OBITUARIES Continued from pg. 11
brother, uncle and nephew passed away suddenly on February 15, 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents, David Earl Jones Sr. and Dorothy JONES Armistead Jones. Keith was a previous employee of Richmond Refrigeration Service, Inc. Keith had a great love for muscle cars and collectibles which brought him enjoyment throughout his life. Keith possessed a loving, gentle soul and was very strong-willed despite his physical limitations. He is survived by his wife, Pamela H. Jones; children, Brennan Jones, Dane Jones, Amber Jones Stover and Jason Stover; and grandchild, Rylee Jones. Keith also is survived by his brother, David Earl Jones Jr. (Debbie); and sister, Lori Jones Smith (Buddy). He leaves behind aunts and uncles, David Armistead (Shirley), Walter Armistead (Charlene) and Elsie Valente, as well as several nephews. Also to be mentioned is a devoted friend, Paul Matuscak. His beloved pets, Leonidas (Lele) and Sassy, will miss sitting by his side eating their snackies. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday, February 22, 2017) at Woody Funeral Home Atlee Chapel at 9271 Shady Grove Road in Mechanicsville.
STEPHANIE LANE Stephanie Ann Lane, 39, of Mechanicsville, went to be with the Lord on Friday, February 17, 2017. She was preceded in passing by her father-in-law, Michael J. Lane.
She is survived by her loving husband of 13 years, Keith Edward Lane; daughter, Leah Morgan Lane; parents, Rev. Michael and LANE Susan Brown; mother-in-law, Toni Lane; grandmother, Shirley Brown; sister, Cheri Sheridan (Will); brothers-in law, Jimmy Lane (Cassie) and Kyle Lane (Rachel); two nephews and numerous other family members and friends. Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 21, 2017, at the Shalom Baptist Church at 6395 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Mechanicsville. Interment followed at Hanover Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leah Lane College Fund, 7047 Brooks Hollow Parkway, Mechanicsville, VA 23111. The Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home at 8014 Lee-Davis Road was in charge of arrangements.
ROBERT LAUGHTER Robert Gene Laughter, 84, husband of Nadine Nanney Laughter, of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, passed away Tuesday, February 14, 2017, after a brief illness. He was born on August 20, 1932, in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, to the late Robert Edgar and Mae Irvin Laughter. After growing up in Albemarle, North Carolina, and graduating from high school there, Gene attended UNC Chapel Hill and Pfieffer College (now Pfieffer University), took graduate courses at the University of Michigan in Art and Design, and served in the U.S. Army at Camp Gordon, Georgia. He enjoyed a lengthy career as an advertising executive, 35
of those years spent at HeiligMeyers Co. in Richmond. In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by three daughters: LAUGHTER Kimberly L. Smith of Richmond, Leslie L. Ellmore (Roger), of Roanoke and Erin L. Philpy (Brooke) of Mechanicsville; son, Robert Bryan Laughter of Richmond; nine grandchildren, Matthew, Sara-Scott, Allie, Zachary, Maggie, Lawson, Camden, Olivia and Anna; two sisters; Janice L. Sullivan (John) of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Susan L. Meyers (Blue) of Givhans, South Carolina; and numerous nephews and nieces. Ever two romantics, Gene and Nadine married 62 years ago in Chester, South Carolina, in an early February ceremony with a Valentine’s theme. The two first met at Ocean Drive, where he was a lifeguard, and they always felt sentimentally attached to the area. For years they have enjoyed many friendships in the large local beach community, where Gene was known by the nickname “Swink,” and each summer he and Nadine brought the family to Ocean Drive for vacations. In 1980, he and friend Tom Lilly, along with a committee of friends, with publicity help from Charlotte Observer reporters Jerry Bledsoe and Kays Gary, organized the S.O.S. migration as a reunion for “beach bums,” former lifeguards, and shaggers; a celebration which increased in size and is still ongoing. After living in Richmond for most of their adult lives, Gene and Nadine moved to North Myrtle Beach almost three years ago. He explained the move in a metaphorical
way: “Like elephants, we’re returning to our old stomping grounds for our sunset days.” He died there on Valentine’s Day. Through the years, Gene was a Renaissance man with a variety of interests and hobbies. In his younger years, he was an avid saltwater fisherman and tennis/squash player as a member at Westwood Racquet Club. Other longtime interests included collecting antique rubber stamps, sharks’ teeth and fossils, jazz music/posters and store mannequins (for use as photo props). His greatest artistic passion was photography and bromoil, an early-20th century photographic process that
uses a stippling technique. For his mastery of bromoil he was known far and wide. Not only did he create and sell his own bromoil photography, but he also taught workshops in the technique to further the interest of it in America. He published Bromoil 101, a guidebook to the process. He was greatly influenced by British techniques of bromoil, and he was the first foreigner invited to be a member of England’s Bromoil Circle. Most of all, Gene loved his family and life at the beach, both which he was reluctant to leave, but to the end he remained true to his oftenstated motto, “Onward!” At
11 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, 2017, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of Gene “Swink” Laughter at the Ocean Drive Pavilion at 90 South Ocean Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family asks friends to remember Swink by enjoying and supporting the arts and/or by donating to The Hall of Fame Foundation, P.O. Box 4070, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting the website of Lee Funeral Home at www. leefhandcrematory.com. Lee see OBITUARIES, pg. 12
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The Mechanicsville Local
February 22, 2017
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