SOUTH POINT — Mr. William A. “Bill” Gaskin, 80, of South Point passed away Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. He was born Jan. 20, 1930, in Feesburg, the son of the late William Henry and Laura Venable Gaskin.
He retired from the Data-Card Corporation after 40 years of service and was the Mayor of South Point for 30 years. He served in the U.S. Marines during the Korean Conflict. He was appointed to Council in 1976, elected to Mayor of South Point in 1979 where he serve as Mayor until his death. During his tenure as Mayor he also served as the President of the Ohio Mayor’s Association, President of the Ohio Municipal League, Member of the Executive Committee for the Ohio Public Works Commission District 15, Member of the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce and Lawrence County Economical Development Corp and served on the Empowerment Zone Committee to help establish The Point Industrial Park in the Village. He was a member of the S&P Lodge 497 F&AM and a member of the First Baptist Church of South Point.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his first wife, Evelyn, and a sister, Laura May Howser.
He is survived by his wife, Velma Gaskin of South Point; one sister, June Howser of Georgetown, Ohio; four children: Jeff (Anita) Gaskin of South Point, Greg (Beverly) Gaskin of South Point, Peggy (Pat) Ray of South Point and Laura (Greg) Hazelette of Huntington, W.Va.; eight grandchildren: Christina, Michael, Shanna, Adam, Andy, Tricia, Evan and Shelby; and one great-grandchild, Abigail.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at the First Baptist Church of South Point with Pastor Lou Ashworth officiating. Interment will follow in Highland Memorial Gardens, South Point. Friends may call at the church from 5-8 p.m. today. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the William A. Gaskin Memorial Fund U.S. Bank 702 4th St. E. South Point, Ohio 45680 for the continuing improvement of South Point. Tracy Brammer Funeral Home is in charge of the service.