Owner of Virginia Diner dies at 76

WAKEFIELD

In this small, neat town that straddles U.S. 460, Bill Galloway is known as the man who built an empire out of peanuts.

Galloway, 76, who purchased and transformed the Virginia Diner into a well-known attraction, died Tuesday.

Galloway was bigger than life, say those who knew him and worked with him.

"He was 6 feet 2 inches, hardy - very hardy," said daughter Christine Epperson, now Virginia Diner Inc.'s president. "How is somebody going to own a restaurant and not love to eat?"

Galloway was born in Birmingham, Ala., and grew up in Richmond. He graduated in 1951 from Thomas Jefferson High School and attended the University of Virginia.

He met his future wife and business partner, Mary Ann, when both worked for Reynolds Metal Corp. They married in 1960.

"He was a very respectful man, very respectful," said Linda Ellis, a longtime employee who runs the gift shop.

Epperson said her father was the kind of man whose employees brought their personal problems to him.

"He saw needs and was a great networker," Epperson said. "He started the Chamber of Commerce here in Sussex County."

His biggest compliments came when he heard the name of the landmark restaurant mentioned in other areas, Epperson said. She still remembers a story about a conversation he had in a Chicago airport. The man didn't know where Wakefield was, but he knew of the Virginia Diner.

Galloway fought off cancer years ago, his daughter said. Then, in 2003, he lost a 2-year-old grandson to brain cancer.

"Dad was very involved in taking Will to his treatments," said Epperson. "It's been hard. Cancer is very ugly."

Galloway was one of the disease's greatest foes, until it came back on him less than two years ago.

Epperson said her father recognized that the diner was the face of their business, but peanuts were the backbone.

The peanut business still represents about 80 percent of the enterprise.

"He couldn't have been a better husband or a better man," Mary Ann said.

The family will meet the community from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to day at the Wakefield Foundation. A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Wakefield United Methodist Church.

Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com