Delmar Light Obituary (1928 - 2025) - Buckhannon, West Virginia

Delmar Light, 97, of Buckhannon, WV went to be with our Lord and reunite with his wife Alice, parents, other family members and friends the morning of April 25, 2025. Delmar was born on Feb. 24, 1928 in Webster Springs, son of Dewey and Flossie Tenney Light (both deceased). He is survived by his daughter Jody Lynn of Buckhannon; son Kim (& Patricia) Gratton of Mt. Airy, MD; 2 grandsons Shawn (& wife Lindsey & daughter Jaclyn) Gratton of Annapolis, MD, and Bradley Gratton of Baltimore, MD; one sister Connie Light, sisters-in-law: Nelda (Exil) Light, Marie (Lancel) Light, and Joan George of Cary, NC; several nieces, nephews, and other family members. Mr. Light was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey & Flossie Light, stepmother Lera Light, brothers Exil, and Lancel Light, sisters Mavis Woody, Gaitha Hoover, and Mona Lee Light, and Connie Light. Delmar served in the US Navy during WWII and drove Greyhound bus in central WV, where he met the love of his life, Alice Dawson, who he married on March 19, 1954. Together, they started their lives in Hemlock before moving to Buckhannon to begin their farming career, where they raised pigs, chickens, rabbits, and operated one of 2 commercial dairy farms in Upshur County selling milk to Meadow Gold Milk for many years. He later established and operated the John Deere dealership here until their retirement. With his love of working with his hands, Delmar began purchasing and renovating various properties, doing much of the work himself, for commercial and residential rentals in both Buckhannon and Leesburg, FL. Spending their winters in Florida, the Lights purchased an abandoned orange grove in Leesburg several years ago, turning it into a successful upscale housing development, Lake Point at the Summit. He loved anything dealing with the land, and later designed two housing developments in Upshur County, Stonegate Estates on Light Chapel Road, and Morning Vista Estates in Tennerton (behind Save-A-Lot). Delmar was an avid hunter, and was happiest being “out on the farm” or watching the deer and other wildlife that visited their home regularly. A Methodist by faith, he was a member of the Buckhannon Union Mission Church, and recalled his walk to salvation, commenting “I don’t know why it took me so many years to walk such a few steps to the alter.” Per his request, Delmar will be cremated with his ashes combined with his wife Alice’s, who passed on January 1, 2014, with no formal services as he wished. The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Mountain Memories in Elkins for their compassionate care in the last months of his life. Although it wasn’t home, he enjoyed the staff and bragged about the great care and friendships he received there. We, at Clutter Funeral and Cremation, located at 21 Elnora Circle, are honored and privileged to serve the family of Delmar Light. Online condolences may be expressed at www.ClutterFuneralHome.com.