Joseph Clark Bigony, 89 of 209 Central Ave. Hinton died Tuesday September 13, 2016 at CAMC Memorial Division in Charleston following a short illness.

Born December 5, 1926 in Hinton, he was the son of the late Joseph Clair and Evelyn Clark Bigony.

Joe was a 1944 graduate of Hinton High School, West Virginia University and Concord College. While at WVU, he was active in Phi Sigma Kappa. He started his career working as an Insurance Investigator in Charleston and Beckley before returning to Hinton in 1959 to work for Hinton Builders Supply Company, first as secretary treasurer and later General Manager. He later taught Travel Industry subjects Mountain State University in Beckley for 15 years. Joe was the owner of Bannister-Bigony Mobile Home Park at Elkview, West Virginia.

Joe was active in various civic organizations throughout his life. He was a charter member of the Hinton Jaycees and while serving as president was instrumental in the project of obtaining funding for the new hospital, which is now Summers County A.R.H. He served on the Hinton Police Civil Service Commission for a number of years, and along with Roberta Reed, organized the Bluestone Youth Organization for teens in the area. He was an accomplished dancer, having studied under the Helen Lee Arrington School of Dance and later taught dance in Hinton, Roceverte and Lewisburg. He was sang in the Baptist Temple Choir and the Barbershop Quartet of America. Joe was a co-signer for the application for the WV State Water Festival to secure the name solely for Hinton. He directed the last 12 Jaycee Minstrel Shows in Hinton, which were a featured attraction in Hinton for many years. He also participated in Maryat Lee's Echo Theatre, performing mostly at the Pipestem State Park amphitheater. He was the organist for the Hinton Elks Lodge and served as organist at Ascension Episcopal Church in Hinton for 20 years. He was also a member of the Hinton Ruritan Club, the Hinton Elks Lodge and the Greenbrier Chapter of the Sons of the Confederacy. In 2016, he was selected as Parade Marshall for the WV State Water Festival.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Jewell McNeer Bigony on June 26, 2015; also preceded by a son, Joesph Clair Bigony, II and a sister, Frances Elizabeth Bigony.

Survivors include a daughter, Ellen Bigony Winner of Hinton; two grandchildren, Leslie Meadows Schlemmer and husband Todd of Lancaster, PA and Joseph David (Joedy) Meadows and wife Kristin of Culpepper, VA; five great grandchildren, Madelyn Faith and Trenton Rodgers Schlemmer, Jacob Kyle Barnett and Brynley Lauryn and Aly Kaitlyn Meadows; sister-in-law, Lorene McNeer Ellison of Cleveland, OH; several nieces and nephews and many cousins in the Bigony, Clark, Charlton and Bannister families.

There will be an Anglican Catholic Funeral Mass by Fr. Alexander Darby and Fr. Tom McHenry from St. Peters ACC in Christiansburg, VA on Saturday September 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Ascension Episcopal Church in Hinton. Rite of committal will follow in Restwood Memorial Gardens in Hinton. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. on Friday September 23rd at Pivont Funeral Home in Hinton. The family wishes to express heartfelt thanks to the Episcopalians for the use of their building.

Pallbearers will be; Joedy Meadows, Trenton and Todd Schlemmer, Jacob Barnett, Jack Cooper and Bill Sorg.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a church of choice in Hinton.