Charles Asbury Sheets, 82, of Green Bank, peacefully passed away, surrounded by his family, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, following an extended illness.
Born April 12, 1941, in Pocahontas County, he was a son of the late Clarence Asbury Sheets and Ella Waddell Sheets.
Charles was a proud graduate of Green Bank High School where he was active in basketball and football. After high school, he received a BS degree in business agriculture at WVU, and then was drafted into the U.S. Army. Most of his army life was spent in Germany on a U.S. Air Force base. He spent his leave traveling Europe. He would arrive at a destination by commercial transportation and then catch an Air Force hop at a designated time back to the base. He spent Christmas ’64 with a young German couple in Berlin. He considered his experience with the Army in Germany one of the most enjoy- able and educational.
After leaving the army, Charles returned home to West Virginia. He worked for the Department of Natural Resources then became a Surface Mine Inspector with the Department of Interior. A new reclamation surface mining law was enacted in ’78 and many of the older surface miners were not receptive and could be belligerent toward federal inspectors. Charles’ calm and helpful manner caused many operators to mellow and eventually become close friends.
Following his retirement from the Department of Interior, Charles felt a need and desire to return to Green Bank to help manage the Oldsmobile dealership, star-ted by his father in the early 1920s. Charles helped his father during his childhood and teenage years. When GM stopped producing Olds in 2004, with his persistence and determination, Charles received a GMC truck franchise. This was unheard of for a small rural dealership. He did business until the end of 2012, and was always loyal to Olds, GMC and other GM products.
After closing the dealership, he said to wife, Carolyn, “We must do some- thing to get us up in the mornings.”
Following in his father’s footsteps as an active Lions Club member, Charles became District Governor in 2013. District Governors visit all Lions Clubs in their districts (26) in West Virginia and present goals and objectives to other clubs to motivate them to be active. Charles chose “Lead the Way,” since eyesight is one of the main goals of the Lions. He and his wife went to Rochester Hills, Michigan, headquarters for LeaderDog for the Blind and raised a Black Lab puppy to become a Leader Dog. However, he did not qualify so they brought him back home to become a family member.
Charles was always a dedicated member and officer of many community organizations: United Methodist Church, Arbovale Community Building Association, Arbovale Cemetery Association, American Legion, Durbin Lions Club, Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation and GVEDC Foundation.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister and brother-in-law, Peggy and Gary McPherson; nephew, Chris McPherson; brother-in-law, Ted Carter; and great-nephew, Steve Carter.
He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Carolyn Nottingham Sheets; his son, Martin, of Fairmont; daughter, Charlynn Buchanan, and husband, John; grandson, Roanin, of Jonesborough, Tennessee; friend, Tatiana Solovieva, of Fairmont; sister, Jeanne Carter, of Wheeling; nephew, Richard (Kim) Carter, of Wheeling; niece, Jane (Jim) Bengier, of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; niece, Missy McPherson, of Jacksonville, Florida; brother-in-law, Richard Nottingham, of Dunmore; nephews, Shawn (June) and Shane (Brenda) Nottingham, of Dunmore; brother-in-law, Allen Nottingham, of Dunmore; niece, Cheryl Nottingham, of Harrisonburg Virginia; nephews, Steve Nottingham (Sarah), Riverton, and Charles Nottingham (Doris), of Arbovale; and several cousins, great-nieces-and-nephews and his Black Lab, Durbin.
Everyone Charles met was a new friend. The family would like to thank those friends who called, sent cards and traveled from around the country to spend time with him. Your kindness brightened his days and warmed his heart. The family would also like to thank the WVU Cancer Center, caring staff and hospice members.
Above all else, Charles loved his family as he loved the Lord. He served Metho-dist churches throughout his whole life. His outgoing and engaging personality will be missed in our daily lives, but the many memories that he created with those he loved and cherished will live on forever.
A funeral service was held Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Wallace and Wallace Funeral Home with Pastor Barry Ball officiating. Burial, with military honors by the Pocahontas County Veterans Honor Corps, was in Arbovale Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Durbin Lions Club, C/O Rick Wooddell, PO Box 176, Green Bank, WV 24944, Dunmore United Methodist Church, 101 Dunmore Road, Dunmore, WV 24934, Leader Dogs for the Blind at LeaderDog.org, and the WVU Cancer Institute, Office of Philanthropy, PO Box 9300, Morgantown, WV 26505-9300.
Online condolences may be shared at WallaceandWallaceFH.com
We are just seeing this obituary and are SO sorry for your loss.
Just one year ago, in the fall of 2023, Charles Sheets wrote and published a beautiful story in the West Virginia magazine, Goldenseal. The story is related to his family Oldsmobile Business, and my father and mothers adventure in buying the first car off the assembly to come there to Greenbank after World War II. This story outlines how the Oldsmobile company sent a hand attachment that was subsequently installed right there in their store for my father to be more independent and to drive as a double amputee. For Mr. Sheets efforts to preserve this story for generations to come, I am forever grateful. I would have loved to talk with Charles and renew our family ties. My husband and I and the descendants of Tom and Betsy Edgar send their sincerest sympathy to the family and friends of Charles Sheets.