William Ellis Vinson

William Ellis (Bill) Vinson, 66, of Blacksburg, Va., and Morgantown, W.Va., passed away at home on Tuesday, September 1, 2009, of acute myeloid leukemia. Born in Greensboro, N.C. on April 4, 1943, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from North Carolina State University and his Ph.D. from Iowa State University. In 1971 he began his career at Virginia Tech where he was a professor of Dairy Science and later served as Dairy Science Department Head. Upon his retirement from Virginia Tech in 2000, he moved to West Virginia University where he served as Associate Dean for Research and Outreach and Associate Director of the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences. He was an avid Virginia Tech Hokie's fan and was looking forward to the beginning of football season. Since moving to West Virginia, he enjoyed gardening and sharing the fruits of his labor. Of course, being a scientist he always had a natural curiosity that transferred to his garden allowing him to grow different vegetables simply to see how they would grow. Special thanks go to Dr. Stephen Beall, Steve Gnegy and all the nursing staff in Oncology and the Infusion Units at Monongalia General Hospital for all the support given over the course of Bill's illness. He is survived by his wife, Joan; son, Tim; daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Shawn Stanley; stepdaughter, Julie Breeding; and three grandchildren, John Vinson and Kierstyn and Austin Stanley. Funeral service will be held on Friday, September 4, 2009, at 2 p.m. in the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Tommy McDearis officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Cemetery in Christiansburg, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday evening at McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Drive, SW, Blacksburg.