They built this city: Slipek remembers Richmonders who passed in 2024 (Guest Commentary)

For all the fast and furious change and growth taking place hereabouts both physically and culturally, as we approach the new year we might pause to salute some outstanding individuals who passed away this year. Each toiled and excelled in different ways to make our community a richer, more responsive and stronger place. Whether they were from-here’s or come-here’s, each loved Richmond and gave it their all.

In this first of two parts, we salute individuals who died from January through June. It should no doubt spark you to consider your own list of bright lights lost in 2024.

Jackson L. Blanton

Jackson Blanton, from rural Cumberland County, for 39 years was an officer at the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank. But Jack, as he was called, was nothing if not whimsical, and passionate about contemporary artwork, especially by Virginia artists. Blanton, who died on Jan. 7 at 81, saw to it that substantial works graced not only the spaces of the Fed’s iconic high-rise on the downtown riverfront, but at the bank’s other locations nationwide. In 1975, Fed Chair Arthur Burns had Blanton develop a fine arts program for the bank’s Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. In Richmond, Blanton also served on the city’s Public Art Commission. And a collector himself, his voluminous holdings now enliven multiple spaces at Longwood University and enrich the cultural life of Farmville.

Mark Joy

“This trash shouldn’t be allowed in this theater or anywhere else,” exclaimed two horrified moviegoers in a campy anti-littering public service commercial that was screened at the Byrd Theatre for decades. Playing the part of a young patron, Richmond actor Mark Joy admonished theatergoers in the spot to dispose of trash appropriately. Thus Joy, who died on Jan. 24 at 73, along with others in the ad, may have had the largest combined moviegoing audiences in Richmond history. The Iowa-born actor, who also became a familiar face on many Richmond stages, worked in advertising and eventually films. After an early stint in Los Angeles, Joy returned to Richmond where he was generous in advising aspiring actors who were seeking careers in show business.

Charles “Lefty” Driesell

Since Richmond is devoid of major league sports, NASCAR and college basketball enjoy heightened importance here. Therefore, Norfolk-born Charles “Lefty” Driesell, a storied Hall of Fame college basketball coach, delighted, entertained or frustrated in equal parts many Virginians for decades. He died at his Virginia Beach home on Feb. 17 at age 92. Driesell was the first coach to win more than 100 games at each of four NCAA Division I men’s programs. The Duke alumnus coached at University of Maryland from 1969-1986 and at Davidson, James Madison and Georgia State. He initiated college basketball’s first “Midnight Madness” in 1971 at Maryland.

Harry Justice Warthen III

Harry Justice Warthen III, a Richmond lawyer who practiced estate and trust law at the white-shoe firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth for 36 years, died on Feb. 20 at 84. A scion of a family keen on Virginia history and historic preservation, this U.S. Army veteran served as the president of the Preservation Alliance of Virginia and the Historic Richmond Foundation. He was also a leader in preserving and interpreting Pole Green Church (established in 1743) in eastern Hanover County. It was one of the first non-Anglican churches in Virginia. He also served on the boards of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s working farm and retreat near Lynchburg. Warthen was the Virginia representative to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

On July 3, the extended Warthen family mourned the loss of Harry’s brother, Benjamin Pollard Alsop Warthen, who died at 81. Also an Army veteran and lawyer, Ben’s restless intellect led him into politics, journalism, and the study of history and literature. He served one term (from 1992-94) on Richmond City Council, representing the Fan District and parts of Northside. Warthen was instrumental in designing the official and distinctive city flag that features a canal boatman on a field of red, white and blue. He lost his council seat to political novice Tim Kaine: thus began the latter’s rise in public service. For a number of years in the 1990s, Warthen published the Richmond State, a weekly newspaper with erudite and pithy coverage of politics, culture and society. He also served on the Poe Museum board and on the Board of Visitors of his alma mater, the University of Virginia.

Douglas Tice Jr.

