Legendary Coach John Chaney dies at 89
Retired Temple University basketball Coach John Chaney, who was among the most successful Black coaches in basket- ball history, died Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, following a short illness. He was 89.
Algenon L. Brown, longtime educator and member of the Capital Region Airport Commission, dies at 95
Algenon L. Brown, a career educator in Richmond for 36 years who also fought for Black business inclusion in the operation and development of the Richmond International Airport, has died.
Former Virginia Squires and NBA player George Carter succumbs at 76
George Carter, a former ABA All-Star with the Virginia Squires, died Nov. 18, 2020.
Thomas H. Francis, whose political skills aided candidates in Chesterfield and elsewhere, dies at 77
For decades, Thomas Henry Francis pushed to make inroads for Democrats in Republican-controlled Chesterfield County where he lived most of his life.
Doris E. Day, a longtime educator and librarian, dies at 71
Doris Day influenced the lives of thousands of children as a teacher and school librar- ian for more than 40 years in Richmond and Chesterfield County.
Sandra K. Martin, assistant superintendent of the James River Juvenile Detention Center, dies at 63
Sandra Kaye Martin, who spent nearly 35 years helping troubled youths in the Richmond region find the pathway to success, has died. Ms. Martin, 63, succumbed to illness on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021.
Best-selling novelist Eric Jerome Dickey dies at 59
Eric Jerome Dickey, the best-selling novelist who blended crime, romance and eroticism in “Sister, Sister,” “Waking With Enemies” and dozens of other stories about contemporary Black life, has died at age 59.
Tuskegee Airman Theodore Lumpkin Jr. dies in L.A.
One of the famed Tuskegee Airmen — the first Black pilots in the segregated U.S. military and among the most respected fighter pilots of World War II — has died from complications of the coronavirus, it was announced last Friday. …
Mary P. James, first lady of Trinity Baptist Church, succumbs at 74
The first lady of Trinity Baptist Church in North Side has died. Mary Peebles “Mary P” James, wife of Dr. A. Lincoln James Jr., who has led the church for 40 years, succumbed to illness on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. …
Denver Broncos Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little dies
Dynamic running back Floyd Little, among the most revered athletes in the annals of Syracuse University and the Denver Broncos, died Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.
Ruby H. Walden, a force for community betterment in Suffolk, dies at 99
“I cannot do everything, but I can do some things. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, with the help of God, I will do.” Those are the words Ruby Holland Walden lived by …
Principal Joe Clark, who inspired film ‘Lean on me,’ dies
Joe Louis Clark, the baseball bat and bullhorn-wielding principal whose unwavering commitment to his students and uncompromising disciplinary methods inspired the 1989 film “Lean on Me,” died at his Florida home on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, after a long battle …
K.C. Jones, who won Olympic, NCAA and NBA championships, dies at 88
K.C. Jones and the word “winner” were always synonymous.
Tuskegee Airman dies days before his 100th birthday and ceremony honoring military service
Tuskegee Airman Alfred Thomas Farrar died on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, in Lynchburg only days before a ceremony planned to honor his service in the program that famously trained Black military pilots during World War II. He was 99.
Thomas ‘Tiny’ Lister, an athlete who rose to fame as a bully on the silver screen, dies at 62
Thomas “Tiny” Lister, a track and field champion, professional wrestler and actor, died Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, at his home in Marina del Ray, Calif.