Independent Christian retailer David Gullion, who ran and owned bookstores for more than 45 years, died from a heart condition Sept. 15 at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was 71.

His son, Dwight Gullion—president and co-owner of Gullion's Christian Supply Center, which has three locations in the Winston-Salem area—told Christian Retailing that his father managed and then owned Hazard Christian Supply in Hazard, Ky., from 1967 to 1981. He said it was the first Christian bookstore in the Appalachian region.

After he changed its name to Dwight's Bible Shop in the mid-70s, Gullion started two additional Christian bookstores in Whitesburg, Ky., and Neon, Ky., during that time. He also ran a bookstore for the Evangelical Free Church in Hazard from 1966 to 1968. In 1983, Gullion sold the business and moved his family to Martinsville, Va., where he served as a basketball coach, teacher and principal at a Christian school.

Moving his family to Winston-Salem in 1989, Gullion and Dwight co-founded Gullion's Christian Supply Center in Winston-Salem in 1992. The store eventually grew to four locations by 2002, but consolidated to three stores in Winston-Salem, Statesville and Mt. Airy, N.C. Gullion managed the Statesville location from 1998 until his death.

"Everything he did was ministry," Dwight said. "He spent 45 years in ministry as a missionary, teacher, pastor, coach and Christian bookstore owner, influencing tens of thousands of people for God. His life's theme was 'Only one life, 'twill soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last.' "

Gullion is survived by his wife, Loretta, three sons and several grandchildren.