North Carolina-born attorney and judge Douglas O. Tice Jr., who served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, died on February 28 at 90. In Richmond, Tice established himself as a tax and corporate attorney at Hubard, Tice, Marchant and Samuels. It was there that he became an authority in bankruptcy law. In 1987, he was appointed to the bench of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Virginia. During the 25 years of his judgeship, high-profile cases included the dissolution of some of Virginia’s legacy companies. They included the Miller & Rhoads department store chain, the catalog showroom retailer Best Products, the Fas Mart convenience store chain, home furnishings company Heilig-Meyers, and the specialty packaging manufacturer Chesapeake Corp. Issues he addressed in these cases serve as precedent today. He also served on the boards of the Richmond Forum and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

Frances Lewis Allen Schools

Frances Lewis Allen Schools, a pioneering journalist and public relations practitioner, died on March 2 at age 94. Richmond-born and reared in Colonial Heights, she wrote for The Richmond News Leader for more than 30 years at a time when women journalists evolved from women’s pages reporters to broader opportunities. It was as the newspaper’s dance critic for three decades that Schools is best remembered. Back in the day, in addition to a dance critic, The News Leader employed Francis Church as music critic, Roy Proctor as the theater and art critic, and Pete Wyrick as arts and architecture writer. During her long career, like most women in communications, Schools cobbled together a chain of jobs: in promotions at the National Tobacco Festival, public relations at Reynolds Metals, editor of women’s club publications, and communications for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She even had her own local television program, The Fran School Show.

James Alvin Payne Jr.

James Alvin “Jim” Payne Jr. was a Presbyterian pastor and engaging humanitarian, who worked doggedly to propel pressing societal and social issues into theological discussions throughout Virginia congregations. He died on March 8 at 93. In 1982, Payne was the guiding force in establishing the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (and served as its founding executive director). He envisioned an interfaith religious presence in the broad arena of Virginia governance and public life. A native Richmonder, Payne’s service in the Korean War with the First Main Division of the U.S. Army earned him the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He later served in the reserves.

George Calvin Longest

George Calvin Longest, for 40 years a beloved professor of English at Richmond Professional Institute, who rolled with the punches in 1968 when the school became Virginia Commonwealth University, died on March 11 at 86. Longest injected great humor in his courses in English and American literature. Specific interests included the transcendentalists and southern romantic writers. A gifted musician, gardener and writer himself, Longest was the author of “Genius in the Garden: Charles F. Gillette & Landscape Architecture in Virginia.” This 1992 book remains essential for anyone interested in modern Virginia history and design.

Willie Williams III

Willie Williams III, or “Bill” as he was known, died on March 16 at 93. He was a Richmond native who was president of his senior class when he graduated from Armstrong High School in 1947 (a classmate and friend was L. Douglas Wilder, who would later become the nation’s first elected Black governor). Soon after Armstrong, Williams enlisted in the U.S. Navy following President Harry Truman’s executive order that desegregated the military. As a trailblazer, Williams served 20 years as a naval operations specialist and training administrator. After the military he worked for Prudential Life Insurance. He and his wife also founded and ran a travel agency, American World Tours. They also owned the popular Flamingo Restaurant and Lounge. Williams served as a board member and president of both the Richmond NAACP and the Richmond Crusade for Voters.

Jean Thompson Williams

On November 21, William’s wife, Jean Thompson Williams, died at 88. She had worked with her husband for 28 years at American World Tours, the region’s first minority-owned travel management company. She also had a distinguished career in education. For 23 years she served the Richmond Public Schools, retiring as principal of Mary Munford Elementary School. She also served terms as chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals for the City of Richmond and was a Metro Chamber of Commerce board member.

