Deacon Stephen "Jeff" Jefferson Gafford, Sr. Obituary (1942

DEACON STEPHEN "JEFF" JEFFERSON GAFFORD SR., DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2023 AT HIS HOME PEACEFULLY IN PAMPLIN VA. JEFF WAS BORN TO STEPHEN AND MATTIE WALKER GAFFORD ON MARCH 1, 1942. DEACON GAFFORD BECAME A MEMBER OF GALILEE BAPTIST CHURCH AT AN EARLY AGE. HE LATER EARNED HIS DEACON REWARD AND TRANSFERRED MEMBERSHIP TO NEW JERUSALEM BAPTIST CHURCH WHERE HE SERVED AS DEACON FOR MANY YEARS. JEFF ATTENDED CARVER-PRICE WHERE HE LEFT SCHOOL IN THE 7TH GRADE TO HELP CARE FOR HIS SIBLINGS. HE WORKED AS A BRICK MASONRY AND LATER BECAME EMPLOYED BY TRANSCO FOR OVER 20 UNTIL HE BECAME DISABLED. WHEN JEFF WASN'T WORKING YOU COULD FIND HIM HUNTING, FISHING, IN A TOURNAMENT SHOOTING POOL OR WATCHING SPORTS ON TELEVISION. "BODEAN" WAS THE MAN! JEFF WAS A BUSY MAN BUT ALWAYS REMAINED A STRONG HUSBAND, DAD, AND PAPA! JEFF WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, STEPHEN AND MATTIE GAFFORD, HIS GREAT GRANDSON, CIENTRIEL ELIJAH EDWARDS, 3 BROTHERS: SAM "MUTT", WELTON & ROBERT AND 2 SISTERS: REBECCA & MAE. HE LEAVES TO CHERISH HIS MEMORY HIS LOVING WIFE OF 54 YEARS GLENDA, SON: STEPHEN "JEFFREY" (BLISS) DAUGHTER: JENNIFER "JENNIE" GRANDCHILDREN: SIDNEY (JOSH) EDWARDS, TYRELL, DANTE', JAYLAH. GREATGRANDCHILDREN: YARA AND MEKHAI EDWARDS. BROTHERS & SISTERS: REV. JAMES GAFFORD (LORRETTA), ELDER MAXWELL GAFFORD (MONEK), HAZEL GAFFORD, ANN MOORE (RAYMOND), ELEANOR GAFFORD, INEZ GAFFORD, PAULINE GILBERT (CARSON), BROTHER IN LAW: JESSE HANCOCK (NANCY), SISTER IN LAW: NITA SMITH (DOUGLAS) AND A HOST OF NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS, AND FRIENDS. THE FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO THANK HOSPICE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE CARE THEY HAVE GIVEN OVER HIS PAST 2 YEARS IN HIS FIGHT AGAINST DEMENTIA. A funeral service for Deacon Stephen Jefferson Gafford, Sr., will be held at 1 P.M., Monday, July 10, 2023 at the New Jerusalem Baptist Church, 14287 Richmond Hwy., Appomattox, VA 24522 Viewing will be held on Sunday, July 9, 2023, 12 noon until 5 p.m. at the Bruce & Stiff Funeral Home.