Donald Ray McGann

“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try to readjust the way you thought of things.” Lemony Snicket, The Reptile Room Donald Ray McGann, known to family & friends as and hereinafter, “Duke” passed away at Charleston Area Medical Center on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 following a brief illness. Duke was born in Welch, West Virginia on April 8, 1951 to John R. McGann and Geneva “Peach” Mann McGann. He learned to walk rhe first time in the regular fashion and was hard to keep up with from that time on. Mr. McGann was the middle child of three siblings and leaves behind his sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Alex Hensley along with their children, Beth Fegley and husband, Joe Fegley as well as David Hensley and wife, Stacey Hensley. He is also survived by his brother, Jack McGann; his nephew Michael McGann; and nieces, Kathy Martin and husband Steve Martin, and Julie Shunk and husband, Brett Shunk. Mr. McGann was raised in Soak Creek, West Virginia and attended Sophia High School before becoming “Duke McGann the Coal Man”. During his career underground, he worked in various mines throughout Southern West Virginia. At the age of 21, Duke was crushed in the mines. Following surgery to remove his tailbone, he learned to walk a second time during several weeks of therapy in Charlottesville, VA, and returned to work in the mines thereafter. Later in his career, Mr. McGann taught mine safety classes and incorporated a mining supply company through which he sold various equipment. For the equipment that he sold that never actually existed and the taxes that were evaded as a result of those sales, Duke was under the supervision of the United States Federal Probation Office at the time of his passing. Perhaps, as he always suspected it might, the strong arm of the Federal government assisted him to his grave. In 1979, Duke married “Lulu” (a.k.a. Sandra Kay Crysel). Three children were born of their love and of their marriage. He leaves behind his oldest son, John Richard Wayne McGann and wife, Lisa Marie McGann; granddaughters, Taj-Zhane Thompson and Desiree McGann; daughter, Kimberly Erin Davis and son-in-law John Dylan Davis; grandchildren, John Ellias Jude Davis and Veruska Lenore Davis; and his youngest son, “Rufus”, known to local law enforcement as Stewart Gregory (or “Greg”) McGann. Duke was known affectionately to his children and grandchildren (as well as many other children) as “the candy man”. Throughout his life, Mr. McGann's name appeared in The Post-Herald and later, The Register Herald a number of times, but he was not, until now, afforded a full and fair opportunity to be represented as the fine man that he, in fact, was. In life, Duke enjoyed Mountaineer football, gardening, story-telling, loud, outdated country music, candies that others thought weren't available anywhere since the 60s, fishing, hunting (on government land), speaking disparagingly of the U.S. Federal Goverment, being on the river, and an occasional beer. He lived by what he commanded and that was that everyone “share and share alike”. He gave and he gave. He was generous to a fault if fault could be found in the generous. When he sent popcorn money to school with his kids he sent extra always imploring them to give it to any child who didn't come with popcorn money that day. He did not know how to take and it is said that as a child he would not eat at a friend's home until he saw that the host received a dollar for his meal. Mr. McGann acquired many friends who remained close with him, many from childhood until his passing. Among these and in no particular order are Larry Murphy; Bob Sturgill; Bruce Horton; Carlos and Ashley Howerton; Nancy Howerton; Freddie, Fred, and Jason Ball; David Blanchard; Ron Hayworth; Frank Workman; Dwayne Hite; George and Donna Lambert; and too many others to mention, but all of whom deserve to be recognized in print (for once, at least) for the good folks that they are. If a soundtrack were made of Duke's life, selections would include Confederate Railroad's “Daddy Never was the Cadillac Kind”; Dolly Parton's “Silver and Gold”; Hank Williams, Jr.'s “A Country Boy Can Survive” and “Family Tradition”; George Jones' “He Stopped Loving Her Today”; and later, Vince Gill's “Go Rest High On That Mountain”. In November, 2013, Duke suffered from a series of strokes and thereafter, learned to walk a third and final time. He said often that he would “live forever or die trying” and he did. Services will be conducted at 7pm Friday, June 20, 2014 at the Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home in Sophia with Pastor Dewey Hite officiating. In keeping with Duke’s final wishes he will be cremated after the services. Friends may call from 6-7pm on Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences and other forms of tribute are available at www.blueridgefuneralhome.com Arrangements are under the direction of Williams-Blue Ridge Funeral Home, Sophia.