VELMA H. OVERBEY

Obituary of VELMA OVERBEY Mrs. Velma H. Overbey, 88, of Altoona passed away Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2015. Born in Harrisville, WV, to Orval Paul and Vera Hawkins, she had fond memories of growing up in Ritchie County. She had a lifelong love of education. After graduating first in her class from Harrisville High School, she went on to earn a BS degree in Home Economics from West Virginia University, an MS in Dietetics from Ohio State and an MS in Education from Marywood College. She served as a hospital and instructional dietician at a number of hospitals in Ohio and Pennsylvania and remained an active member of the American Dietetic Association well into her seventies. She married Benjamin (Frank) Overbey in 1952, moving frequently as his job with the railroads required. Along the way she raised three boys, Benjamin, Jeffrey and Scott; served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and cooking merit badge counselor; and was active in local Baptist churches as a Sunday School teacher, librarian, choir member and Circle Leader. Velma also loved to travel, initially with church friends to places such as Alaska, Israel and Haiti and, with Frank to locations that included Canada, California, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Israel. Her hobbies included crocheting, sewing, baking, cooking and reading. For many years she coordinated the Lenten dinners for Abington Baptist Church producing satisfying meals on a limited budget. Her sons fondly recall the mass production of dozens and dozens of cookies and other goodies during the Christmas season. Following Frank's retirement from Amtrak in 1993, they moved to Huntersville, NC to be close to and help care for Frank's sisters. In 2004 the two of them moved to Lakeview Terrace, Altoona, Florida to be closer to her sister Evelyn. Survivors include her husband, Benjamin F. Overbey, Altoona, FL; sons: Benjamin F. (Sue) Overbey, III, Gaithersburg, MD, Jeffrey Jon (Jenny) Overbey, Mocksville, NC, Scott A. Overbey, Atlanta, GA; brother: O. Paul (Eva) Hawkins, Jr., Parkersburg, WV; sisters: Evelyn Bombany, Leesburg, FL, Hazel Robinson, Glendale, AZ and 5 grandchildren: Tom Overbey, Jon (Diana) Overbey, Rose Overbey (Peter) Silva, Jason Overbey and Jessica Overbey. She was predeceased by her brother, Adrian (Joe) Hawkins. Memorial services will be held 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 4, 2015 at the Lakeview Terrace Sun Porch with Pastor Bill Peters officiating.