John Allen Dobbins of Gloucester, Virginia, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital after a brief illness. John was born June 11, 1940 in Portsmouth, Virginia to parents, Edward and Dorothy Joyner Dobbins. He was predeceased by both parents and brother, Edward. He is survived by wife, Donna Burton Dobbins and sister, Edna Farrell, both of Gloucester; daughter, Andrea Woods of Chesterfield, Va.; son, Brent Dobbins of Mathews, Va.; grandchildren, Aaron Woods of Gloucester, Ashlyn Melton of Chesterfield, Jaron Dobbins of Houston, Texas, Brendan Dobbins of Blackstone, Va., and Chandler Dobbins of Gloucester. He is also survived by great-grandchildren, Gregory and Theodore Melton of Chesterfield, and numerous nieces and nephews that he loved dearly.
John graduated from Newport News High School in 1958, after which he spent 62 years in the HVAC business, working for various companies, and retiring at age 80 from Peninsula Heating and Air Conditioning in the year 2020. John and wife Donna were active members of the Saluda Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Middlesex County, Virginia, where they were surrounded by the love and support of all who met them.
There aren’t words to describe how amazing, kind, gentle, loving, and compassionate Johnny was. He was truly one-of-a-kind, always there to lend a hand to anyone who needed it, and could not bear a single second of watching anyone or anything suffer. He touched the lives of everyone he met, and was so incredibly adored by everyone who knew him. If love could have kept him alive, he’d live forever.
A memorial service will be held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1359 General Puller Highway, Saluda, Virginia 23149 on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. The family would like to thank the ICU nurses and staff at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital for their amazing and compassionate care during his stay. Johnny was an animal lover and nature enthusiast, and so the family asked that in lieu of flowers, please donate in his name to the Peninsula SPCA or the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News.