Gene Leroy Craft, Sr., age 78, of 6101 Longdale Furnace Road, Clifton Forge, Virginia, died Wednesday May 2, 2012 at his residence.

He was born July 17, 1933 in Clifton Forge, VA, a son of the late Stokes William and Nona Lavinia Robinson Craft.

He was a lifelong member of Longdale United Methodist Church, a retired engineer with the C&O Railroad, and was an Army veteran of the Korean War.

Mr. Craft was the third veteran in the Highlands to be pinned under the VFW Post 1033 and The Mountain Regional Hospice "We Honor Veterans Program". He will be the first veteran to have the "We Honor Veterans" Funeral Rites conducted during his service at the Longdale United Methodist Church.

He performed as an extra in the movie "Sommersby" which was filmed locally, and was very proud of that.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a grandson, Isaac D. Jeffries, and two brothers, William Craft and Marion Craft.

He is survived by three daughters: Rhonda C. Haynes and husband, Greg, Deborah C. Jeffries, and husband, David, all of Longdale; Bonnie Lynn Wheatley and husband, Donnie, of Covington, three sons; Gene Leroy Craft, Jr. and wife, Laura, of Vershire, Vermont, Keith Marion Craft, Sr., and Thomas Haynes Craft and companion, Jennifer, all of Longdale, three sisters; Josephine Clark and husband, Lawrence, of Longdale, Esther Craft, of Buchannan, Cynthia Ann Newcomb and husband, Len, of Blackstone, three brothers; Jack Craft and wife, Shelby, Wesley Craft and wife, Judy, all of Longdale, Jerry Craft and wife, Sharon, of Sharon; 17 grandchildren; special friend, Mark Robinson; and a number of nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday in Longdale United Methodist Church, with the Reverend Lester Kennedy officiating. Interment will follow in the Central Advent Christian Cemetery, with graveside military honors provided by the Curtis A. Smith VFW Post 1033. Active pallbearers will be Mr. Craft's grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until time of the service on Friday at the church.

Arrangements are being handled by Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge. The family suggests that memorial tributes take the form of donations in his memory to the ALS Association 1275 K Street NW, Suite 1050,Washington, DC 20005 or the Mountain Regional Hospice Volunteers P.O. Box 637 Clifton Forge, VA 24422.