Thomas Elwood Bayne, age 78, of Clifton Forge (Westgate), Virginia, went to be with his Heavenly Father on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, at his home with family, friends and Hospice attending to his final needs.
Elwood is survived by his wife of 51 years, Shelbia Jean Hanshaw Bayne.
Born on June 6, 1936, Elwood was a life-long resident of Clifton Forge.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rector (Rex) Russel Bayne and Garnett Fox Bayne; a brother, Aubrey Bayne of Kent Margate, England; and a sister-in-law, Madonna H. Hepler of Covington.
He was a 1955 graduate of Clifton Forge High School, where he was a member of the varsity football team as lineman. As an alumnus, he continued supporting his high school and its "Mountaineers" football team until consolidation.
Elwood was an avid "Cavalier" football fan and supporter, attending all games possible and was a long time season ticket holder at UVA.
After serving four years in the U. S. Navy working in Intelligence and Naval Security, Elwood spent his enlisted time with duty tours in the Philippines and Africa.
Elwood was a member of the United States Department of Veteran Affairs and Elks Lodge 1065.
After his honorable discharge from the U. S. Navy in 1960, he joined the CSX workforce. His first job with CSX was in Durban, WV. Elwood worked for the Chessie System for 40 plus years and retired in 2000 as a clerk at the Clifton Forge Yard Office.
Soon after joining CSX, in June of 1963, Elwood married the former Shelbia Jean Hanshaw of Ronceverte, WV, a recent graduate of the C&O School of Nursing in Clifton Forge.
A true Navy man, Elwood "wanted to see the world" and with his traveling partner, Shelbia Jean, they traveled to many foreign countries and enjoyed a variety of domestic vacations during their 50 plus years together.
A quiet, and unassuming man, never seeking the spotlight, Elwood established and supported scholarship funds both in and out of the state of Virginia. Philanthropic support was given to various organizations including the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association and the Center for Amyloid Research at the Medical Center of Boston, MA.
Elwood attended the Clifton Forge Baptist Church his entire life.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a sister, Jean Nicely of Woodland Retirement and Rehab Center of Clifton Forge; nieces, Teresa Nicely of Covington and Cindy Brooks of Clifton Forge; great nephew, Jarred Brooks of Colorado; great niece, Lindsey Brooks of Clifton Forge; nephew, Gregory R. Bayne of Kent Margate, England; brother-in-law, Carlos Hepler of Covington; brother-in-law, Virgil W. Hanshaw of Ronceverte, WV; mother-in-law, Beula B. Patterson, currently a resident of The Greenbrier Manor in Fairlea, WV; nieces, Marcia Kim Smith of Covington and Carla Marie Abate of Christiansburg, and recently a resident of Scott Hill Retirement Community; nephew, Carlos Meade Hepler (Julia) of New Castle; great nephews, Casey Witt of Harrisonburg and Corey Baily of Hot Springs; and great niece, Caleigh Abate of Christiansburg.
A funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge with Reverend John Glenn Linthicum and Nathan Smith officiating.
Interment will follow in Mountain View Cemetery, Clifton Forge. The family will receive friends Friday, evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Nicely Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made in Elwood's name to the Madonna H. Hepler Memorial Scholarship Fund at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, 1000 Dabney Dr, Clifton Forge, VA 24422.
