Harry "Goff" Vance

Harry “Goff” Vance, 87, changed his address from Earth to Heaven on February 14, 2019. He was a long time resident of Bim, Boone County, before moving to Beckley in 2001. He worked in the mines for Eastern/Peabody for 41+ years and a member of his local union from August 1951 to present. More importantly he has been a long time born again Christian and attended and was a member of Grace Chapel Church.

Preceded in death by: his mother, Brookie Vance Peters; his sisters, Wilma Jarrell, Loraine Horsman, and Vinnie Lloyd; his brothers Elbert, Donald, Dexter, and Leo Vance; a grandson, Eric James Bias; and his son, Edmund Goff Vance, who was killed in the mines.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary “Cotton” Vance; daughters Gwendolyn (James, deceased) Bias, Merilene (Mike) Manning; daughter-in-law Elizabeth Vance (Danny Richmond); grandchildren Heather (Jeremy) Golloway, Talitha (Troy) Vanke, Jim Bias II, Michael (Samantha) Manning Jr., Edmund Goff (JoAnna) Vance II, and Aaron (Shaylee Sutphin) Vance; and 11 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 18, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Handley Funeral Home in Danville and an interment service will be held immediately after at Memory Gardens, Madison WV. Visitors can call an hour before the memorial service. His wishes were for a memorial service because he had already lived his funeral. He wants the public and friends to meet, greet, and celebrate his home going before the service. During the service friends and relatives may express their feelings about how you met him and your experience with him or you may want to console his family. Randy Mann will conduct the memorial service, and friends and relatives will serve as pallbearers. Flowers won’t be necessary, “Just One Rose Will Do” because his body will be placed in the mausoleum. If you would like to contribute, please make donations to your favorite local church or charity.