Earl Eugene Dellinger

Earl Eugene Dellinger GRUNDY, Va. Earl Eugene Dellinger, 98, passed away Sunday, Nov. 7, in Pikeville Medical Center, following a brief illness. Born in Wilder, Va., he was the son of the late William Reece Dellinger and Laura Kathryn Phillips Dellinger. Earl graduated from Clincho High School, Triangle Mountain Institute (TMI) and attended Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky. Earl and his late wife Dorothy Jackson Dellinger founded Modern Sales and Service in 1941, which was the oldest Jeep dealership in the country as of its closing in 2009. Mr. Dellinger served on the Board of Directors A.O.T. (Auto Old Timers) Association, was a member of Directors Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, Richmond, Va., representing the 19th district, served on Chrysler Dealer Council, served as chairman of International Harvester Dealer Zone Conference and Buick Dealer Council. He served on the Buchanan County School Board for 16 years, as chairman and vice-chairman, served as board member and chairman of Southwest Virginia Community College, established scholarships at SWCC, Emory & Henry College and Hiwassee College and was a member of Patrick Henry Club at Emory & Henry College and an honorary Emory & Henry board member. Earl was a member of the Sandy Valley Lodge No. 17: Kazim Temple and Scottish Rites Bodies of Roanoke, potentate representative: Buchanan-Dickenson Shrine Club past president; Desert Sands Shrine Club, Abingdon. He was a Kentucky Colonel and contributor of Good Works Program, past president of Grundy Rotary Club, chairman of the March of Dimes Campaign, Chamber of Commerce Board and Century Club member, Grundy Business and Professional Association, Buchanan County Planning Corp., Buchanan County Planning District Commission, Lonesome Pine Council Boy Scouts, Sustaining Member of Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of America. He was a founder of Willowbrook Country Club and organizing president for three years. Mr. Dellinger was a member and building committee member of the Grundy United Methodist Church. Mr. Dellinger was honored in 2002 by Time magazine as the recipient of its Quality Dealer Award. He was the recipient of the Virginia Community College System's Chancellor's Award for Leadership in Philanthropy in 2007. In 2009, the Earl and Dorothy Dellinger Learning Resource Center was opened on the campus of Southwest Virginia Community College, which houses the library-media center and office complex. He was inducted into the Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame in 2009. Mr. Dellinger was a supporter of the Appalachian School of Law, the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, the University of Tennessee and was a big Virginia Tech Hokie fan. In addition to his parents and wife, Earl was preceded in death by six brothers, Omer Dellinger, Warner Dellinger, John Dellinger, Harry Dellinger, George Dellinger and Winfield Dellinger; one sister, Evelyn Dellinger Anderson; and one niece, Christine Rasnick Reedy. He is survived by one sister, Billie Ruth Dellinger Rasnick of Abingdon; 22 nieces and nephews and several great nieces and nephews. Friends may call at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. with Masonic Rites at 7 p.m. The body of Mr. Dellinger will be moved to Grundy United Methodist Church Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. to await the funeral hour at 11 a.m. with Rev Tom Witten officiating with burial to follow at Mountain Valley Memorial Park, Big Rock, Va. The family suggests that expression of sympathy be made in the form of donations to the charity of your choice. Active pallbearers will be Billy Ray Belcher, Jimmy Darrel Deel, Ronnie Stacy, Bill Rodda, Bill Kilgore, Henry Farmer, Gene Taylor and Jerry Shields. Honorary pallbearers will be great nephews. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.grundyfuneralhome.com Grundy Funeral Home of Grundy, Virginia is in charge of all arrangements.