Longtime educator Joyce Clay Dennis dies at 85
Joyce Clay Dennis laid the academic foundation for hundreds of Richmond children who came through her elementary classrooms in Richmond.
City’s first African-American fire chief Ronald C. Lewis dies at 84
Ronald Charles “Ron” Lewis led the modernization of Richmond’s Fire Department after being installed as the city’s first African-American fire chief in 1978.
Pitching legend Don Newcombe dies at 92
In the late 1940s, the Brooklyn Dodgers rattled baseball’s foundation by boldly breaking the color line. It was to be a major turning point in all professional sports.
Clifton D. Townes, retired city recreation district superintendent, dies at 79
Clifton David Townes helped create vibrant sports and educational programs for city youths during a storied career with the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.
Rev. Franklin, 47, dies after preaching sermon
The Rev. Charles M. Franklin Jr. preached a sermon, finished serving communion and had gone into his office at Ray of Hope Baptist Church in Northeast Baltimore on Sunday, Feb. 10, when he lapsed into a seizure.
Community organizer and strategist Lillie A. Estes succumbs at 59
Lillie Ann Estes set the standard for community organizing in Richmond.
Grammy winner James Ingram dies at 66
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter James Ingram, who launched multiple hits on the R&B and pop charts and earned two Oscar nominations for his songwriting, died Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2018, at his Los Angeles home from brain cancer. He was 66.
‘Y&R’ actor Kristoff St. John dies at 52
Kristoff St. John, who played the struggling alcoholic and ladies’ man Neil Winters for 27 years on “The Young and the Restless,” has died. He was 52.
John D. Williams, 90, longtime teacher and coach at Armstrong High School
John Davis “John D.” Williams, a former teacher, coach and athletic director at Armstrong High School, has died.
Julius Campbell, Northern Va. football player made famous in ‘Remember the Titans,’ dies at 65
Julius Campbell, whose role as captain of the T.C. Williams High School football team in Northern Virginia was made famous in the movie “Remember the Titans,” died Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, of organ failure.
Dr. Clara S. McCreary, longtime math professor at VUU, dies at 99
Dr. Clara Novella Sutton McCreary loved mathematics, and for nearly 42 years she shared that love with students at Virginia Union University. “My mother taught all the upper level math courses and also coordinated the pre-engineering courses.” said her daughter, …
Thomas ‘T.C.’ Harrell, co-founder and former owner of Carolina Bar-B-Que, dies at 86
Thomas Christopher Harrell was the barbecue man of Church Hill for 44 years. Known to customers and friends as “T.C.,” the no-nonsense, though kindly Army veteran served up his own creations and family recipes for tangy, vinegar-based pork barbecue, ribs, …
John E. Wilson, oldest living Harlem Globetrotter, dies in Chester
John E. Wilson, who was the oldest living Harlem Globetrotter, has died at age 91. Known as “Jumpin’ Johnny” for his uncanny leaping ability, Mr. Wilson died Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at his home in Chester, where he was living …
Barbara B. Abernathy Ross, longtime Carver community activist, dies at 77
When Virginia Commonwealth University sought to expand its campus north of Broad Street in the 1990s, the university hit a stonewall — civic activist Barbara Beatrice Abernathy Ross. As president of the Carver Area Civic Improvement League, or CACIL, Ms. …
Fay A. Howlette, manager of her husband’s optometry practice, dies at 89
Fay Anderson Howlette aided her husband, the late Dr. John L. Howlette Sr., in offering a new option for eye care in Richmond before the start of the Civil Rights Movement.
