John Hines Travis

John Hines Travis, 88, of Asheville, NC, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 21, 2018 after a decline in health. John was born in Danville, VA, a son of the late William Mattox Travis and the late Sara Mae Hines. The family lived in Danville, VA and Asheville, NC during John’s earliest years and moved to the family farm in Lynch Station, VA when he was five years old. When their mother died, John and his brother Bill moved to Danville to live with their grandparents. John attended George Washington High School in Danville, VA and enlisted in the U.S. Army, Signal Corps, in 1948. Following his military service, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) in Blacksburg, VA. John met his future wife, Mary Lane, in high school and found her again in Richmond, VA; they were married at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Danville. They raised their three children in Arlington, VA, where John worked for the federal government and retired from the Federal Aviation Administration. John had a passion for electronics and amateur (ham) radio, which he continued to enjoy throughout his life. The couple retired to Asheville, where he volunteered at NAMI Western Carolina, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. John was one of a small group of amateur radio operators who started The Southern Appalachian Radio Museum, Inc., where he served as president and treasurer/secretary. He is survived by his two daughters, Sara McAlpine (Douglas) and Mary Lou Travis (Ralph Mosher); two grandsons, William Adkins and Stuart McAlpine; a granddaughter, Sarah Cromer; a niece and two nephews, Susan Travis, William Wallace Travis, and Bryan Travis; and cousins Alice Kale (Jim), Alfred Rose, and Betsy Sledge. In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his late wife, Mary Lane Stembridge Travis; his son, John Travis, Jr., and his brother, William Travis. The entire family recognizes the compassionate care given to John by Bayada Home Health Care, CarePartners Health Services, and Home Instead Senior Care. A Celebration of the Lives of John Hines Travis and the late Mary Lane Stembridge Travis will be held on Tuesday, July 10, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall Street, Asheville, NC 28801. All friends and family are welcome and encouraged to attend. A graveside service will be held at Mountain View Cemetery in Danville, VA, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Western Carolina, 356 Biltmore Ave., Suite 207, Asheville, NC 28801) or to The Southern Appalachian Radio Museum, Inc., Asheville-Buncombe (AB) Tech Comm. College, 315 Elm Building, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 https://www.avlradiomuseum.org

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