Earl Eugene
Dellinger, 98, of Grundy, VA passed away Sunday, November 7, in Pikeville
Medical Center, following a brief illness. Born in Wilder, VA, he was the son
of the late William Reece Dellinger and Laura Kathryn Phillips Dellinger.
Earl
graduated from Clincho High School, Triangle Mountain Institute (TMI) and
attended Alice Lloyd College in KY. Earl and his late wife Dorothy Jackson
Dellinger founded Modern Sales and Service in 1941, which was the oldest Jeep
dealership in the country as of its closing in 2009. Mr. Dellinger served on
the Board of Directors A.O.T. (Auto Old Timers) Association, was a member of
Directors Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, Richmond, VA, representing
the 19th district, served on Chrysler Dealer Council, served as
chairman of International Harvester Dealer Zone Conference and Buick Dealer
Council. He served on the Buchanan County School Board for 16 years, as
chairman and vice-chairman, served as board member and chairman of Southwest
Virginia Community College, established scholarships at SWCC, Emory & Henry
College and Hiwassee College and was a member of Patrick Henry Club at Emory &
Henry College and an honorary Emory & Henry board member.
Earl was a
member of the Sandy Valley Lodge No. 17: Kazim Temple and Scottish Rites Bodies
of Roanoke, potentate representative: Buchanan-Dickenson Shrine Club past
president; Desert Sands Shrine Club, Abingdon. He was a Kentucky Colonel and
contributor of Good Works Program, past president of Grundy Rotary Club,
chairman of the March of Dimes Campaign, Chamber of Commerce Board and Century
Club member, Grundy Business and Professional Association, Buchanan County
Planning Corp., Buchanan County Planning District Commission, Lonesome Pine
Council Boy Scouts, Sustaining Member of Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of
America. He was a founder of Willowbrook Country Club and organizing president
for three years. Mr. Dellinger was a member and building committee member of
the Grundy United Methodist Church.
Mr. Dellinger
was honored in 2002 by Time magazine as the recipient of its Quality Dealer
Award. He was the recipient of the Virginia Community College System’s
Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy in 2007. In 2009, the Earl
and Dorothy Dellinger Learning Resource Center was opened on the campus of
Southwest Virginia Community College, which houses the library-media center and
office complex. He was inducted into the Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce
Hall of Fame in 2009. Mr. Dellinger was a supporter of the Appalachian School
of Law, the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, the University of Tennessee and was
a big Virginia Tech Hokie fan.
In addition
to his parents and wife, Earl was preceded in death by six brothers: Omer
Dellinger, Warner Dellinger, John Dellinger, Harry Dellinger, George Dellinger,
and Winfield Dellinger; one sister Evelyn Dellinger Anderson, and one niece
Christine Rasnick Reedy. He is survived by one sister Billie Ruth Dellinger
Rasnick of Abingdon, twenty-two nieces and nephews and several great nieces and
nephews.
Friends may
call at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel Tuesday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. with
Masonic Rites at 7:00 P.M. The body of Mr. Dellinger will be moved to Grundy
United Methodist Church Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM to await the funeral hour
at 11:00 A.M. with Rev Tom Witten officiating with burial to follow at Mountain
Valley Memorial Park, Big Rock, VA.
The family
suggests that expression of sympathy be made in the form of donations to the
charity of your choice.
Active
Pallbearers will be Billy Ray Belcher, Jimmy Darrel Deel, Ronnie Stacy, Bill
Rodda, Bill Kilgore, Henry Farmer, Gene Taylor and Jerry Shields.
Honorary
Pallbearers will be Great Nephews.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at
www.grundyfuneralhome.com
Grundy
Funeral Home of Grundy, Virginia is in charge of all arrangements.
