Obituary

JOHN W. CREMEANS JR., 86, of Huntington, W.Va., died Sunday, March 22, 2009, at home, surrounded by his family and friends. Friends may call at Beard Mortuary, on Thursday, March 26, 2009, from 5 to 7 p.m., and a memorial service, conducted by the Reverend Jack Lipphardt of Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church will follow. John was born in Huntington on August 22, 1922, the son of the late John W. Sr., and Rebecca Cremeans. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Priscilla Bromley Cremeans, daughter of the late Dr. Norman I. and Elizabeth Bromley; two sons, Donald B. and Robert B. Cremeans of Huntington; three grandchildren, Ryan Cremeans of Jupiter, Florida, and Blue and Noah Cremeans of Huntington; and two sisters, Rose Stahl and Dee Fisher, both of Dayton, Ohio. He was a graduate of Huntington High School, class of 1940, and attended Marshall University. He was a combat veteran, serving in the United States Navy during World War II, and later became a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and helped establish the Veterans Committee for Civic Improvement. he enjoyed reunions of the crew of the USS Karnes. John contributed a lifetime of service to his community through patriotic and service organizations. Having attended American Legion Boys' State himself, for many years John headed the Boys' State program for Huntington American Legion Post 16, and served as an instructor and counselor at Boys' State. He established the local American Legion of National Education Week, with apples for the teachers and dinners for straight-A students and their parents. He handled Legion citizenship awards for high school seniors. He was a member of Kiwanis Club and served on the board of directors of Kiwanis Day Nursery. For more than 25 years, he was Secretary-Treasurer and later President of the West Virginia Amateur Athletic Union, where he worked with local swim teams, the Golden Gloves, and state-wide team sports. For more than 25 years, John served on the board of directors of Salvation Army and was active in the bell-ringing campaign, and he served a six-year term on the board of directors of Cabell Huntington Hospital. He served as a member of the Charter Board for the City of Huntington, and later, John was elected to and served six terms as Cabell County Assessor. Although a life-long Republican, he ran a strictly non-partisan office, and he tracked down almost all persons whose property was to be sold for non-payment of taxes, so that they could redeem it and avoid its loss. For many years, be baked and delivered bread to shut-ins, checked on the well-being of the sick or elderly, taught adults to read and did whatever he could to make his community a better place. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Huntington Post 16, The American Legion, to sponsor local Boys' State participants.