Reverend Charles E. “Ed” Vallandingham Jr., of Lewisburg, peacefully passed away Thursday, February 17, 2022, at CAMC Memorial Hospice.
Born July 14, 1950, at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, he was a son of the late Charles and Jeanie Vallandingham.
Ed and his five siblings grew up in White Sulpher Springs. His first desire was to become a veterinarian as he had a lifelong love of animals. Ed was a varsity football player, a member of 4-H and played guitar for his band, The Trolls.
Upon graduation from high school in 1968, Ed enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After completing boot camp and the School of Infantry, Ed was deployed to the People’s Republic of Vietnam where he served as a rifleman in a forward infantry unit. At the end of his combat tour, he returned to West Virginia to become a West Virginia State Trooper. He served in that capacity until he made a decision to pursue higher education.
Ed graduated from Marshall University in 1976. While at Marshall he was in the ROTC program and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marines on June 2, 1976. Ed served as an officer until January 1997, attaining the rank of Lt. Colonel. During those years, Ed was deployed many times including Operation Desert Storm.
It was around this time that he met his bride of 25 years, Cheryl Bittinger Lynch. Also around this time, Ed was called to serve the Lord as a minister for the United Methodist Church. Ed and Cheryl spent many years enjoying the Lord’s work together throughout Pocahontas, Monroe and Greenbrier counties.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons, Ed Vallandingham (Carolyn), of Hurricane, Mike (Isabel) Vallandingham, of Fort Worth, Texas; Jarod (Jessica) Lynch, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; daughters, Jenny Vallandingham, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Jessica (Jon) Jones, of Raleigh Durham, North Carolina; grandchildren, Ashley, Zachary, Kelsee, Parker, Daniel, Miguel, Maverick, Elle, Jake, Navilee, Arilynn, Orion and Rory; great-grandchildren, Silas, Kamden and Amelia; brothers Dan (Charlene) Vallandingham, Timothy Vallandingham; sisters Lisa Vallandingham, Debbie Rivoire and Karen Vallandingham; and his fur-baby Jesse.
In addition to his parents, Ed was preceded in death by a brother-in-law, John Rivoire; and nephew, Chad Vallandingham.
Funeral service was held Sunday February 20, 2022, at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Hillsboro. Burial was in Oak Grove Cemetery.
