John Forrest Stallings Jr.

STALLINGS, John Forrest Jr., 84, of Hopewell, died Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at McGuire Veterans Medical Center. He was born in Halifax County, N.C. He was a charter member of the VFW Post #637, served in the U.S. Navy during WWII on the U.S.S. Hornet CV-8, the U.S.S. Wasp CV-7, and the U.S.S. Nassau CVE-16. He participated aboard the U.S.S. Hornet in the Battle of Midway Island and the Battle of Coral Sea, and he survived the sinking of the carrier at the Battle of Santa Cruz Island. He witnessed history from the flight deck when Jimmy Doolittle launched the B-25 bombing raids on Japan in 1942. Mr. Stallings was a retired supervisor with Allied Chemical, Fibers Division. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Forrest Sr. and Sallie Taylor Stallings; his wife, Marian Senn Stallings; his sisters, Sallie Jerome, Vivian Restaino; and his brother, James Stallings. Surviving are his three daughters, Marian Leigh Cook (Jim) of Waynesboro, Va., Sherry S. Johnson (David) of Richmond, Linda M. Jones (Kennie) of Poquoson, Va.; two sons; John Forrest Stallings III (Judy) of Hopewell, Thomas Allen Stallings (Shirley) of San Diego, Calif.; 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Lillian Rayner and Sue Ruis (Bill), all of Hopewell; a special friend, Arlene Saunders of Hopewell; as well as many nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, August 28, 2008 at the Hopewell Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, August 29, 2008 in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Curtis Butterworth, of Joy Fellowship, officiating. Interment will be at Appomattox Cemetery. Condolences may be registered with www.jtmorriss.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.