KEYSVILLE, February 6 — Sidney Blanchard Preston, 103, passed away on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, in Keysville. He was born in Hampton to John T. Preston and Annie Preston on June 12, 1910. He graduated from Hempstead High School in New York in 1928.

Mr. Preston married Mary Carman and resided in Roosevelt, NY until 1950 and Copiague, NY until 1975. He served honorably in the United States Navy during World War II as a corpsman. He returned to Virginia, and in May of 1992, his wife passed away. He remarried in 1995 to Virginia Louise Griffith, who passed away earlier this year.

He is survived by five children, Grace Beveridge, Raymond Preston, Roland Preston, Clifford Preston, and Mary S. Smith; nine grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, February 8 at Meherrin Baptist Church, 1810 Bruceville Road, Meherrin, with interment to follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. before the service.

Flowers may be sent to the Browning-Duffer Funeral Home.

The Browning-Duffer Funeral Home, Keysville, is in charge of arrangements.