Minnick, Douglas (Doug)

Douglas (Doug) Minnick, 67, a a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, died September 7, 2012, at Montgomery County Hospital after battling with complications from diabetes and kidney disease. He was born October 28, 1944 to Estel H. and Emma Minnick. He was the 7th of eight children.

Doug was one of those people that made friends all along the way of his life. He was funny, smart and had a passion for life. As a child, he lived in Cambria at the section house beside the railroad tracks and that’s where his love of trains began, but he was interested in many things.

He started as a radio operator in Germany when he was in the army and continued to enjoy the Ham radio field, working to help in times of emergencies when communications might be difficult. He also enjoyed cars; owning them, racing them and restoring them, even working in NASCAR for a while in the seventies.

His working career was at Poly-Scientific for the early part of his life, before changing careers and joining the Dept. of Audio-Visual at Virginia Tech, where he retired after twenty plus years of service.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Estel H. and Emma P. Minnick; his siblings, Richard Minnick Sr., Frances M. Mitchum, Helen M. Martin, George Minnick, Inez M. Edwards, Fearnnie M. Luckadoo, Jack Minnick ,John Minnick; two nephews, Donnie Martin, Charles Martin; and the love of his life, his wife of 42 years, Lettie P. Minnick.

He is survived by one sister-in-law, Lillian Minnick, of Salem; and 11 nieces and nephews, Richard Minnick Jr., John Minnick, Danny Minnick, of Hampton Roads, Bruce Minnick, of Valdosta Ga., Be Be Horton. of Tallahassee. Fla., Nancy Sack, of Northern Va., Terrie Wright, of Christiansburg, Sharon Stieh, of Courtland, Va., Timmy Martin, of Christiansburg, Lauren Roop, of Blacksburg and Stacey Minnick, of Salem. He also leaves behind very special friends, Shelby Myers and Johnny Long, of Christiansburg and also his new friend, Tanya Thibault.

A special thanks to the Nurses on 2nd Floor PCU at Montgomery Regional Hospital.

The family will receive friends from noon until 2 p.m. on Monday, September 10, 2012, at the Horne Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held in the Horne Funeral Home Chapel at 2 p.m. on Monday, September 10, 2012, with the Rev. Jerry Shepherd and the Rev. Mike Correll officiating. Interment will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.hornefuneralservice.com. “Toodledo to all from Doug.”