Noah M. Tickle

Noah Miller Tickle, Jr.—my father—was as tough as nails, and he was a hard man in every sense of the word: hard to figure out, hard to get to know, hard to communicate with, hard to have a relationship with, hard to persuade, hard to hurt, and extremely hard to kill. It took three kinds of cancer working on him at the same time to finally take him down after attacking his colon, his liver, and his lungs.

There was also a part of him that was tender, but most people never had a chance to see that. It showed itself from time to time with my sister Melissa, with my mother, and with myself. He was especially generous with the people he loved when they needed help financially. He was also free and easy with those people that he thought of as allies in his never-ending battle against everything irrational and evil. But, Noah always defined his own words, and his definitions rarely aligned well with anyone else’s. Nonetheless, he fought the good fight against everything irrational and evil—particularly cancer—until the bitter end, until his very last breath.

He always described himself as a simple “Giles County boy.” Even so, he was never simple and he left Giles County and moved to Salem where he met my mother at church when they were both about eight years old. Shortly thereafter, he introduced her to the rabbits that his family raised, and she immediately decided: he was the one, and he would be hers. At that point, there was absolutely nothing that was going to keep them from getting married when they were 18, and they stayed that way. When he departed this world, their marriage had lasted for 69 years.

Throughout his life, he worked tirelessly to support his family, often double shifts, six and seven days per week. For most of his life, he was a railroad man working in Roanoke at East End Shops and Shaffer’s Crossing for Norfolk Western Railway, which later became Norfolk Southern. For many years, he was also an officer in his local chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and was an active member throughout his time at the railroad.

After he retired from the railroad, he felt led to became active in politics on the local, state, and federal levels, including local Tea Party activities and lobbying efforts. He was especially active at county Board of Supervisor meetings, fighting the activities of Non-Governmental Organizations funded by the likes of George Soros, and lobbying for gun rights at the state legislature in Richmond. Many considered him a reliable and valuable ally in the fight for individual rights and personal liberty.

Noah was preceded in death by his father, Noah Miller Tickle Sr., by his mother, Ethel Rice Tickle, by his father-in-law James Coleman, by his mother-in-law Eunice Deborah Coleman, by his nephew John Carlton Tickle, by his daughter, Melissa Beth Tickle, by his nephew James Morton Coleman, and by his sister Drema Jean Tickle Renfroe

Surviving him is his loving wife and companion, Blanche Meryleen Coleman Tickle, who was by his side until the very end. He is survived by his son, Shawn Louis Tickle, his daughter-in-law, Dana Higginbotham Tickle, and his granddaughter Sylvia Erin Tickle. He is also survived by his brother Johnny A. Tickle and his wife, Atlanta, by Jimmie J. Tickle, by his brother-in-law Lawrence ‘Larry’ Renfroe, and by his sister-in-law Robin Groves Coleman. Noah is additionally survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and his faithful friend and caregiver Michael Cales who has been like another son to him.

The family will welcome friends for a period of visitation on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 2 until 3 p.m. at John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home, in Salem.

Funeral services will begin immediately after, starting at 3 p.m. in the funeral homes chapel. Pastor Sam Huntley will officiate.

Interment will follow at Sherwood Memorial Park, in Salem.

Online condolences may be expressed to the Tickle family by visiting www.johnmoakey.com.