Obituaries
Dylan Gentry
Funeral service for Sgt. Dylan Gentry, 21, of Verbena, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 12, 2023, at Rockford Baptist Church. Brother Jeff Fuller will officiate. Burial and full military honors will follow at Coosa River Cemetery in Deatsville. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 12, at Rockford Baptist Church.
Sgt. Dylan Gentry passed away tragically Monday, May 1, 2023, at his residence in Fort Hood, Texas. He was an active military sergeant in the U.S. Army. He was born September 13, 2001, to Willie Gentry and Katina Potter Gentry. Dylan was a beloved and amazing son, brother, husband, and father who cannot be replaced.
Dylan grew up in central Alabama, attending high school at Verbena where he played football and basketball. He was an avid sports fan who loved to laugh, have fun and spend time with his family and friends. Family was the most important thing to Dylan, and he had a smile that could light up a room.
A member of Rockford Baptist Church, Dylan was extremely close to his faith in God. Before leaving for the military, he was a resident of Dadeville and Alexander City.
Just after turning 19, Dylan enlisted in the U.S. military on Sept. 22, 2020. After completing his basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia, Dylan was stationed at Fort Hood, where he was an infantryman in Company B, 1st Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.
During his time in the military, Dylan was awarded several medals, including the Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat and Special Skill Badge Basic Marksmanship Qual Badge Sharpshooter; and Bar, Weapon: Machinegun.
Sgt. Dylan Gentry is survived by his father, Willie Gentry; brothers, Charles (Lizi) Gwin, Wayne (Michelle) Gentry, Scott (Destiny) Gentry; sisters, Maranda Gwin and Elizabeth Gentry; his wife of 1 year, Shea McGuire; nephews, Isaac Gentry, Jonah Gentry, Kyler Dennis, James Chapman, David Chapman, Matthew Kiser; nieces, Paisley Gentry, Hailey Gentry, Naomie Reid, Noa Gentry; grandparents, Nancy Ledger Baird and Doug Potter; as well as countless aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Katina Louise (Potter) Gentry; his son, Theo Travis Gentry; and grandparents, James Gentry and Daisy Gentry.
Memorial condolences may be sent to the family at www.radneyfuneralhome.com.
Radney Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Robert “Bob” Walker
Robert J. Walker (Bob), 88, of Lynchburg, Virginia, gained his permanent wings on Thursday, April 20, at 2:25 p.m., after a lengthy battle with cancer. Bob was born on July 26, 1934, in Beckley, West Virginia, the son of the late Alfreda Phipps Walker and Robert Jackson Walker Sr., both of Beckley. Bob graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley in 1952. He served in the Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery from 1953 to 1957. He then attended college on the GI Bill at W.V. Tech, graduating in 1961 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Bob met his wife, Shirley Jean Ward Walker of Rockford, on a blind date in Montgomery in 1955, and they married the following year. After living in West Virginia through his college years and a brief residency in Ohio, the two made Lynchburg their permanent home in 1961 after Bob was hired by Babcock and Wilcox. Bob and Shirley were married for 66-plus years.
Bob’s career at B & W spanned 34 years and afforded him the opportunity to travel the world, as well as make many lifelong friends. While he loved the business of nuclear engineering, Bob also became an accomplished woodworker and furniture maker. He made many of the pieces that resided in their home on Locksview Road. Though encouraged by many to do so, he never wanted to make money from this hobby. However, he graciously and with great talent made many beautiful pieces for his children and grandchildren and was always up for helping a friend with a broken or damaged piece of furniture.
Anyone who knew Bob, though, knew his one true passion and love, aside from his family, was his flying career. There was no place he would rather be in this world than in the sky. A lover of planes since he was a child, Bob joined a flying club while in the Air Force and never looked back. He earned his private pilot’s license in 1956, just before attending college. With more than 11,000 hours of flying to his credit (at age 86), he instructed more than 400 students in the Lynchburg area to become pilots or obtain additional ratings and certifications. Bob was awarded the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2016, which requires 50 or more years of experience and an accident-free record. The aviation community was an integral part of Bob’s happiness. Many of his most cherished relationships were from his vast group of flying friends.
Bob is survived by his wife, Shirley; daughter, Deborah Ann Walker Helak (Matt) of Downingtown, Pennsylvania; son, Robert Kevin Walker (Beverly) of Greenville, North Carolina; four grandchildren, Annparke Sullivan Hill (Eric), Walker Pearce Sullivan, Austin Jackson Walker, and Carson Walker Yates (Cole). Also surviving him are his beloved brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Doris Walker of Martinsville, Virginia (who loved him fiercely and never gave up hope); and his sister, Betty Lilly of Beckley, West Virginia.
A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at The Commons in Westminster Canterbury; 501 VES Rd.; Lynchburg, VA 24503. A reception will follow on The Bridge. Time will be set aside during the service and the reception for anyone wishing to share a remembrance of Bob.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in his name to one of the many causes Bob was passionate about. Tunnel to Towers (T2T.org); Wounded Warriors Project (woundedwarriorproject.org), which supports veterans and first responders; the ASPCA (www.aspca.org); or the Lynchburg Humane Society (lynchburghumane.org), which supports homeless, abused and neglected animals. He would also welcome a contribution to the cancer charity of your choice.
The Walker family would like to acknowledge and thank the caregivers that were with Bob during his last year. While there were many, a few were extra special to him. They brightened his darkest days and made him feel seen and heard. They advocated for his care every day, and their kindness cannot be overstated. Thank you and God bless, Rachael and Kimberly from the fifth floor of Drinkard Health Center and Kelly, Skyelar and Jasmine from Westminster Hospice. To longtime friend Eddie Campbell, your selflessness, companionship and acts of kindness were a true gift to Bob. If everyone had just one friend as loyal and kind as you the world would be a better place.
Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.