Edward A. Plunkett, Sr., 1920-2004

  Born Jan. 11, 1920, in Lynchburg, Va., the Rev. Ed Plunkett graduated from E. C. Glass High School, went on to Randolph-Macon College at Ashland, later attended Emory University in Georgia, and completed seminary training at Westminster Seminary in Maryland. While a student pastor at Marquis Memorial United Methodist Church in Staunton, Ed met, fell in love with, and married Ella Louise Harvill. Ed and Ella Louise had four children: Ed Jr., Karen, Joseph, and Janet. Ed Sr. died on March 15, 2004. Ed is survived by his wife and children, and by three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by one great-grandson.

  Ed’s ministry began with a charge of four rural churches in northern Augusta County. Additional charges took the family to Northern Virginia, Winchester, Elkton, Roanoke, Onancock, South Norfolk, Norfolk, Arlington, Staunton, and Charlottesville. After retirement, Ed served for a number of years as a probation officer and counselor for the Juvenile Court System in the Northern Neck area of Virginia. Ed and Ella Louise retired on Afton Mountain in Augusta County, Va., where he was active in support of the county library system and served on the county library board.

  On the conference level, Ed served as chairperson of the Committee on World Peace and on the Board of Ministerial Training. He was known for speaking out on many occasions about the need for the church to be involved in issues affecting world affairs. He also served as chairperson of a special committee on peace education and international relations for the Virginia Council of Churches, an interdenominational group. The Rev. Plunkett also actively assisted the founding of Virginia Wesleyan College by serving as the press agent for its organizers.

  In an interview with the Virginian Pilot published on Oct. 29, 1960, Ed expressed concern about what he viewed to be an alarming loss of young people in the church, leading to a declining number of members who have benefited from church education as youth. "The best kind of growth for the church comes through the church school," he said. "This is where we must begin. This is where I begin."

  Ed was a writer, teacher, artist, pilot, and self-taught computer programmer. He also enjoyed woodworking, golf, fishing, water skiing, sailing, and the study of history and politics. He featured his research on the history of Augusta County on his Web site <www.augustahistory.org>. Ed programmed and developed the Augusta County Library’s first computerized circulation system. He was described by the Rev. Gary Milstead at a memorial service at Main Street United Methodist Church in Waynesboro on March 19 as "a true Renaissance man of many accomplishments."