gore; married, March 4,
1948, to Gloria Ann Turner. |
|
 |
Roy Lee Harmon (1900-1981) —
of Beckley, Raleigh
County, W.Va.
Born in Boone
County, W.Va., October
7, 1900.
Democrat. Newspaper
editor; radio commentator; writer;
member of West
Virginia state house of delegates from Raleigh County, 1947-48,
1951-54, 1957-61; resigned 1961.
Baptist.
Member, Moose.
Poet Laureate of West Virginia.
Died in April, 1981
(age 80
years, 0 days).
Interment somewhere
in Beckley, W.Va.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Albert Sidney Harmon and Nettie May (Lucas) Harmon; married, August
11, 1934, to Dorothy M. Ball. |
| | | Image source: West Virginia Blue Book
1951 |
|
| |
Robert Kelvin Holliday (b. 1933) —
also known as Robert K. Holliday; Bob
Holliday —
of Oak Hill, Fayette
County, W.Va.; Fayetteville, Fayette
County, W.Va.
Born in Logan, Logan
County, W.Va., February
11, 1933.
Democrat. Newspaper
editor and publisher; television producer; author;
member of West
Virginia state house of delegates from Fayette County; elected
1962, 1964, 1966; member of West
Virginia state senate 11th District, 1969-72, 1981-94; resigned
1972, 1994; defeated, 1996.
Presbyterian.
Member, Pi
Sigma Alpha; Freemasons;
Scottish
Rite Masons; Shriners.
Still living as of 2003.
|
| |
Shirley Love (b. 1933) —
of Oak Hill, Fayette
County, W.Va.
Born in Oak Hill, Fayette
County, W.Va., May 15,
1933.
Democrat. Television journalist; delegate to Democratic
National Convention from West Virginia, 1972
(alternate), 1976,
1996,
2000,
2004,
2008;
member of West
Virginia state senate 11th District, 1994-2008; appointed 1994;
chair
of Fayette County Democratic Party, 1998-99; member of West
Virginia state house of delegates 32nd District, 2017-; candidate
for U.S.
Representative from West Virginia 3rd District, 2018.
Female.
Methodist.
Member, Freemasons;
Shriners;
Civitan;
National
Rifle Association.
Still living as of 2018.
|
 |
William A. O'Brien —
also known as Bill O'Brien —
of Beckley, Raleigh
County, W.Va.
Radio broadcaster; mayor
of Beckley, W.Va., 2014-.
Methodist.
Still living as of 2014.
| | |
Image source:
City of Beckley |
|
| |
Nick Joe Rahall II (b. 1949) —
of Beckley, Raleigh
County, W.Va.
Born in Beckley, Raleigh
County, W.Va., May 20,
1949.
Democrat. Staff assistant to U.S. Sen. Robert
Byrd, 1972-74; director of Rahall Communications, family
business, owning radio and TV stations; delegate to Democratic
National Convention from West Virginia, 1972,
1980,
1984,
1996,
2000,
2004,
2008;
U.S.
Representative from West Virginia, 1977-2012 (4th District
1977-93, 3rd District 1993-2012); arrested
in California for drunk
driving,
1988.
Presbyterian.
Lebanese
ancestry. Member, Rotary;
Elks; Moose; Eagles;
NAACP;
National
Rifle Association; Freemasons;
Shriners.
Still living as of 2014.
|
| |
Sharon Percy Rockefeller (b. 1944) —
also known as Sharon Percy —
of Charleston, Kanawha
County, W.Va.
Born in Oakland, Alameda
County, Calif., December
10, 1944.
Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West
Virginia, 1976,
1996;
president and CEO of WETA public radio and television in
Washington, D.C.; director of PepsiCo (food and soft
drink maker).
Female.
Still living as of 2014.
|
| |
Allison Garnett Thompson (b. 1892) —
also known as A. Garnett Thompson —
of Charleston, Kanawha
County, W.Va.
Born in Lawson, Ray
County, Mo., August
11, 1892.
Democrat. Lawyer;
vice-president, Bank of
Dunbar; director, radio station WTIP; candidate for West
Virginia state house of delegates from Kanawha County, 1942; U.S.
Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, 1950-53;
alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from West
Virginia, 1960;
chair
of Kanawha County Democratic Party, 1968-70.
Presbyterian.
Member, American Bar
Association; Kappa
Sigma; Freemasons;
Shriners.
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Ernest Thompson and Jimmie (Graves) Thompson; married, November
6, 1924, to Elizabeth Louise Brown Barber. |
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