Say the name Jack Gravely, and people even in the farthest corners of Virginia are likely to know who you’re talking about.

Mr. Gravely, the un-bought, un-bossed two-time head of the state NAACP, died Monday, bringing to a close a life dedicated to ensuring the freedoms as outlined by the founding fathers were equally applied to people of color.

He fought for equal rights in voting, fairness in housing and equality in job opportunities, education and pay. And no matter what far-flung part of the state people experiencing problems lived in, Mr. Gravely was there.

He was a firebrand, unafraid and unapologetic in taking on everyone from the governor and state lawmakers on down.

He was the named plaintiff in the lawsuit against two former Virginia governors — Republican John N. Dalton and his successor, Democrat Charles S. “Chuck” Robb — to push Virginia legislative districts to single-member districts. The success allowed for the greater representation of African-Americans and people of color in the General Assembly.

He was recognized by GOP Congressman Henry J. Hyde of Illinois, a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, as the reason why he changed his mind to support the renewal of the federal Voting Rights Act in 1982 under President Reagan. Mr. Gravely had testified before Congress during the battle over extending the federal Voting Rights Act, one of many times he testified before Congress on issues of importance.

He pushed for the appointment of African-Americans as judges in Virginia and on the federal level; battled to desegregate classrooms and programs in school districts, including Southampton and Greensville counties; and worked with the Richmond Urban League to push Richmond radio and TV stations to hire more people of color for on-air and behind-the-scenes positions.

He continued the battle for access to the ballot, pushing several Virginia localities to do simple things like publishing the address and phone number of the voter registration office in local telephone books and listing the office of the voter registrar on the county building’s directory.

He worked to bring calm and justice to communities after episodes of racially motivated property damage and killings.

And he investigated discrimination complaints in municipal hiring and pay across the commonwealth, and worked to build coalitions among statewide groups of black lawyers, doctors, funeral directors, ministers and unions to help battle many of the systemic problems and to pay for court challenges.

The late Benjamin L. Hooks, the former national head of the NAACP, recognized Mr. Gravely’s skills and ability to get things done. Dr. Hooks gave him special assignments, and later he worked for the national NAACP office.

Mr. Gravely’s commitment to the fight for equality, his unwavering support for the regular man and woman and his unflagging energy touched every part of Virginia.

Rest well, Jack. You will be missed.