JERRY LEE EPLING

1939 - 2015

JERRY LEE EPLING, 75, of Salt Rock, W.Va., passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2015, at his residence. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9, 2015, at the Wallace Funeral Home & Chapel, Barboursville, by Pastor Kevin Shull and Pastor Brian Cardwell. Burial will be in Enon Cemetery. He was born May 8, 1939, in Boone County, a son of the late Vernon and Vertle Epling. He was preceded in death by his sister Nancy Powers and brothers-in-law Charlie Powers and Leo Pauley. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Juanita Jeannine Ramsey Epling; three sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Barbara Epling of Lavergne, Tenn., David and Kim Epling and Michael Epling, all of Milton, W.Va.; two sisters, Mollie Pauley of Hurricane, W.Va., and Janet Jarrell of Jeffery, W.Va.; two grandsons, Scott Wells and Dakota Epling; four step-granddaughters, Paige and Andrew Varney, Jessica Hensley, Courtney Black Wolfe and Megan Howard; one step- great-granddaughter, Skylar Hensley. Jerry was Production Director of Herald-Dispatch from 1985 until retirement in 2004. During that time he earned five Gannett Presidential Rings, but gave all the credit to his staff that were, "willing to buy into all my crazy ideas." A Boone County native, Jerry delivered the Charleston newspaper during junior high school, which began a lifelong career in the media. After graduation from Madison Scott High School in 1957, he joined The Herald-Dispatch's circulation department and began working a split shift to deliver both the morning H-D and the afternoon Huntington Advertiser. Six months later, he took advantage of an opening in the composing room as an apprentice printer - eventually working up to assistant night shift supervisor. Then he began coming up with a string of innovative ideas that has converted the production department from a cost center to a revenue center. Through its subsidiary, River City Printing, the newspaper began printing jobs for other newspapers and publishing concerns throughout the country. Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Wallace Funeral Home, Barboursville. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.timeformemory.com/wallace.