Stump, William Darrell

William Darrell Stump, 79, of Claytor Lake, Dublin, Va. and Morehead City, NC passed away July 20, 2009 at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Winston Salem, NC

Darrell was born on February 3, 1930 in Stumptown, Clahoun County, WVA. to the late Dallas and Daisy Knotts Stump. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a sister, Helen Stump Perry.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara B. Stump; three daughters and a son in-law, Beth Stump and Ruth Stump; Joan and Nick Rowan; two sons and daughter-in-law, William (Bill) II and Tracey Stump; Eric Stump ; five grandsons, Nathan Stump, and special friend Fatimah Manns; William (Pete) III, Jimmy, Stuart, and Tom Stump; two great grandsons, Elijah and Mark Stump; brother and sister-in-law, Eugene (Sheriff) and Cathy Stump, Stanley and Jean Burns; and several nieces and nephews.

Darrell entered the Navy in 1947, and upon his discharge in 1952 he married Barbara Burns. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State College in WV, and continued his education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, earning a master’s degree and received his doctorate in history from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, He was a professor at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas and in 1962, he and his family moved to Radford, VA where he was a professor of history at Radford University. He served as dean of the history department from 1963 to 1964 and, in 1972, became the Dean of Arts and Sciences, a post he held until 1987. At that time, citing a desire to return to teaching, he stepped down as dean and returned to the classroom full time until his retirement from Radford University in 1996.

Darrell loved spending time with hisfamily and friends, especially his grandsons, at his home on Claytor Lake and in Morehead City, NC near his beloved ocean.

There will be a private family funeral service on Saturday.