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Walter Failes:
A man who lived for his community
BY MARGO OXENDINE • STAFF WRITER
 | | Walter Failes and his wife of 54 years, June "Junie" Keyser Failes. (Photo courtesy Richard and Becky Armstrong) |
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ASHWOOD - All of Bath County lost a friend last Wednesday when Walter B. Failes Sr. died. Failes, who had been ailing for awhile, went to the Hot Springs Post Office to pick up his mail that afternoon; before his task was done, the Lord had called him home.
Long-time friend Tommy Ford pointed out that, while the community was saddened to lose Failes, 76, there was a hint of humor in his passing.
"When Walter dropped dead at 3:05 Wednesday afternoon, the clock on the Homestead tower stopped, too," Ford noted. "It was really weird, since Walter was such a big part of The Homestead for so many years."
The clock was not repaired until Friday.
"Every time my wife Patsy and I drove by and looked up at that tower clock, we'd be reminded of losing Walter," Ford added. "Patsy said, 'Well, Walter hasn't lost his sense of humor; he just had to stop that clock on his way up to heaven.'"
Failes was known for his sense of humor, and seemingly perpetual smile, in addition to his unfailing devotion to family, friends, his church and the whole of the Bath County community.
Surely Failes was sorely missed this past Tuesday, when Valley Springs voters went to cast their votes at the polls; it was the first time in 15 years he wasn't there joking, explaining how to work the machines, helping the elderly, and handing out candy.
Failes took his duty to his community seriously. He was a charter member of the Hot Springs Rescue Squad, offering comfort and care in times of dire need. The Air Force veteran was also a charter member of the local VFW Post #4204. Even strapped to an oxygen tank, Failes delivered Meals on Wheels. He was a vital influence in making the Mountain Crest Retirement Home a reality, and lent his voice of reason and thoughtful presence to the Bath County Planning Commission for almost a decade, serving many times as chairman.
"Walter Failes was one of the finest men I've ever known," noted former planner Charles Garratt, now a reporter for The Recorder.
That sentiment was expressed by many around Bath County this past week. The crowd at his family visitation Friday night packed into Ashwood United Methodist Church, where Failes was a lay minister. They smiled and wept over a collection of photographs, and offered sympathy and comfort to his wife of 54 years, Junie, his daughters Becky Armstrong and Nancy Brady, his son Walter B. Jr., now a practicing minister himself.
As they gathered and nudged shoulder-to-shoulder, the mourners shared stories about Failes who, as many noted, "never met a stranger who didn't become a friend."
One of those who knew Failes best is Richard Byrd, Valley Springs supervisor who is married to Junie's sister Betty.
"Walter was more than a brother-in-law," Byrd said. "He was one of my best friends. He gave of himself to all - his church, his community, his family. He was willing to do for people, right up until the day he died. He was always working to make things better for other people. Above any other legacy, he leaves the fact that he was a Christian, in the truest sense. Walter not only preached the word of God, he lived it. And he leaves behind a family that will carry on his legacy."
In his leisure time, Failes loved to hunt. He had made arrangements to renew his hunting license this season; longtime friend Tony Woodzell was going to drive Failes through the woods in his ATV.
Tommy Ford recalled one of his favorite stories about the man he called a friend for 50 years.
"A group of us went hunting together, over on Rough Mountain near Millboro. We got there just before daylight and spread out, picking our stands. About 10 in the morn- ing, we'd get back together and see how we'd done," Ford said. "Well, this day we got back together, but there was no Walter. We wondered about him, until one fellow said he'd heard Walter shooting about every 15 minutes throughout the morning. We decided, maybe he needs some help; let's go see what all he's killed."
When the hunting party reached Failes, they discovered "he hadn't killed a single thing," Ford laughed. "He was near a little pile of brush, and a deer had been coming in and out of that brush pile all morning. Each time the deer came out, Walter would shoot at it and miss, and the deer would run back into the brush pile. Walter said he'd shot at it about six times, but had never hit it. That was the thing about Walter," Ford said. "He loved to hunt, but he wasn't a very good shot. He really just enjoyed our times together out there in the woods."
Those who would like to make a contribution to memorialize Walter Failes should consider two causes close to his heart: the Hot Springs Rescue Squad, and the Ashwood United Methodist Church. That church was packed for Failes's memorial service Saturday morning; some 200 people filled the pews, and the adjacent social hall. It is a testament to Walter Failes that no church in Bath County was really big enough to hold those who mourned his passing.
Tommy Ford's son Jeff was one of those who spoke during the service. "Walter always made you smile," he noted, calling the man brave, patient and eloquent. "He had a big heart. Walter may have had problems with his lungs, but never with his heart. I will never forget him."
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