Gatewood Wright Leathers, III, 64, of 304 Chalybeate Ave., Iron Gate, Virginia died Tuesday, September 23, 2003 in the Veterans Administration Hospital, Salem, Virginia.
He was born in Elkwood, Virginia on August 1, 1939 a son of Gatewood Wright Leathers, II and Lucille Routt Leathers.
Mr. Leathers was a Nuclear Engineer for Advanced Technology in Reston, Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy as a Master Chief Petty Officer, Mariner Submariner, and served on the first nuclear submarine, The Triton. He also served on the Executive Board of the American Civil War Commemorative Committee. He was an avid Civil War Living Historian and lectured on Civil War Artillery.
He is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Terry and Bill Lassiter; two sons and daughter-in-law, Travis Leathers and family and David and Tammy Leathers; one brother, Ronnie Leathers; he is also well loved and survived by his ex-wife, Jackie Payne Leathers of Iron Gate; step children, Julie O=Brien of Iron Gate, Jessica Woodrow of Iron Gate, Sarah Sbenetti of Falling Waters, WV and Maggie Woodrow of Iron Gate; former mother and father-in-law, Sarah and Otis Payne of Iron Gate; former sisters-in-law, Stephanie Tyree of Roanoke and Melanie White of Iron Gate; five grandchildren, Jessi, Andy, Holly, Abby and Audrey.
A memorial service will be conducted at 2:00 PM Sunday, September 28, 2003 from the Chapel of Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge with Rev. Lisa Marshall officiating. Interment will be held at a later date in the Culpepper National Cemetery, Culpepper, Virginia. The family will receive friends following the service at Nicely Funeral Home.