Harold Wright Ayres

1921 - 2022

Harold Wright Ayres passed away peacefully at his home in his sleep in the early morning hours of January 21, 2022. He is now in the presence of Jesus, and the Lord our God! He has reunited with Adrienne, the love of his life and wife of 75 years who passed in 2017.

He is survived by sons, Ronald Page Ayres and Mark Preston Ayres, both of Williamsburg; three grandchildren, Jennifer Schandall of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, Marshall Ayres of Lanexa, Virginia, and Emily Daniels of Ark, Virginia; and six great-grandchildren.

Harold was just over 100 years old, born September 30, 1921, in the community of Kerr's Creek in Rockbridge County, about 7 miles from Lexington, Virginia. He was one of six brothers and two sisters of Alonza Eldridge Ayres and Lutie Jane Ayres, all deceased. He grew up in Rockbridge County, moving to Lexington with his brother John at a young age, where he met Adrienne, his beloved wife.

Harold moved to Newport News with Adrienne and her family when her father, Albert Hinty, had found work at Newport News Shipbuilding. After graduating from Newport News High School, he entered the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School in 1940, but with the outbreak of war, Harold enlisted in the US Navy, serving on US LST280, and participating in the D-Day invasion of Normandy in June of 1944.

After the war, he re-entered the Apprentice School, graduated in 1947 and worked for several years as a machinist at Newport News Shipbuilding. In 1953, Harold gained employment with NACA, now NASA, from where he retired in 1980 as Branch Head, Instrument Research and Development.

He was a lifelong, devoted Christian, having been a member of Noland Memorial Methodist Church in Newport News since the 1950s, when he and his growing family lived in the Christopher Shores section of the city, and a member of York River Baptist Church after moving to Williamsburg.

At his death, he was a member of the First Baptist Church of West Point, Virginia.

A visitation will be held Monday, January 31st from 12:00-1:00 PM with the service to follow at 1:00 PM at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd., Williamsburg, Virginia. Condolences for the family may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com.