Thurston VanBuren Nicely, age 82, of Ridgeview Apartments at Scott Hill, 800 W. Ridgeway Street, Clifton Forge and formerly of Huntington, West Virginia, died Monday, December 15, 2008 at his residence.

He was born November 18, 1926 in Iron Gate, Virginia, a son of the late Jacob Price Nicely and Marna Lowe Vess Nicely.

During World War II, he served in the United States Army in the Pacific Theatre of operations.

He was a homicide detective for eight years in the Huntington Police Department, worked in automotive sales for WW Williams Regional Sales of heavy equipment, and retired from Superior Cadillac Oldsmobile of Huntington.

He was a member of the BPOE Elks Lodge # 313 and the VFW # 1044, both of Huntington.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Wealthy Penny Nicely; a son, Thurston VanBuren Nicely, Jr.; and a sister, Hallie Virginia Hayes.

He is survived by a daughter, Sabrina Nicely Deem and her husband Tim of Wellington, FL; two grandchildren: Brian Coleman Deem and Amanda Lauren Deem; a brother, Jacob Price Nicely, Jr. of Fayetteville, TN; an uncle, Herman E. Vess of Clifton Forge; an aunt, Dorothy V. Miller of Natural Bridge; and a number of nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be conducted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the chapel of Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge with Reverend Gene Peters officiating.

The family will receive friends two hours prior to the service from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Nicely Funeral Home.

Interment will take place on Friday, December 19, at 1:30 p.m. in White Chapel Memorial Gardens in Barboursville, WV with Elder Tim Deem officiating. The family suggests memorial tributes take the form of contributions to Mountain Regional Hospice Volunteers, P.O. Box 637, Clifton Forge, VA 24422.