Warren Owen Wells

Warren Owen Wells, 86, of Meadowview VA passed away January 18, 2024, at Johnston Memorial Hospital.

He was born in West Chester Pennsylvania on July 8, 1937, he was the son of Jerry Culbertson Wells and Estelle Tice Wells DeAngelo.  He was raised by his aunt and uncle Gay and Maude Minor in Lee County Virginia. 

In addition to his parents and his aunt and uncle that raised him, he was preceded in death by his brother Harold Wells and grandson Jackson Davis.  

He is survived by his wife of 49 years Doris Neese Wells, his sons Owen Wells and wife Aggie of Blacksburg Virginia, Carl Wells and wife Audrey of Meadowview Virginia, his two daughters Lynn Howell and husband Gary of Floyd Virginia, and Vickie Lane and husband Jason of Meadowview, granddaughters Lilly Wells, Falyn Wells, Samantha Brumfield and Husband Chris, Jenny Norton and husband Wayne, Brian Alls and Wife Missy, and soon to be born grandson Deacon Wells, 10 great grandchildren Addie, Eli, Julian, Brady, Carter, Kailey, Kaitlyn, Kaycee, Emma, and Bradley, and one great-great granddaughter Alaia, two brothers Scott Wells and wife Linda of Fuquay Varina North Carolina, and Bob DeAngelo and wife Betsy of Myrtle Beach South Carolina, as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.  

He was an ROTC graduate of Virginia Tech and began his teaching career in 1960 as an agriculture teacher at Jonesville High School in Lee County Virginia.   In 1964, he moved to Washington County Virginia and became an agriculture teacher at Holston High School where he was initially nicknamed “W O” but later he became affectionately known as “Pappy” Wells by students and staff alike. While at Holston, he established the Horticulture department, teaching horticulture and natural resources for the remainder of his career. This also included the founding of the aquaculture program at Holston which taught sustainable practices of raising tilapia.  He taught at Holston for 34 years until he retired in 1998.  

He loved the outdoors and had many stories of hunting and fishing and spending time in the woods that he loved to share with whoever cared to listen.  Part of that time included taking his forestry judging teams on camping trips while teaching how to identify and judge trees.   Later in life he enjoyed his time outside the house with his granddaughter Lilly who couldn’t say grandpa when she was little and ended up calling him “Pop Pop” and that name stuck ever since.

He had attended Greenfield Baptist Church for many years while serving as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher there.  He was presently a member of High Point Baptist Church and in later years attended events at Grace Christian Fellowship with his son Carl and his wife Audrey.

He was also a member of the Col. William Campbell chapter of the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution).

Visitation with the family will be held Monday, January 22, 2024, from 5:00-8:00 PM.  The family will also receive visitors from 1:00-2:00 PM on Tuesday before the funeral service.  

The funeral will be held on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Farris Funeral Service, 427 East Main Street Chapel,  Abingdon Virginia with Pastors David Crowe and Robby Coggins officiating.  Burial will follow at Knollkreg Memorial Park.

Pallbearers will be Carl Wells, Owen Wells, Larry Neese Jr., Gene Copenhaver, Kevin Johnson, Keith Bazyk, Colin Bazyk, Chris Brumfield, Jason Lane and Chris Fletcher. 

Honorary pallbearers include Roger Copenhaver, Gary Howell, Bob Preston, Conley Orfield, Mark Orfield, Norman Johnson and David Cline.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

The family of Warren Owen Wells is being cared for by Farris Funeral Service and Crematory– Main Street Chapel, 427 E. Main Street, Abingdon, VA 24210, 276-623-2700.