Mr. Hansford Rutherford “Hampy” Massie, Jr., age 90, of 5515 Hot Springs Road, died Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at Alleghany Regional Hospital, Low Moor after being in failing health for the last several years.

                Hampy was born on June 4, 1919 in the house where he lived for the final 5 years of his life.  He was the only son of H.R. Massie, Sr. and May Thornton Leake Massie.  Hampy graduated from Falling Springs High School and attended Virginia Tech and Lynchburg College.  He worked briefly in Covington at Montgomery Ward.  He also worked in Baltimore, MD in an Army ammunitions plant during 1942 and 1943 before returning to the Falling Springs dairy farm where he lived the rest of his life.  There he helped care for ailing parents and his aunts for many years.  After selling the dairy business, he worked as a guard at Hercules in Covington for 18 years.  Hampy retired from Hercules at age 62 and spent the rest of his life on the farm making frequent trips to Covington to the D&J restaurant.  He and his son established Oak Grove Wood Products that is still in business.  His woodwork is still on display at WVACO – handrails in the #1 and #2 paper machines.  His work is also in the windows at WVACO extruder plant and in hundreds of private residences around the Highlands.

                Hampy was an elder and trustee in the Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church where he was a member all of his life.  For many years, he was an active member of the Covington Rotary Club and loved going to the meetings.  He was an avid hunter, but not only for birds, and prided himself on “getting” the Thanksgiving turkey when he could.  As a founding member of the Mad Anne Hunt Club, he and his wife hosted the hunter’s opening day breakfast for many years.  He had many friends and could sit for hours trading “fish tales”.    One of these stories tells of the time he and “Crackers” Crowder were hunting and Hampy killed a 26 and a half-pound turkey.  He carried the bird around in his vehicle, showing it off for so long that it was no longer edible.  Hampy at an early age could fix about anything and was a pretty good ball player.  He actually played softball until past the age when such play is usually advisable, in the process suffering a few injuries.

                He never met a stranger and had a welcoming smile for everyone.  He was gifted with a memory like none other.  If he ever dialed a phone number, he would never need to look up the number again, he simply knew it.  He also rarely forgot a face, story, or name and was amazed that someone else might forget.  His mind remained sharp up until his death.

                Hampy is survived by his son, H. R. Massie, III (Joe) and Kim Rose of Hot Springs; his daughter, Elizabeth (Betty) Massie Berkemeier and her husband, Jim, of Canton, GA; a grandson, Edward W. Gibson, III of Canton, GA; a great grandson, John Edward Gibson of Flowery Branch, GA; a son-in-law, Charlie Jones of Blacksburg, VA; and a second cousin, Laura Massie.  He is also survived by his lifelong friend of more than 40 years, Bill Wilson.   Hampy always looked forward to having breakfast, or at least coffee, with Bill on most weekend mornings and frequently a nightly visit from Bill on Bill’s way home from wherever.

                Preceding him in death were his wife of 60 years, Frances Poff Massie and a daughter, Wanna May Massie Jones.

                The family suggests that memorial tributes in memory of Mr. Massie take the form of donations to Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church, C/O Wayne Perry, 533 Perry Hollow Road, Hot Springs, VA 24445.

                A funeral service will be conducted at Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church with Rev. Gary Pillow officiating.  Interment will follow in the Massie family cemetery.  The family will receive friends on Saturday, April 17, 2010 between 7:00 and 8:30 P.M. at Loving Funeral Home, Covington, VA.

                Pallbearers will be Ed Gibson, Matt Quantz, Steve Quantz, John Quantz, Ron Cruise, Blair Mitchell, Jamie Lowry, Melvin Michelson, and Andy Rowan.

                Honorary pallbearers will be Carl Lee Perry, Wayne Perry, Jessee Drennen, Warren Kyle, and Jim Gordon.

                Those wishing to send condolences online, please visit www.lovingfuneralhome1913.com.

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