(The following obituary appeared on the Richmond Times-Dispatch website on December 12. Information in parenthesis has been added by BLET editors.)
RICHMOND, Va. — Milton “Curtis” Womble, 52, of Mechanicsville, passed away Sunday, December 10, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Gayle Womble; three sons, Travis, Andrew, and Adam Womble; and his mother, Jean Womble.
(Mr. Womble was retired from CSX and Amtrak. According to Doug Riddell, a long time member of BLET Division 14, “Curtis had been retired for about 10 years following a tragic wreck wherein the train he was operating, No. 95, the Colonial, approaching Newport News, Va., was diverted thru a 10 m.p.h. turnout while operating at about 79 m.p.h. Two US Coastguardsmen were eventually caught (at Stony Creek, Va.) and convicted of tampering with the main line switch, causing the derailment of the engine and six cars of Womble’s train. While there were no fatalities, Curtis, propelled thru the windshield and onto the ground, was seriously injured and never returned to work. He was a dedicated husband, father, scout leader, and volunteer member of several local fire departments and rescue squads in the Mechanicsville/Hanover, Va. community. He served as secretary-treasurer of BLE Division 14 in Washington, D.C. upon its founding in 1987.)
He had been a member of Ashcake Volunteer Rescue Squad, and was an active volunteer with the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department. He had also been an assistant scout master with the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts of America. His family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Rd. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, December 14 at Black Creek Baptist Church. Interment church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department, 7161 Stonewall Pkwy., Mechanicsville, Va. 23111.