Victor Amasa Needham

Victor A. Needham has gone on to greater glory in Christ Jesus while surrounded by his family on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. He was 86 years old. Victor be greatly missed by his family and friends, but his suffering has ended and his eternity is secure in Christ!

Victor Needham was born and reared in Knoxville, TN, where he met and married Betty Jo Long Needham on July 3, 1954. With family in tow, Victor moved from Knoxville to Waynesboro, VA, in 1962 while employed by Dupont. In 1964, the family moved to Chattanooga, TN, where Victor was employed at the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant. When VAAP ceased production in 1975, Victor moved to New Albany, IN, where he lived for the remainder of his career, retiring from Imperial Chemical Industry in 1992. Victor and Betty returned to Chattanooga in 2009.

Victor was a life-long Methodist and was a member at Christ United Methodist Church. While in New Albany, the family maintained membership at Trinity United Methodist Church.

Victor loved his family and was a thoughtful, caring, compassionate friend to many. Though his illness had robbed him of much of his short-term memory, Victor always remembered and welcomed friends with a firm handshake and hug when possible. Victor was known as “G.P.” by his ten grandchildren whom he greatly loved.

Victor Needham was preceded in death by his parents, Victor A. Needham, Sr., and Pearl Edmondson Needham.

Survivors include his loving wife and partner, Betty Jo Needham, to whom he had been married for 57 years; sons Victor A. Needham, III (Wilma) of Ft. Thomas, KY, and Mitchell E. Needham (Donna) of Chattanooga, TN; daughters, Lisa Matthews (Bill) of Cloudland, GA, Jamie DeMumbrum (John) of Loveland, OH, and Meredith Needham of New Albany, IN, and their children, Wesley and Rachel Needham, Grant (Catherine) and Alex Needham, Matthew Black (Jill), Jeremy Matthews and Mark Matthews, Max and Olivia DeMumbrum, and Jackson Thomas; and great-grandchild Levi Black.

The family would like to thank the caregivers at Sitting with Care, and especially Lisa Ailey who brought Victor much comfort during the past year.

Graveside services will be held Thursday, September 22, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. at Chattanooga National Cemetery with Pastor Mark Flynn officiating.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of Chattanooga, P.O. Box 19269, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37416 or the Disabled Veterans Association (DAV) nationally at P. O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, Ohio 45250-0301, Attention: Gift Processing; or locally at P.O. Box 15092, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415.

Arrangements are by the East Brainerd Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 8214 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaEastBrainedChapel.com.