James Lynwood "Lyn" Shrader
James Lynwood "Lyn" Shrader, of Roanoke, finished the race and received his eternal reward on Friday, October 22, 2021, at the age of 71 years old.
After having suffered from dementia for several years, he never forgot his love for the Lord, his will to fight, or lost sight of the MANY people who loved, respected, and adored his place in their lives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Ruby Shrader; his sister, Betty Jo Dunagan and her husband, Larry; his mother-in-law, Pat Gwaltney; and his dear, sweet wife, Annette "Annie" Shrader. What a reunion the angels must have seen as she welcomed him home with open arms!
Left behind to cherish his memory are his son, Josh Shrader; his daughter, Dee Reynolds and husband, James; two grandchildren that loved their Paw-Paw beyond measure, Aleyna House and Avett Reynolds; his special lady and caregiver, Carol Hawks; his brother, Ray "Rusty" Shrader and wife, Jeffrie; his father-in-law, Charlie "Cha-Chi" Gwaltney; sister-in-law, Charlene Guard and husband, Danny; sister-in-law, Lynda Murphy; his nephews, Luke and Caleb Guard, and their families; his niece, Erin Murphy, and her family; as well as many other special relatives, friends, neighbors, and brothers and sisters in Christ from the West Side Church of Christ, where he served as a Deacon, a Youth Group Leader, and a board member for Virginia Christian Camp.
Born and raised in the Roanoke area, he enjoyed being surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. He graduated from Northside High School, where his passion for music grew as a proud member of their marching band. He then headed to East Tennessee and graduated from Milligan College. After meeting the love of his life on a blind date, Lyn married Annette and they made the most loving decision to grow their family through adoption and adopted their son, Josh, first and then Dee a few years later. While Lyn had many accomplishments throughout his life, both professionally and personally, his greatest joy was being a loving father and a devoted husband. After having worked for C&P Telephone Company, Bell Atlantic and Verizon, he retired with over 30 years of service to selflessly take care of his wife, Annie, who gained her angel wings just five short years ago, yesterday. When he wasn't caring for Annie, spoiling his "Aleyna Bug" or substitute teaching for Roanoke County Schools (a job that he said kept him young and full of life) he enjoyed traveling, biking, driving the Parkway, collecting coins and stamps, gardening and BREAKFAST! He woke up with excitement every morning to head to K&W for a delicious (and cheap!) breakfast, or to Hardee's for his sweet tea and sausage gravy. As soon as he was finished eating breakfast, he was counting down the hours until it was time to head to his favorite lunch spot, Chick-fil-A, or call his daughter to make dinner plans at their favorite Mexican restaurant. When he wasn't busy eating, he enjoyed spending his time enjoying God's wondrous creation, celebrating holidays with family, attending a Team function at West Side or planning his next trip to Garden City Beach. His zest for life and unconditional love for his family will be his legacy, and his devotion to the Lord was evident to everyone (both young and old) whom he came in contact with.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the John M. Oakey & Son Chapel in Salem. A celebration of Lyn's life will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, following visitation. Interment will follow in Sherwood Memorial Park, where he will be laid to rest alongside his beautiful wife. Following the services on Wednesday, the family would like to invite all of Lyn's family and friends to join them at Mama Maria's in Salem, where lunch will be provided in the banquet room.
The family would also like to express their love and gratitude for all of the nurses and doctors who cared for Lyn over the years, but ESPECIALLY to Shane Butler and Kristen Hayden at Lewis Gale Medical Center. The love and compassion you showed to both Lyn and Dee in his final days will never be forgotten.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.johnmoakey.com.
