Ratcliffe, Bentley Odell

Bentley Odell Ratcliffe, 78, of Pearisburg, Va., went to be with the Lord on Thursday morning, April 16, 2009, in Bristol Regional Hospital. Odell was born on July 29, 1930, in Bluff City, Va., and was a son of the late Wirt Jackson Ratcliffe and Zenobia Davis Ratcliffe. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one daughter, Mary Ellen Akers; five brothers, Budley, Tommy Luther, Cecil, and Claude; and one sister, Sally Viars.

Odell was a Korean War Army Veteran, owned and operated the Tastee Freeze in Pearisburg for 30 years, was a member of the American Legion Post #68 in Narrows, American Legion Post #311 and VFW Post #6000 in Narrows, was a lifetime member of the Giles Masonic Lodge #106 in Pearisburg, AF & AM, and was a true fan of Giles Spartan Football. Odell was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and greatgrandfather and was loved by all in the community.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary Comer Ratcliffe, of Pearisburg; two daughters, Diane R. and husband, Skip Bradley, of Pearisburg, and Amy R. and Rhett Butler, of Pearisburg; two sons, Mike and wife, Carol Ratcliffe, of Newport, and Bentley and wife, Doris Ratcliffe, of Pearisburg; two sisters, Bonnie and husband, Clyde Ratcliffe, of Pearisburg, and Francis and Billy Farley, of Pearisburg; three brothers, Roger and wife, Brenda Ratcliffe, of Salem, Roy and Ellen Ratcliffe, of Princeton, and Oakley Ratcliffe, of Pearisburg; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one special great-grandchild, Sophie; and very special friends, Lacy and Martha Ratcliffe, of Pearisburg.

A celebration of his life will be held 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2009, at God’s House Church in Hoges Chapel, Va., with Pastor Wayman Creger, the Rev. Bill Brown, Tommy Gordon and the Rev. Ron Barnard officiating. Burial will follow in the Ratcliffe Family Cemetery in Pearisburg, Va.

The family will receive friends at the Givens Funeral Home on Saturday evening, April 18, 2009, from 6 to 8 p.m. The grandsons will serve as pallbearers and Military Honors will be given by American Legion Post #68 in Narrows American Legion Post #311 and VFW Post #6000 in Narrows.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Harry McCoy, Dr. Kenneth J. Walker and to the ICU nursing staff at Montgomery Regional Hospital. Condolences can be sent to givensfuneralhome.com.