JENNINGS, Shirl F. 63, of Conyers, Ga., passed away Sunday, October 26, 2003. He was the son of Pearl Layman (Granny) and the late Nicholas Watkins Jennings. Shirl was a remarkable man. Blind since early childhood, he went to the Deaf and Blind School in Staunton. Later he trained to be a masseur and worked at the YMCA in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Spartanburg, and then settled in Decatur, Ga. There everyone loved and admired him and they became his family. The remarkable story of being blind for more than 40 years and regaining sight was the basis for the 1999 romance movie "At First Sight" starring Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and Val Kilmer. He painted very beautiful abstracts and seascapes, loved baseball (Atlanta Braves), football and sports. Shirl leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Barbara Jennings; two brothers, Charles Jennings of Cincinnati, Ohio and Bill and Gloria Jennings of Blue Ridge, Va.; four sisters, Dorothy and Waltie Shelburne of Roanoke, Martha and Frank Lang of Vinton, Mary Platt of Fincastle, Kathy Hall of North Carolina; and his loving nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be conducted Saturday, November 1, 2003, at 10 a.m. in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens with the Rev. G. Mark Washington officiating. Arrangements by Oakey's Vinton Chapel (982-2221).∼Medical Rarity. Shirl was blind since the age of 10. In 1991 he had his sight restored by two operations after 40 years without sight. Becoming only one of a handful of people blind since childhood having their sight restored. His story was depicted in the 1999 film "At First Sight" starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino. He died of obstructive pulmonary disease in 2003.
JENNINGS, Shirl F. 63, of Conyers, Ga., passed away Sunday, October 26, 2003. He was the son of Pearl Layman (Granny) and the late Nicholas Watkins Jennings. Shirl was a remarkable man. Blind since early childhood, he went to the Deaf and Blind School in Staunton. Later he trained to be a masseur and worked at the YMCA in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Spartanburg, and then settled in Decatur, Ga. There everyone loved and admired him and they became his family. The remarkable story of being blind for more than 40 years and regaining sight was the basis for the 1999 romance movie "At First Sight" starring Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and Val Kilmer. He painted very beautiful abstracts and seascapes, loved baseball (Atlanta Braves), football and sports. Shirl leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Barbara Jennings; two brothers, Charles Jennings of Cincinnati, Ohio and Bill and Gloria Jennings of Blue Ridge, Va.; four sisters, Dorothy and Waltie Shelburne of Roanoke, Martha and Frank Lang of Vinton, Mary Platt of Fincastle, Kathy Hall of North Carolina; and his loving nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be conducted Saturday, November 1, 2003, at 10 a.m. in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens with the Rev. G. Mark Washington officiating. Arrangements by Oakey's Vinton Chapel (982-2221).∼Medical Rarity. Shirl was blind since the age of 10. In 1991 he had his sight restored by two operations after 40 years without sight. Becoming only one of a handful of people blind since childhood having their sight restored. His story was depicted in the 1999 film "At First Sight" starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino. He died of obstructive pulmonary disease in 2003.
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