John Randolph Bedford, Sr., age 84, a resident of Montrose, WV and more recently a resident of Mannington, where he made his home with his daughter Rosemarie Liggett, passed from this life Friday afternoon, June 5, 2020 at his home, surrounded by his loving family and under the care of WV Caring. He had been in declining health,
John was born Tuesday, May 5, 1936, in Montrose, a son of the late William Joseph Bedford and Ethel Victoria Gainer Bedford. On May 15, 1954, in Oakland, MD, he married the love of his life, Betty Lou Lambert, who preceded him in death on November 23, 2014.
Also left to cherish John’s memory were four children, Dianne Lou Bodkin and husband, Rick Sr., John Randolph Bedford, Jr., and wife, Lucille Ann, James Allen Bedford and fiancé, Marsha Daman, all of Montrose, and Rosemarie Lynn Liggett and husband, George Ellis of Mannington, two sisters, Yvonne Cross and Edna Martin, ten grandchildren, Rick Bodkin Jr., and wife, April, Jimmy Bodkin and wife, Misty, Glenn Bedford and wife, Danielle, Jimmy Bedford and wife, Amanda, Katie Herron, Susan Morral Morris, Jenny Phillips, Joe Liggett, Lindzee Liggett, John Samuel Taylor Painter and wife, Chloe, eighteen great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Shane, Whitley, Chase, Tyler, Dustin, Emily, Kendra, “Little G” Glenn, Jordan, Ethan, John Tucker, Preston, Alex, Elin, Tinley, Remington, and Rossi, great-great grandchildren, Sophia Bedford, Adalynn Bedford, Tyler Bedford, Jr., and Andalynn Johnson, Hendrix Johnson, Iris Bodkin, a brother and sister-in-law, Bob Lambert and wife, Joanne, several nieces and nephews and his best friend who was like an adopted son, Tim Poling.
Preceding John in death besides his parents and wife was four brothers, Guy, Cam, Charles, and Billy Ray Bedford, four half-brothers, Lyle Bedford, Kenneth, French, and Henry Shiflett, two sisters, Beuna Martin and Elva Shine, and one great grandson, Remington Bedford.
John attended the schools of Randolph County at Cherry Fork. He was a construction manager for Mineral Fab for forty years and was John Hale’s ‘right hand man’. He was a life-long member of Mercy Chapel United Methodist Church in Montrose. John enjoyed bowling, gun bashes, and hunting. He was a strong family man who loved his family very much and had never recovered from the loss of his beloved Betty.
Visitation will be held at the Hostetler Funeral Home on Tuesday from 6 until 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held in the funeral home chapel on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 1 p.m. Rev. Danny Adkins and Rev Kevin Gainer will officiate, and interment will follow at Montrose Primitive Baptist Cemetery in Montrose. Due to COVID-19, we will continue following CDC guidelines. The Hostetler Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements for John Randolph Bedford, Sr. Send online condolences to the family at www.hostetlerfuneralhome.com.
