Sallie Raye Thacker Dowdy

Sallie Raye Thacker, 71, of Christiansburg, wife of James "Jimmy" Dowdy, passed away Friday, June 26, 2009, at the New River Valley Medical Center. She was born August 2, 1937, in Eggleston, Va., she was the youngest of 11 children of the late Edgar and Katie Straley Thacker. She was preceded in death by five brothers, Bill, Inky, Donald, Mose and Jack Thacker; and five sisters, Ruby Burk, Janie Hicks, Margaret Coulter, Deleene Bingham, and infant, Rachael Jean. She was employed at Poly-Scientific and Moog until her retirement, and was a member of Belmont Christian Church. She is survived by her husband, James "Jimmy" Dowdy; her son, Steve Dowdy, Christiansburg; four sisters-in-law, Frances Ramsay and husband, Aaron, of Port Charlotte, Fla., Mary Stevers and husband, Lindsey, of Hoges Chapel, Va., Betty Waldrop, of Alexandria, Va., and Faye Smith and husband, Stanley, of McCoy, Va.; three brothers-in-law, Dick Bingham, of Springboro, Ohio, Russell Dowdy and wife, Fleta, Billy Dowdy and wife, Janet, all of Christiansburg. Sallie was also survived by many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held Monday, June 29, 2009, at 10 a.m. in the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel with Mr. Jerry Dowdy and the Rev. Stanley Smith Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in the Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Christiansburg. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Belmont Christian Church Building Fund, 2149 Dominion Drive, Christiansburg, Va. 24073. Friends may call anytime Sunday after 12 noon and the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday evening at McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Drive, SW, Blacksburg.