Robert Graham Lindsey, Jr., a life-long West Virginia educator and former State Legislator died on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at the age of 94.
Mr. Lindsey was born March 18, 1921, in Beech Bottom, WV, the son of Robert G. Lindsey, Sr. and Marietta Kull.
He graduated from Wellsburg High school in 1939 and attended West Liberty State College before joining the Army Air Corps in October 1942, which he served in for 39 months. Most of his service time was in Texas as an instructor, training pilots on the Link Trainer. At the end of the war, he returned to WV and completed his bachelor’s degree in education and mathematics at West liberty State College. He obtained a master’s degree in education from West Virginia University in 1950.
Mr. Lindsey began his work in education as a teacher at Wells High School in Newell, WV, serving there from 1946- 1953. He was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the Hancock County School System, a position he held from 1953-1961, when he was named Superintendent of Brooke County Schools. He held this position for 25 years, from 1961-1986, until his retirement in 1986. Mr. Lindsey was superintendent at the time that the citizens of Brooke County passed the bond issue to construct Brooke High School. He was very proud of Brooke High School, and grateful for the support he received from the community in the consolidation process to create Brooke High School. Mr. Lindsey was a lifetime member of the National Education Association, past president of WV Association of School Administrators, a member of Phi Delta Kappa, Kiwanis, and BPOE.
Upon his retirement, he was elected to a seat on the West Virginia State Legislature, where he served two terms from 1990-1994. He was, to quote Mr. Lindsey, “vitally interested in the adequate and equitable funding of public education” in West Virginia. Mr. Lindsey also served for three years on the West Virginia State Bar Professional Ethics Committee.
Mr. Lindsey enjoyed fishing and playing golf. One of his more memorable moments was a hole in one on number 5 at Highland Springs Golf Course. He was a life-long tennis fan, having been a member of the West Liberty College tennis team.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brother, William Kelly Lindsey.
Mr. Lindsey is survived by his wife of 68 years, Susan Carnahan Lindsey; three children, daughter, Regina Lindsey-Lynch and Dr. Edward Lynch, of Wellsburg, WV; daughter, Sue E. Lindsey and Luther C. Stephens of Alexandria, VA; and son, Robert G. Lindsey, III, and Rebecca Kerns Lindsey of Berkeley Springs, WV; four grand children: Theodore Lindsey Lynch of St. Louis, MO; Meredith Lindsey Lynch of St. Louis, MO; Robert Graham Lindsey IV, and Garrett Connor Lindsey of Berkeley Springs, WV.
Interment will be in the Kadesh Chapel Cemetery, Beech Bottom, WV. Full military honors will be conducted by the Ohio Valley Veterans Memorial Squad.
