Dennis Ray Fix Sr.

Dennis Ray Fix, Sr. passed away peacefully to be with the Lord in Salem, Virginia during the late evening hours on January 26, 2023 at the age of ninety-five.

Mr. Fix was born to Cora Lee Mills Fix and William Franklin Fix on August 23, 1927 in the community of Cool Ridge in Raleigh County, West Virginia.  At age fourteen, Dennis moved with his family to Summers County, West Virginia.   He lived for many years on his family’s farm in that County.  He was a resident of Salem, Virginia from 1956 until his death.

Mr. Fix was a World War II and Korean War veteran.  He enlisted in the United States Army and served in the European Theater in both France and Germany. He began his military service as a Cook and he was later promoted to Company Armorer.  He then served as a Combat Engineer while he served in Germany during the later stages of WWII.  In that latter capacity, Dennis’s Army unit constructed pontoon and other bridges, many times while under enemy fire, for the U. S. Army during the Allied push  towards Berlin. Dennis also served a short stint in Korea after Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945, before being reassigned by the Army back to Germany.  Among other duties, he had patrol duties on the Russian border after the German surrender.   He attained the rank of Sergeant First Class before leaving military service and returning home to West Virginia after his honorable discharge when back in the country.

Dennis married Ruby Ann Dennis in 1956.  They remained married for fifty-one years until Ann’s death on December 17, 2007 after a lengthy illness.  They had two children, Kay Ann Fix and Dennis ("Denny") Ray Fix, Jr.

After returning home from Europe and leaving the Army, Mr. Fix worked for several companies performing a number of skilled jobs in Ohio and Virginia and he worked for the General Electric Company in Salem, Virginia as a machinist and an electrician, where he remained for thirty-four years until his retirement in 1989.  The entire time he worked for General Electric Dennis was a member of General Electric's primary union, the International Union of Electrical Workers (IUE AFL-CIO)  Local 161, and he remained a proud lifetime member of that union and a supporter of union rights everywhere.

In  his younger years, Dennis  enjoyed hunting and observing wild game, farming at the family farm in West Virginia and doing light gardening while residing at his home in Salem.  He was a rabid fan and follower of  University of Virginia  sports, particularly men’s basketball, and he was especially fond of Coach Tony Bennett and current players Kihei Clark and Isaac McKneely (who is from Poca, WV).  He consistently prayed for the team whenever he watched them play, whether on television or in person, and he was immensely thrilled with their run to their National Championship in 2019.

Mr. Fix is survived by many friends including the Reverend Tommy Price  and his wife Reynosa, Pastor Roy Kanode,  Harry F. Bosen, Jr. and his wife Ellie Bosen, J. C. Poindexter and his wife  Martha, Jackie Rowe, Cordell Jones, Jane Oakes, Barbara Hoskins, Ellen Kneivel (Indiana), Benny Peyton, Jack Lawson, Louie Hicks and Darryl  Dillon.  He is also survived by fellow WWII veteran friend Retired M. D.  Robert  Kee  (Bedford County), Virginia and many other friends.  Three of his other long time closest friends, Dennis Parks, T. J. Hoskins  and Kermit Rowe, recently passed away.  Another longtime friend, Harry Peyton, also predeceased Dennis.

Mr. Fix was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Ruby Ann, his daughter Kay Ann, who died in early childhood, and by all six of his siblings, to-wit:  June Ann Fix (who passed before Dennis was born), William Franklin Fix of West Virginia, Virginia Lee Fix Vaughn of West Virginia, Nellie Christine Lowe of West Virginia, Robert Allen Fix of West Virginia, and William Franklin Fix of Georgia.

Dennis is survived by his son, Dennis Ray Fix, Jr. (“Denny”), of Salem, Virginia, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, including Linda Lilley of West Virginia, Rodney Fix of West Virginia, Randy Fix of West Virginia, Robbie Fix of  West Virginia, Catherine  Coleman of Salem, Virginia, and Larry Dennis of Salem, Virginia.

The family and friends of Mr. Fix wish to express their gratitude for the staff and the doctors at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Salem, Virginia for all of their medical treatment and services provided over many years to Dennis, in particular Milixa Fortuna, M.D. and Chaplain Catina Martin who assisted during Dennis’s recent stay in Hospice care.

A visitation will be held at the Lotz Funeral Home Chapel, located at 1330 East Main Street in Salem, Virginia on Monday January 30, 2023 from 6:00 p.m.  to 7:30 p.m., with a brief memorial service to be conducted by Pastor Roy Kanode of Ridgewood Baptist Church to follow.

A visitation will also be held on Thursday the 2^nd day of February, 2023, from 10:30 a.m.  Until 12:00 p.m. at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors located at 130 Temple Street, in Hinton, West Virginia, followed immediately by a funeral/memorial service at Ronald Meadows and thereafter burial at Greenbrier Burial Park, in Hinton, WV, with both of these services to be handled by Pastor Robbie Merritt.   Military Honors for Mr. Fix will be provided by the U.S. Army at the grave site in West Virginia.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dennis’s memory to Earthjustice or to your favorite charity.