Paul Davis Foltz Jr.

1931 - 2015

Paul Davis Foltz Jr., 84, passed away of kidney failure on Wednesday, December 16, 2015. He passed away in his sleep at the home of his daughter and son in-law, Susan and John Turner in Keswick, three weeks after his wife, Louise, passed away.

Paul was born on February 3, 1931 to Paul Davis Foltz and Ida Bowers Foltz in Mt. Jackson, Virginia.

A farmer's son, he helped on the farm while going to school and graduated from Triplett High School in Mt. Jackson in 1948. After graduating, he continued living at home and working on the farm.

His sister, Ann, worked for Southern Railroad in Northern Virginia and wanted Paul to get a job with the railroad too. She even bought him an instructograph so he could learn Morse Code. Paul would also hitch rides to the Mt. Jackson train station so he could learn how to be an agent operator.

In 1950, he was sent to Alexandria to work at Cameron Station and, except for the years he was in the service, he worked for Southern until he retired in 1989.

It was while he was stationed in Orange that he met Louise at Grymes' Drugstore in early 1954. They were married on May 2, 1954 at Zion Lutheran Church in Edinburg.

Paul was drafted into the army in November 1955. He did his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and then was sent to Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia for another eight weeks of training. He was stationed at Sandia Base, New Mexico in 1956 as a Field Training Sergeant and Final Top Secret Military Police.

In 1958, they returned to Orange and he returned to his job with Norfolk Southern.

Paul was also in the Active Reserves and, on Tuesday nights he and others from the area would do NCO training in Orange and then would do weekend training at Captain Gwen's house on 522 in Culpeper. In 1961, his unit went to Fort Knox to train troops in heavy artillery weapons -- getting them ready for Vietnam.

Paul was a simple man. He loved baseball....playing it while he was growing up, "hosting" games for his children and neighborhood kids and friends on Sunday afternoons in his backyard, and watching it on TV.

He loved being outside, working in his garden, taking tractor and wagon rides through the woods at "The Old Place" in Unionville, and spending countless hours -- and lots of gas! -- pulling his grandchildren around the yard in a toy wagon hooked to his riding lawn mower.

Paul was a believer in honoring your mother and father and spent countless hours at his parents' farm in Mt. Jackson, helping them throughout their lives with their farm.

He was also an active community member until he moved in with his daughter and son-in-law two years ago.

When his children were in school, he was the PTA President at Unionville Elementary School and helped with the Halloween Party, the Antique Shows and anything else the PTA did to raise money. He was active in the East Orange Ruritans and a member of American Legion Post 156 in Orange.

Most of all, he was a devout Christian and faithfully attended Zion Lutheran Church while growing up and then Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Unionville.

Over the course of the years he attended Bethlehem, he was a Sunday School teacher, the Superintendent of Sunday School, a Trustee, and the Chairman of the Trustees. And he was instrumental in the church remodeling in the early 1990ás, helping to do the remodeling and helping to start the Chicken Barbeque Fundraisers.

After learning his kidneys were failing, Paul decided he wanted to be re-baptized and David Cole, the Legacy Hospice Chaplain, did just that Monday.

In addition to his parents, Paul was preceded in death by his wife, Louise Wharton Foltz, three weeks ago after 61 years of marriage.

He is survived by his daughter, Susan Foltz Turner and husband John of Keswick, Virginia, and his son, Paul Davis Foltz III and his fiance' Melissa McDaniel of Orange, Virginia.

"Pa" will be very missed by his three grandchildren, Scott Michael Turner of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Sarah Elizabeth Turner of Clemson, South Carolina, and Paul Jordan Foltz of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

He is also survived by an older sister, Frances Ann Foltz of Harrisonburg, Virginia; a younger brother, James K Foltz of Mt. Jackson, Virginia; and numerous nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.

Special gratitude is extended to Legacy Hospice for their support and kindness over the past year working with both Paul and Louise as they struggled with their repective illnesses. It's also extended to The Heritage Inn and its staff in Charlottesville for taking not only Louise but also Paul into their hearts and "family".

A graveside service will be held for Paul on Monday, December 21, 2015 at 10 a.m. at the Culpeper Nation Cemetery with Chaplain David Cole of Legacy Hospice officiating.

If you would like to make a donation in his memory, please consider Legacy Hospice, 500 Faulconer Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903 or the Orange County Fire Company, P.O. Box 367, Orange, VA. 22960.

Preddy Funeral Home of Orange is assisting the family.

Sign the Guest Book at www.nvdaily.com/obituaries