Obituary

Alfred Franklin "Al" Berry, Jr.

Fishersville - Alfred Franklin "Al" Berry, Jr., 86, widower of Amelia Ann (Jones) Berry, of Fishersville, Virginia, passed away on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at his residence.

Mr. Berry was born on September 28, 1935, in McKinley, Virginia, a son of the late Alfred Franklin Berry, Sr. and Margie Louise (Baylor) Berry.

Al was a member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, and was retired as a Union Rep at DuPont where he was employed for 34 years. Mr. Berry was a veteran of the United States Navy and volunteered with the Augusta County Fire Department for over ten years.

In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Berry is preceded in death by a son, Steven Franklin "Steve" Berry; a daughter, Cathi Rae (Berry) Lovegrove; and his brother, Fred Lee Berry, Sr.

Surviving are his grandchildren, Jacob Lovegrove of Radford, Jodi Simpson and husband Jon of Beaufort, South Carolina; and great-grandchildren, Autumn Simpson and Chloe Simpson.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church by Pastor Robert D. McCarty.

Active pallbearers will be Jacob Lovegrove, Jon Simpson, Chucky Bryant, Mike Jones, Richard Jones, and Ronnie Jones.

The family requests that masks or face coverings be worn.

Burial will be private in Pleasant View Lutheran Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers it is requested that all donations be made to Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2807 N Augusta St, Staunton, VA 24401.

Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive in Staunton is in charge of his arrangements.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.coffmanfuneralhome.net

Meredith Elmer Yeago

Waynesboro - Meredith E. Yeago of Hermitage Road, Waynesboro, died at peace in the Charlottesville residence of his son on Monday morning, October 18, 2021. His beloved wife of 74 years, Ann Elizabeth (Brower) was at his side.

Meredith was born on the Middlebrook, Augusta County farm of his late parents, Jacob Elmer and Nellie (Craig) Yeago on January 6, 1923.

Mr. Yeago graduated from Middlebrook High School class of 1941 where he was Valedictorian, and from Dunsmore Business College of Staunton, Va. He graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia in 1949. First employment experiences included his Uncle Boyd Yeago's wholesale grocery business and the Staunton Chevrolet franchise, Sullivan Motors.

In 1950, Meredith started working at Clifton Forge - Waynesboro Telephone Company in accounting at the central offices located in Staunton. He retired as Vice President – Treasurer in 1988 but continued on the board of directors until 1998 as CFW transitioned to nTelos.

Meredith's family includes one sibling, the late Elizabeth Kanney of Augusta County. His children include John and wife Donna, Thomas and friend Sharon Angle and Daniel and wife Desiree. Grandchildren include John's son Jacob and wife Jesica; Marcus and wife Mary Beth; Taylor and wife Emily; and Adriana. Daniel's children include Bryan and wife Danielle; Cory and wife Emilia; and David and wife Victoria. There are seven great-grandchildren.

Meredith became a member of Staunton's Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1950 and served on various councils and committees over the years including the building of a new sanctuary and the move from Lewis Street to the current location on N. Augusta Street in 1959-60. He was also a member of the Staunton Kiwanis Club where he actively attended meetings until 2020.

Gardening was an important part of his life. He maintained production of seasonal fruits and vegetables at both residences in Staunton and Waynesboro in turn. He cultivated over 50 varieties of roses and maintained membership in the Shenandoah Rose Society and American Rose Society.

In these unsettled times and due to conflicting advisories, a graveside service will be held outside at the Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Va. at 11:00 am on Oct. 23, 2021. Rev. Robert McCarty will be presiding. Family, associates and the all-inclusive friends are welcome.

In consideration of the outside nature of the gathering, donations to Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church rather than flowers would be appreciated.

Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive in Staunton is in charge of his arrangements.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.coffmanfuneralhome.net

Rebecca Jane VanLear Rhodes

Staunton - Rebecca Jane VanLear Rhodes, 78, passed away peacefully October 13, 2021 at Brookdale Staunton.

Becky was the daughter of Frank and Mildred (Brooks) VanLear and the widow of Robert A. Rhodes, all of whom preceded her in death. She was born in Waynesboro, Virginia January 25, 1943. She moved to Staunton at age 11, growing up here when farms inside the city limits were still common. She used to ride her horse, Fancy, from her girlhood home on Waverley Street to Gypsy Hill Park. She is a 1961 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School. She met Bob in 1958 and they were married in 1962 until his death in 2008, residing in Staunton. Becky was employed for more than 30 years by Planters Bank. She was excellent at customer service and one was hard pressed to go on an outing in the community with her without running into someone she knew, always with a friendly greeting.

Becky is survived by her son Brian, his wife Melanie and her beloved granddaughters, Aubrey and Victoria Rhodes, and step grandson Benjamin Alvarado. She also is survived by her dear friends Linda and Howard Lickliter, Fred and Betty Hale, and Dianna Shifflet. She had a special sister-in-law, Fonda Rohn of Richmond.

Mom loved flowers. We welcome flowers of every variety and color. For folks who wish to make a donation in lieu of flowers, the Rhodes Family supports the Navy and Marine Corp Relief Society, an organization that assists service members in times of crisis and need.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 pm, Sunday, October 17, 2021 at Henry Funeral Home.

A funeral service will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., Monday, October 18, 2021 at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church by Pastor Robert D. McCarty. The family requests all attendees wear masks regardless of vaccination status. Burial will be private.

Honorary pallbearers will be Fred and Betty Hale, Howard and Linda Lickliter, Dianna Shifflet, Cathy Elder, Matthew Woods, Eric Beltz, John Bowman, John Riley and Lorenzo Moore.

Our family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the staff and caregivers at Brookdale Staunton and Clare Bridge, as well as Kindred Hospice, for their kind and compassionate care of Becky throughout her residence.

Condolences may be made to the family online at www.henryfuneralhome.net.

Donald Lee Bosserman

Williamsburg - Donald Lee Bosserman, 85, died on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at his home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Don was a former resident of Staunton, Virginia, where he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School. He attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) as a member of the Corps of Cadets graduating with the degree of Master of Science in Architecture and received a reserve officer commission in the Army of the United States. He attended the U.S. Army Engineer School and served in the Army Reserve for eight years.

Don practiced architecture for 48 years in the Washington, DC area with the federal government, several mid-Atlantic architectural firms and as a private practitioner. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Construction Specifications Institute, the American Society for Testing and Materials and various other professional and construction trade associations from which he received numerous awards and commendations. His work included teaching college level and post college courses in construction technology and various professional writings and commentaries. He also served as an expert witness in construction litigation.

Don is survived by his wife of over 63 years, Patricia Shiflet Bosserman; daughter, Ann Bosserman Adcox, of Yorktown, Virginia; son-in-law, Steven Ray Adcox; and granddaughter, Abigail Katherine Adcox, also of Yorktown, Virginia.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 11:00 am at Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to one's favorite Christian charity. Online condolences may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com.