Douglas Eugene Painter

December 17, 1932 - November 4, 2020

SMSGT Douglas Eugene Painter, USAF (Ret.) passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at the Winchester Medical Center at the age of 87. Doug was born on December 17, 1932, at Narrow Passage and is the son of the late Charles Hubert and Mary Elizabeth Combs Painter of Edinburg. His beloved wife, Mildred C. “Sally” Painter, whom he married on July 18, 1954, preceded him in death on August 2, 2018. Also preceding him were two sisters, Geneva Catherine Cummins and Eleanor Oneida Cooley, and one great-grandson, Brantley Gauge Kibler. Surviving is a sister, Patsy Kay Richman, and two daughters, Sharon Kay Painter of Edinburg and Cynthia Dawn Kibler and husband, Robert, of Woodstock. Also, surviving are five grandchildren, Jennifer Suzanne Painter of Chantilly, Ashley Amanda Andrick currently deployed in Afghanistan, Dennis Lee Andrick, II and wife Michelle, Ryan Douglas Painter and wife Courtney, and Brandon Scott Kibler and wife Morgan, all of Woodstock, along with eleven great-grandchildren. Doug enlisted in the United States Air Force at the age of 21 and began a military career that lasted for 23 years, retiring from the elite First Helicopter Squadron based at Andrews AFB in 1975. Duty stations throughout his career took him to many places, including Okinawa, Alaska, Florida, and Maryland, to name a few. He served in the Vietnam War at Cam Ranh Bay and Ton Son Nhut Air Bases where he was tasked with the repair, maintenance, and recovery of the downed Huey helicopters so critical to the overall objectives during the war. Upon his return to the valley in 1975, Doug resumed another career as an auto mechanic at Edinburg Motors for the following 15 years. Never one to be still, he also drove the van for our Shenandoah County veterans to the VA Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia, for 15 years. From the elusive Dall sheep to the caribou, moose, and bear of Alaska to the whitetails of Virginia, Doug was an avid sportsman and hunter and also enjoyed the challenges of salmon, trout, and bass fishing wherever he was stationed. This continued long into his retirement years where he ultimately enjoyed their Smith Mountain Lake getaway with his wife, family, and friends. He was also a master woodworker throughout his life making anything from desks to gun cabinets to cedar chests and mantel clocks and birdhouses of which many pieces adorn his home. Leatherworking and flying his remote airplane and helicopter were several more of his many hobbies. Doug’s entire life was devoted to service – to his country, to his community, to his friends, and most important to him, to his family. His gentle nature and kind smile will be long remembered by all whose lives he touched. A family and friends gathering will be held Monday evening, November 9, 2020, at the Valley Funeral Service at Bowmans Crossing from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A graveside service will be conducted on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. at the Christ United Church of Christ Cemetery in Conicville with Pastor Richard Craver officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Maurertown Brethren Church. Arrangements are in the care of Heishman Funeral Home, Inc. – Valley Funeral Service Branch.