Donald H. Major Sr.

Published 8:15 pm Thursday, October 7, 2010

PORTSMOUTH — Donald Hunter Major Sr. went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010.

Donald was born in Saluda, Va., on Aug. 21, 1922, and moved to Portsmouth in 1941, where he started a long career with C&P Telephone Company and met and married Dorothy Cannaday, who became his wife of 67 years.

He moved his family to Suffolk in 1960, where they joined the Oxford United Methodist Church. He and Dot were communion stewards for 25 years at Oxford. Donald was an active member of the Suffolk/Holland Ruritan Club for many years.

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In 2005, he and Dot moved back to Portsmouth to live with one of his daughters.  He died peacefully with family by his side.

Donald was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy Helen Cannaday Major, of Spring Valley, Va. He is survived by his brother, Page Major, of Hampton; daughter, Carolyn Paige Donovan and fiancé, Paul Day, of Dansville, N.Y.; daughter Patricia (Pattie) Liebing and her husband, Pholia C. Liebing, of Portsmouth; son, Donald H. Major Jr., of Suffolk; daughter, Dorothy Jean Vallee, of Newport News.

Donald is also survived by five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren: Steven Donovan, his wife, Justine, and their daughter, Jessica, of Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Debbie Maloney and her son, Tommy, of Buffalo, N.Y.; James C. Knight IV and his two daughters, Mackenzie and Jamie, of Mesquite, Texas; Rebecca Knight and her daughter, Nadeeka, of Taos, N.M.; Sam Linde, her husband, Jonas, and their son, Breaden, of Newport News.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010 at Oxford United Methodist Church with the Rev. Kenneth Hanson officiating. Burial will follow at the Bethlehem Christian Church Cemetery. Family will accept visitors at Parr Funeral Home from 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9. Memorial gifts may be given to Oxford United Methodist Church in Suffolk. Condolences may be registered online at www.parrfuneralhome.com.