Alan Kirshner

Alan Kirshner, chairman emeritus of Markel Group, died on March 17 at 88. In 1966, he joined the company which has specialty insurance at its core in addition to a number of diversified businesses. When he was named chairman and CEO in 1986, Kirshner was the lead author of a company cultural creed dubbed “the Markel Style.” The mantra still guides Markel’s 20,000 employees: It stresses the zealous pursuit of excellence, honesty, a sense of humor, disdain for bureaucracy, and a commitment to communities. Kirshner personally exemplified the latter by establishing the Faison School for children with autism. He also spearheaded the Partnership for the Future project that helps students living in underserved communities attend college. A serious collector of contemporary art, the philanthropist had a lead role in establishing and supporting the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, whose complex is named the Markel Center.

Daniel P. Jordan

Mississippi-born historian Daniel Jordan, a former chair of the VCU history department who went on to direct Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, died March 21 at age 85. Jordan was lauded during his 23 years (1985-2008) at Monticello for his savvy and sensitivity at the helm of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which welcomes some 500,000 visitors annually. At Monticello, he effectively navigated the often sticky wicket of fraught African-American history: Jefferson owned 600 slaves during his lifetime. Jordan, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Korea and Western Europe, continually stressed to the Monticello staff: “Good manners never go out of style.”

Willam Tolar Nolley Jr.

Willam Tolar Nolley Jr., an ebullient spirit and forward-thinking entrepreneur who died on April 28 at 67, brightened every room he entered. A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, he grew up in Richmond. He served as director of alumni affairs at St. Christopher’s School and as manager of the VMI Keydet Club for his alma mater, Virginia Military Institute. Always attracted to Virginia’s rivers and tributaries, he was a pioneer in recognizing the potential for Rocketts Landing in Richmond’s East End when he opened the first redevelopment project there, the Ragin’ James Complex which included a boathouse for scullers (the building now houses a Boathouse restaurant). He later established the Virginia Oyster Co. and passionately believed that the way to restore the Chesapeake Bay was by employing local watermen in oyster production.

Joseph Henry Seipel

Joseph Henry “Joe” Seipel, a dynamic sculptor, educator and restaurateur who left an impressive mark on the contemporary art scene here, died June 12 at age 76. During his 42 years at VCU as a professor, sculpture department chair, and dean of the School of the Arts, he guided the masters sculpture program to a number one ranking nationally. He was also a founding force in establishing the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU and served as its interim director. In 1978, he co-founded 1708 Gallery, the nation’s oldest artist-run nonprofit for contemporary art. And always possessing an entrepreneurial spirit, in 1982 he was a co-partner in opening the Texas-Wisconsin Border Cafe, a popular watering hole and dining spot at West Main and Plum streets where artists and businesspeople alike gathered and frolicked.

Sarah Liston “Sally” Brown

Interior designer, architectural writer and philanthropist Sarah “Sally” Brown was a brilliant educator, and generous patron who pushed quietly for excellent architecture and strong design in Virginia. She died on June 21 at age 81. Brown was critical to the financial and programmatic growth of the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design since its establishment a decade ago on Monument Avenue. Earlier in her career, she had turned her prowess at tennis into a career in racquet club and sports tournament management (allowing her to play with such tennis legends as Pancho Gonzalez and Arthur Ashe). She served on the boards of Art 180, the Storefront for Community Design as well as the Branch. She also devoted time to Richmond’s Commission of Architectural Review and Planning Commission.

Stella Dikos

Stella Dikos, a native of Greece who created a local dining empire that shows no signs of slowing down, passed away on June 28 at age 82. She started out in the restaurant business in Richmond in the 1950s at the intersection of West Grace and Harrison streets where she cooked at The Village Cafe that she and her husband owned. The artist and student haunt was infused with art as much as her comfort food and Greek cuisine. In 1983, Dikos put her own name on the shingle of Stella’s, when she opened a restaurant on Harrison Street and later on West Main Street in the Fan District. She later moved to Lafayette Street where she established one of Richmond’s finest dining destinations. Today, her name is synonymous with delicious food through Stella’s Markets located downtown and in Manchester, on River Road, in Scott’s Addition, Westhampton, and Westover Hills. Thus the matriarch of Richmond restaurants lives on.