Everett Joseph Raines “E.J.”, 86, of Johnson City, Tenn., formerly of Buchanan County, passed away on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at Cornerstone Village in Johnson City, Tenn., after an extended illness. He was a resident of Buchanan County most of his life.
Born July 31, 1930 in Breaks, Va., he was the son of the late Joseph and Dana (Sutherland) Raines.
He was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving during the Korean conflict. Everett “E.J.” was a retired grocery store manager from L&M Supermarket. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and brother. He was of the Christian Faith. He was an avid reader, a huge fan of Cincinnati Reds baseball, and loved to attend Grundy Golden Wave football and basketball games. He loved to watch westerns and was an avid John Wayne fan. Everett always liked to relive memories of growing up in the Breaks community and enjoyed spending time with family and friends at the Breaks Interstate Park.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Lucille Salyers Raines; one sister, Ethel Musick; and two brothers, James Raines and Ernest Raines.
Those left to cherish his memory include his children: son Robert and wife Linda Raines, Johnson City, Tenn., daughter Teresa and husband Bryan Turner, Charlotte, N.C., and son Michael and wife Bridget, Cumming, Ga.; two grandchildren, Shanna Crystal Raines and husband James Aaron, Greenville, S.C., and Zachary Joseph Raines, Cumming, Ga.; two step-grandchildren, Patrick Turner and Taylor Turner, Charlotte, N.C.; one sister, Marcie and husband Borden Morrow, Daphne, Ala.; and five sisters-in-law, Evelyn Snead (late husband Joe) Grundy, Va., Shirley and husband Charlie Stiltner, Defiance, Ohio, Ella Edwards (late husband Johnny), Defiance, Ohio, Peggy and husband John Cochran, Defiance, Ohio, and Millie and husband Cameron Davis, Grundy, Va.
Funeral services for Everett Joseph Raines “E.J.” will be conducted Sunday, January 22, at 11 a.m. at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Michael Garland officiating. Interment will follow at Mountain Valley Memorial Park, Big Rock, Va. Friends may call at Grundy Funeral Home Chapel from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Active pallbearers will be Shanna Crystal Raines, James Aaron, Zachary Joseph Raines, David Greg Raines, Jim Raines and Cameron Davis. Full military rites will be conducted at the cemetery by members of Child-Gentry Post 7360. The family would like to extend a special thanks to the loving and compassionate caregivers at Cornerstone Village in Johnson City, Tenn.
Grundy Funeral Home of Grundy, Va., is honored to serve the family of Everett Joseph Raines “E.J.”