Obituary of Clyde Raymond Widner

Clyde Raymond Widner age 84, of Wytheville, passed away on April 1, 2020. In some of Clyde Raymond Widner’s last words, “I’ve lived a great life”. He was born in 1935 the oldest of eight children and the son of stalwart mountain people from Smyth County Virginia. He married the girl he met and fell in love with at the old Skyview Drive-in, Patty Price. They had four daughters Cathy Martin (Rick), Bee Blanchett (Butch), Connie Gravley (Mike), and Carolyn Ward (Alan) each of whom had one child Jeremy Martin, Danny Blanchett, Ashley Gravley and Virginia Ward. He was blessed with six great grandchildren Gracie, Ricky, Chloe, Kaley, Dakota, and Kyle. Raymond served in the Army in Germany and after returning home to his young family he worked for Jewel Tea, and was a shift supervisor in the acid area of Radford Army Ammunition Plant. Raymond could engineer anything…he built his first bike from pieces of junk, made make-shift parts to keep old cars running, and fixed broken props on his old boat. He never wanted for anything because he could make or fix anything. He loved to garden at his farm in Max Meadows and later in life at his home on Monroe Street in Wytheville. He hunted and fished from Canada to Florida. Because of his hard work, he retired at 51 and was lucky to have lived more of his days fishing than working. His family meant more to him than anything and in the end...as he said, “I have lived a great life and I am tired now”. After just a couple days of illness Clyde Raymond Widner went out the way he wanted, he went to sleep. In these days of Covid-19 the family will not be having a public service and will celebrate his life when the weather is better and we can go fishing. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to a charity of your choice. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.grubbfuneralhome.com. The Widner family is in the care of Grubb Funeral Home.