Mrs. Opal Rowe, age 88, of Rowe, Virginia, passed away Sunday (October 25, 2020) in an Abingdon, Virginia hospital. Born August 5, 1932 in Rowe, Virginia, she was a daughter of the late Earnest and Watie Blankenship Shortridge. A lifelong resident of Rowe, she was a member of Rowe Pentecostal Holiness Church and had formerly been employed as a nurse’s aide at Grundy Hospital. She enjoyed talking on the phone, but most of all spending time with her family.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Dexter Rowe, grandson, Chad Rowe, daughter-in-law, Sandy Rowe, and two brothers, Emory Shortridge and Mike Shortridge.
Survivors include four children, Joan Jamison and husband, Herb of Bristol, Virginia, Chester Rowe and wife, Fonda and John Rowe all of Rowe, and Charlene Jessee and husband, James of Meadowview; eight grandchildren, Shelley Stout and husband, Rodney, Maretta Henegar and husband, Paul, Myra Diaz and husband, Rosalio, Valerie Sutherland and husband, Seth, Renee Justus and husband, Sam, Debra Rowe, Stephanie Shortridge and husband, Kevin, and Heather Osborne and husband, Jon; five brothers, Don Shortridge, Harley Shortridge, Robert Shortridge, Harold Shortridge, and Ralph Shortridge; two sisters, Geneva Shepard and Dean Harris; special friends, Elizabeth Rowe and Barbara McGraw; twelve great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandson, and several nieces and nephews also survive.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM Wednesday in the Honaker Funeral Home Chapel, Honaker, Virginia with Rev. Randy Webb and Rev. Ralph Shortridge officiating. Interment will follow in the Rowe-Blankenship Cemetery at Rowe, Virginia.
Pallbearers will be Rodney Stout, Paul Henegar, Steven Davis, Kevin Shortridge, Brennan Shortridge, Brady Shortridge, John Musick, Fred Rowe, Gerald McAllister, and Seth Shortridge.
Honorary pallbearer will be Jordan Stout.
The family will receive friends after 6:00 PM Tuesday at the Honaker Funeral Home, where an evening service will be conducted at 7:00 PM.