Bill and Dianne Mahaffey

William “Bill” Noah Mahaffey was born on December 2, 1949 to Francis Ranny Mahaffey and Jerldeen Thelma Stitt Mahaffey in Welch, West Virginia. He was the older brother to twin sisters Brenda Stratton (Bruce) and Barbara Bowling (Grover). He moved to Lynchburg in 1964 and attended E.C. Glass High School. He was affectionately known to most as “Bubby” or “Smokey.”

Ruth “Dianne” Saunders Mahaffey was born September 13, 1950 to Cecil Reinhart Saunders and Eva Ruth Saunders in Lynchburg, Virginia. She was the second of six children: Deloris Peak, Sandra Saunders (deceased), Stony Saunders, Tim Saunders, and Ellen Saunders. She also attended E.C. Glass High School and took nursing classes while in high school.

In 1964, while in high school, Dianne volunteered as a candy striper at the hospital and worked at G.C. Murphy’s behind the candy counter. Bill was a busboy at the Holiday Inn on Odd Fellows Road. One day Bill walked into G.C. Murphy’s and saw her behind the candy counter. He walked up and told her, “I’m going to marry you one day.” He proceeded to buy and wear a shirt that said, “If no one claims me in 30 days, I’m yours.” He took a picture of himself wearing that shirt in the photo booth, then gave the picture to her with his phone number on the back. That was just the beginning.

Bill graduated E.C. Glass High School in 1970 and entered the workforce. Dianne graduated top of her class at E.C. Glass High School and went on to attend nursing school. After she graduated nursing school, she and Bill married on April 25, 1975 in Lynchburg.

Throughout his career, Bill worked for Firestone, then was the general foreman for Stackhouse, Mastech, Asplund, CW Wright, and Davis H. Elliott before he retired. Dianne had a heart for nursing and explored many different specialties within her profession. She spent time at both Lynchburg General and Virginia Baptist Hospitals as the ER charge nurse, a nurse in surgical intensive care, and other departments. She was also an integral part of opening the dialysis units in Lynchburg, as well as Farmville. In her 40s, she earned her doctorate in Healthcare Administration. She retired as the administrative supervisor of the Intensive Care Department at Lynchburg General Hospital.

Interlaced through their careers, Dianne gave birth to four beautiful children - Joseph “JP” Paul Mahaffey (Lori), William Randall “Randy” Mahaffey (Jennifer), Lori Anne Wilmouth (Adam), and Amanda Lynn Mahaffey. There are many stories to be told of family vacations, shopping trips, fishing trips, and time spent at home together. You will occasionally hear a few hilarious stories from the children that ended in the ER due to stitches or a little hiccup with the BB gun.

After retirement, “Smokey” spent time with his children, went golfing and fishing, worked outside, grew a garden, and spent a lot of time up at El Cabrito’s meeting his favorite friends to chit chat and solve the world’s problems. If you knew Bill, you knew exactly what he thought of you, where you stood with him, and how you fit into the puzzle. If you worked for him, he probably fired you at least once during your tenure, even if it was just to get your attention. He was a man's man - gruff, rough, and as he always said “…a tough old piece of leather.”

If you knew Dianne, it may have been because of her token hairdo, her sense of humor, her contagious laugh, or her love of taking care of people. Dianne may have retired on paper, but she never actually stopped being a nurse. She spent every day, up to the day she passed away, making sure that others were cared for. If you came by to visit, she would never let you leave her presence without being offered (or forcefully given) a drink, snack, or an abundance of ice cream and some good humor. Those who weren’t able to visit were visited every day, too. She would ride the roads taking those she loved breakfast from McDonald’s, Bojangles for lunch, or a bucket of KFC for dinner. She even mothered the nurses that took care of her in the hospital.

Life really started to change for Bill and Dianne when their grandchildren came along. They were blessed with 12: Will, Grace, Andrew, Noah, Autumn, Kaleigh, Anson, Brianna, Josie, Ferron, Freddie, and Wren. The tough exterior Bill had worked so hard for started to crack a little with each grandchild that came along. The name “Papa” fit him well and he cherished each time that name was called. Dianne’s caregiver status went into full force as the name “Granny or Gigi” came into play. There were always trips to McDonald’s, The Dollar Tree, or Walmart. She had a special stash of ice cream, snacks, candy, and sodas. There was a different set of “sugar” rules at Granny’s house.

Bill and Dianne’s personalities may have differed, but they always agreed on “Family First.” There were always dinners, celebrations, get-togethers, visits, and daily phone calls to family near and far. If you were loved by Bill and Dianne, you were family. If you were a brother, sister, cousin, niece, nephew, friend, or even “step” or “in-law,” you were still family. If you were loved by Bill and Dianne, there was no mistaking it. They didn’t miss many opportunities to tell you how special you were, how proud they were of you, or how much they loved you. If you were messing up, they were going to let you know that, too, because that’s what people do when they really love you.

We’re sure when they met at 14 years old they couldn’t have known that their love would carry them through 59 years of ups and downs. They were able to be together until the last month of their lives. Dianne slowly developed dementia and her short term memory left her. She had to have care that she could not receive at home because her mind and kidneys were failing. Bill had chronic pain for years due to back issues, bone degeneration, and rheumatoid arthritis. As his mobility declined, he began to rely on those around him for help. His pride had a hard time accepting this. Centra Hospice came in to help him during his last days. The family also had help from two wonderful caregivers, Deborah and Charmaine, who quickly became family, too.

On Friday, August 4, 2023 at 1:10am, Bill peacefully took his last breath. Just 12 hours later, Dianne took her last breath at 1:03pm after hearing the voices of her children. Miles may have separated them for a short time, but their hearts were connected and will keep them together forevermore.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Whitten Timberlake Chapel.

A memorial service officiated by their nephew, Pastor Tommy Brooks, will be held at Fort Hill Memorial Park on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 10:00am.