Virgil Harold Ruppenthal
October 14, 1938 - November 10,
2023 |
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Virgil Harold Ruppenthal, age 85, of Berkeley
Springs, WV, died on Friday, November 10, 2023 at
Winchester Medical Center.
Born October 14, 1938
in Hagerstown, MD, he was the son of the late Henry
Martin Ruppenthal, Jr. and the late Frances Ada Henry
Ruppenthal.
He was a member of Abundant Life Full
Gospel Pentecostal Church. Virgil was graduate of
Berkeley Springs High School and received his Master's
Degree in education from Shepherd College. Virgil worked
with the Morgan County Schools as a principal and
teacher at Cherry Run School and also with Great Cacapon
Elementary School. He then went on to teach the 5th
grade at Widmyer Elementary School. Virgil was one of
the very best teachers that Morgan County ever had.
Virgil was a disc jockey with our local radio
station WCST for 50 years. He was better known in radio
land as 'Swinging Virg'. He and his wife Betty made
numerous trips to Nashville, TN to meet with country
music artists. Virgil helped to place them on the charts
where he felt they belonged and also picked up records
for his collection. A special thank you to Chris Dodson
for hosting them so many times. Virgil played records
for the Saturday Night Sock Hops. He loved playing music
and collecting records.
Virg was a member of
Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company with 50 years of
service, where he served as secretary for many years.
Virgil was in charge of the coordinating and scheduling
the entertainment for the annual Firemans Carnival.
Some of the music stars would have dinner and stay with
Virgil and his wife, Betty. He was also a member for 19
years with the Berkeley Springs Jr.O.U. A.M. Council
#117, where went through all chairs and served as
Chaplain for many years and he had served as State
Warden with the Jr.O.U.A.M. State Council. Virgil so
enjoyed the Friday night meetings. Virg coached the
Rankin Mobile Homes team with the Morgan County Little
League.
Virgil is survived by his wife, Betty
Jean 'BJ' Shambaugh Ruppenthal, at home, two children,
Beverly Buzzard and her husband, Todd and Todd
Ruppenthal and his wife, Nina, two stepchildren, Connie
Willey and her husband, Joe and Kevin Ridgeway and his
wife, Wendy, two sisters, Ronnie Sue Childers and Judith
Ann Young, one brother, Henry Martin Ruppenthal III,
four grandchildren, Allison Buzzard, Morgan Buzzard,
Andrew Ruppenthal and Katie Ruppenthal, three great
grandchildren, Haylee Waugh, Waylon McDonald and
Gracelyn McDonald, four step grandchildren, Heather
Hoover, Gretchen Shives, Brittany Harding and Shonda
Clark, seven step great grandchildren, Mitchell Shives,
Connor Hoover, Brennan Hoover, Kai Clark, Andi Harding,
Presley Clark and Rhyan Harding and many nieces and
nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was
preceded in death by one granddaughter, Lindsay Buzzard
and one stepson, Brian Ridgeway.
Funeral
services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
November 15, 2023 at the Abundant Life Full Gospel
Pentecostal Church, 6250 Valley Road, Berkeley Springs,
WV. Pastor Kaleb Trail will officiate. Burial will be
private.
The family will receive friends from
4:00 p.m. thru 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Helsley-Johnson
Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 95 Union Street,
Berkeley Springs, WV, where a Jr.O.U.A.M. service will
be held at 6:30 p.m. A second visitation will be held
one hour prior to services on Wednesday at the church.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Virgil's
memory may be made to the Abundant Life Full Gospel
Pentecostal Church, c/o Building Fund, 6350 Valley Road,
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411.
--Morgan Messenger,
November 15, 2023
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