Obituary of Richard Joseph Gagner RICHARD JOSEPH GAGNER Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Wednesday, January 31, 2001 Richard Joseph Gagner, 43, died Jan. 30, 2001, in Obici Hospital, Suffolk. Joe was born Feb. 15, 1957, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and was a longtime resident of the Franklin/Southampton County area. Joe was a 1975 graduate of Franklin High School and was a member of St. Jude's Catholic Church. He was a 23-year employee of Obici Memorial Hospital where he started in the security department then to the communications department and just recently assisted in the Y2K preparations for the hospital and most recently was the help desk coordinator at the hospital. In April 1976, Joe was in a near fatal automobile accident that left him a paraplegic. He became an inspiration to all who knew him. Joe was predeceased by his father, Richard Arlen (Dick) Gagner. Survivors include his mother, Audrey Raiford Gagner of Courtland; three sisters, Sherry G. Vann and her husband, Randy, of Newsoms, Dora G. Gurganus and her husband, Ricky, of Capron, Renee G. Jones and her husband, Ronnie, of Sedley; seven nieces and nephews, Carrie Lowe, Craig Vann, Anrae Gurganus, Kevin Lowe, Travis Vann, Adam Gurganus, and Matthew Jones. Joe is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins. A funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Wright Funeral Home by Father Carl DeSouza. Burial will be in Southampton Memorial Park . The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and suggest that memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1290 Seminole Trail, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA 22901; or to Obici Health Systems, 1900 N. Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. Edition: FINAL Section: LOCAL Page: B9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Richard Joseph Gagner, 43, a longtime Franklin/Southampton County resident, died 30 Jan 2001 in Suffolk. He was a paraplegic and inspiration to many. A funeral was held at 2 p.m. Friday at Wright Funeral Home, officiated by Father Carl DeSouza. Burial took place in Southampton Memorial Park. ––– Transcript ––– RICHARD JOSEPH GAGNER Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Wednesday, 31 Jan 2001 Richard Joseph Gagner, 43, died 30 Jan 2001, in Obici Hospital, Suffolk. Joe was born 15 Feb 1957, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and was a longtime resident of the Franklin/Southampton County area. Joe was a 1975 graduate of Franklin High School and was a member of St. Jude's Catholic Church. He was a 23-year employee of Obici Memorial Hospital where he started in the security department then to the communications department and just recently assisted in the Y2K preparations for the hospital and most recently was the help desk coordinator at the hospital. In April 1976, Joe was in a near fatal automobile accident that left him a paraplegic. He became an inspiration to all who knew him. Joe was predeceased by his father, Richard Arlen (Dick) Gagner. Survivors include his mother, Audrey Raiford Gagner of Courtland; three sisters, Sherry G. Vann and her husband, Randy, of Newsoms, Dora G. Gurganus and her husband, Ricky, of Capron, Renee G. Jones and her husband, Ronnie, of Sedley; seven nieces and nephews, Carrie Lowe, Craig Vann, Anrae Gurganus, Kevin Lowe, Travis Vann, Adam Gurganus, and Matthew Jones. Joe is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins. A funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Wright Funeral Home by Father Carl DeSouza. Burial will be in Southampton Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and suggest that memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1290 Seminole Trail, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA 22901; or to Obici Health Systems, 1900 N. Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. ––– Vital Statistics ––– |--------------------------------------------------| | Name | Richard Joseph Gagner | | Age | 43 | | Birth | 15 Feb 1957; Ponce, Puerto Rico | | Death | 30 Jan 2001; Obici Hospital, Suffolk, VA | |--------------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | |--------------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------------| | Richard Joseph Gagner | Decedent | Franklin/Southampton County, VA | | Richard Arlen (Dick) Gagner | Father (predeceased) | [unknown] | | Audrey Raiford Gagner | Mother | Courtland, VA | | Sherry G. Vann | Sister | Newsoms, VA | | Randy Vann | Brother-in-law | Newsoms, VA | | Dora G. Gurganus | Sister | Capron, VA | | Ricky Gurganus | Brother-in-law | Capron, VA | | Renee G. Jones | Sister | Sedley, VA | | Ronnie Jones | Brother-in-law | Sedley, VA | | Carrie Lowe | Niece | [unknown] | | Craig Vann | Nephew | [unknown] | | Anrae Gurganus | Nephew | [unknown] | | Kevin Lowe | Nephew | [unknown] | | Travis Vann | Nephew | [unknown] | | Adam Gurganus | Nephew | [unknown] | | Matthew Jones | Nephew | [unknown] | | Several aunts, uncles, cousins | Extended family | [unknown] | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |---------------------------------| | Field | Value | |----------|----------------------| | Location | Norfolk, VA | | Name | Virginian-Pilot, The | | Date | 31 Jan 2001 | | Edition | FINAL | | Section | LOCAL | | Page | B9 | |---------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • 23-year employee of Obici Memorial Hospital • Worked in security, communications, Y2K preparations, and as help desk coordinator • Member of St. Jude's Catholic Church • Graduate of Franklin High School, Class of 1975 • Paraplegic following 1976 automobile accident • Survived by mother, three sisters, seven nieces and nephews, several aunts, uncles, and cousins • Memorials suggested to the American Diabetes Association or Obici Health Systems [Contributed by Bruce Saunders, bs4403@verizon.net] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may have contributed to the creation of this text. 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