Odie Grant (Sonny) Higgins, age 78, of 209 Higgins Hollow Road, Clifton Forge, Virginia, died Thursday, November 26, 2015 at his residence.

Sonny was born August 7, 1937 in Alleghany County to the late Lewis Edgar Higgins, Sr. and Rosa Clark Higgins Murphy.

He was a self-employed construction laborer for various construction and logging companies, and enjoyed spending time at his sawmill and woodworking.

He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Brenda Curtis Higgins of Clifton Forge; a daughter, Teresa Byer and husband, Willy of Covington; two sons, Ricky Higgins and wife, Diana of Clifton Forge and Timmy Higgins and wife, Sue of Clifton Forge; three sisters, Nellie Bess, Faye Nicely and Kathy Moore, all of Covington; two brothers, Harold Higgins and wife, Pam of Covington and Eddie Higgins and wife, Catherine of Clifton Forge; seven grandchildren, Bethany Downey and husband, Timmy, Zach Higgins and wife, Tia, Stacy Hoke and husband, Mike, Amanda Higgins and fiance, James Crawford, Luke Byer, Cole Byer and Kaci Byer; seven great grandchildren, Silas Downey, Colten Higgins, Levi Higgins, Kimper Hoke, Konner Hoke, Klayden Downey, and Kansas LePard; two step great grandchildren, Kallista Hoke and Adam Crawford; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Carlos and Cindy Curtis of Clifton Forge, Danny and Judy Waters of Millboro, and Hilda and Doug Shorter of West Virginia; a number of nieces, nephews, cousins, and family friends, including his special buddy, Chanda Higgins and a special little old white haired woman, Geraldine Loving.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, November 30, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge, with Reverend Doug Moore officiating.

Interment will follow in Higgins Family Cemetery, Higgins Hollow, Clifton Forge. Pallbearers will be Ricky Higgins, Timmy Higgins, Zach Higgins, Willy Byer, Luke Byer, Cole Byer, Wallace Byer and Travis "Charlie" Botkins. Jimmy Yopp and Bobby Yopp will serve as honorary pallbearers.

The family will receive friends on Sunday afternoon from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge, and other times at the residence.

The family suggests memorial tributes take the form of contributions to the Mountain Regional Hospice Volunteers, P.O. Box 637, Clifton Forge, VA 24422.