Obituaries

Daniel Dwight DeJarnette, Sr., 81, of Gladys passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. He was the husband of Linda Merryman DeJarnette. Born in Lynchburg on October 2, 1944, Daniel was the son of the late Hunter Archer DeJarnette and the late Hazel Virginia White DeJarnette. Daniel was named after Daniel Richard DeJarnette, who died during D-Day in 1944. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Master’s Degree and retired from Campbell County School System. He was a member of Rustburg United Methodist Church. Daniel is survived by a son, Daniel Dwight DeJarnette, Jr. of Rustburg; daughter, Audrey DeJarnette (Michael Ward) of Madison Heights, and from his first marriage to Carol, Leigh DeJarnette Davis, Sarah DeJarnette Hill (Daniel), Haley DeJarnette Jones (Brandon) all of North Carolina; grandchildren Faith Davis, Carly Hill, Rachel Hill, Taylor Jones and Evan Jones; sister Bonnie Wilson (Roger) of Rustburg, a number of nieces and nephews, and his frisky Feline Family who we referred to as our angels with fur. He was preceded in death by a brother, Hunter Archer “Buddy” DeJarnette and sisters Joyce DeJarnette Shorter and Patricia DeJarnette Massie. Danny spent the majority of his working days at William Campbell High School as an agriculture teacher, an administrator and as a visiting teacher-social worker where he helped many students and their families when they needed a boost in their educational endeavor. He was always touched when former students would come up to him and let him know how much he helped him. Ever the teacher, he taught hunter safety classes for many years. Danny taught participants to always respect hunting and always put safety first. He enjoyed genealogy, Civil War history and his Hokies (especially football). His Eastern Star and Masonic affiliation meant a great deal to Danny, he served as Worship Master at Mackey Lodge. He was especially proud when his son, Daniel, Jr. became a fellow Mason. Father and son could attend Masonic events together. Danny and Linda enjoyed the Blue Ridge parkway and having picnics while taking in the beauty of the spectacular mountains. Danny loved nature, appreciated every tree, flower and animal creature he would encounter on our travels. One of Danny’s favorite sayings was, “People need to take time to stop and smell the roses.” Thank you, Danny, for smelling God’s lovely roses with me. In spite of difficult health challenges the past years, we are so extremely grateful for our friends, family and health providers who supported us and encouraged us. Thank you especially for the prayers on our behalf. We are so blessed by our Heavenly Father. “Those we love are with the Lord, and the Lord has promised to be with us. If they are with Him and He is with us, they cannot be far away.” ~P. Marshall. A funeral service will be conducted by Rev. Dr. Cecelia Brooks on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Rustburg United Methodist Church with interment to follow with Masonic rites at Cumbie Memorial Cemetery in Rustburg. A family visitation will be held on Saturday, March 7, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home Chapel. Henderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Brookneal is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent by visiting www.hendersonfuneral.net.