Rodney "Speedy" Bonecutter

Rodney Wayne Bonecutter, 66, of Point Pleasant, passed away on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at St. Mary's Medical Center, in Huntington. He was born August 10, 1958, in Point Pleasant, a son of the late Clarence Bonecutter and Thelma "Pearlie" (Baker) Bonecutter Starkey. Rodney is survived by extended family, and a community to which he belonged that loved him.

Every small town has their "characters" that stand out due to their quirky habits. Our town has several. One in particular I would categorize more like a celebrity than just a character. Rodney Bonecutter, aka Speedy, is the sort of fellow that you might fear when you first see him. However, looks can be deceiving, you know.

Yes, he's different. Regardless of weather conditions, he wears a camouflage army jacket and hat. When he walks down the street he looks like a man on a mission, quickly darting down the sidewalk (hence the nickname Speedy), careful not to step on cracks. When he reaches his destination, which is usually the corner of Sixth and Viand Streets, he raises his imaginary "Elephant Gun" and begins to shoot cars which he claims are wild animals. When you speak to Rodney you may notice that he looks at the ground or maybe he doesn't speak back to you, but you shouldn't take it personally. Rodney is a shy fellow and is very cautious of others he doesn't know. Once he gets to know you, you will be surprised to find that underneath that Great White Hunter Exterior he is a sweet, kind soul with a great sense of humor. He has a childlike voice and an enthusiasm for life much like a young kid. He loves camo, candy, Christmas presents and elephant hunting.

Visitors of the Courthouse inquire about him because he appears to be homeless. In reality, Rodney has a place to live but feels most at home in our building. Even though he sometimes comes inside, he mostly sits on the back steps under the shelter of the awning surveying the people that come and go. Occasionally, he even enjoys his meals from his perch. He is protected and cared for by the wonderful people in the Sheriff's Department and with some help from all of us that work in that building. Let me rephrase that statement. Rodney is actually protecting and caring for us and I personally feel a little safer with him standing guard…not to say that our security guards aren't doing a good job.

As I said before, Rodney can be a tough nut to crack. It took a long time before he would initiate conversation with me. It started off with just a sheepish "Hi" in response to "Good Morning Rodney". Then one day I offered to buy him a soft drink from the soda machine. After that when he'd see me coming near that same soda machine, he'd look at it and back at me, trying to telepathically plead with me to buy him another coke. Then it developed into him conversing with me …briefly because Rodney is a man of few words.

One blustery, winter day he shocked me. As I headed up the backsteps to go into work, I jokingly said "Rodney why did you have to make it so cold out here?" That's when I heard it…his giggle. It melted my heart. From then on that was my goal, to make Rodney laugh. I did it again a few days ago. Actually, he made me laugh first. It was quite warm outside and as I came back from lunch, there was Rodney on the steps wearing that thick camo coat, but he had taken off his socks and shoes to get cool. I couldn't help but find the humor in it. I said, "Rodney all you need out here now is your own pool." I don't know why he thought that was funny but he belly laughed and I felt like I had accomplished something big in life.

The one thing that you can say about Rodney Bonecutter is that he is a man who may appear at first glance to be all alone in the world, but he has more friends that love him than most other people I know. His spirit is so sweet and genuine that you can't help but care for him. I'd take a bullet for him any day. Speaking of that, if your car has been a victim of Rodney's imaginary gun discharging imaginary bullets into your windshield, I apologize on his behalf. Some vehicles can easily be mistaken for those White elephants he has been hunting. - by: Aimee Duncan

There will be a funeral service for Rodney at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 26, 2025, at the Crow-Hussell Funeral Home, with Rev. Matt Ash officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Thursday. Private burial will take place at Wyoma Cemetery.

Rodney will make one last trip down Main Street on Friday morning, at 11:00 a.m. You are invited and encouraged to stand along Main Street and honor Rodney, as he is taken to the cemetery and laid to rest, with his family.

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