U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
SAYLES
Barbara A. Sayles, 54, of Richmond, passed away July 9, 2002. She is survived by her husband, Jerry A. Sayles; two daughters, Brenda Guill and her friend, Wesley Dodd and Linda Guill and her husband, Charles Guill; one grandchild, Brittany Lee Guill, all of Drakes Branch; her father, Carl Cook of Richmond; two brothers, Harold Cook of Richmond and James Cook of Lawrenceville. Graveside services 2 p.m. Friday (today) at Dale Memorial Park.
SEEBER
James Bird Seeber, 59, of Richmond, died July 11, 2002. His remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Home's Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Road, where the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday (today). A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated 11 a.m. Saturday at the Church of the Epiphany. Interment Sunset Memorial Park.
SHELTON
William Lee Shelton departed this life on July 11, 2002. Arrangements by: CHILES PLEASE VISIT WWW.CHILESFUNERALHOME.COM
SIMMS
Ms. Florence E. (Jackie) Simms of Richmond departed this life Wednesday, July 10, 2002. Remains rest at the Mimms Funeral Home, 19th and Hull Streets. Funeral notice later.
SMELLEY
Virginia A. Smelley of South Hill died July 11, 2002. Survived by her mother, Alice C. Adams of LaCrosse; two daughters, Mary Alice Hazlewood and husband, Wiley and Virginia S. Haskins and husband, Lynn, all of South Hill; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Predeceased by a son, William A. "Billy" Smelley. Service Saturday 11 a.m. in Crowder-Hite-Crews Funeral Home. Interment LaCrosse Cemetery. Visitation Friday 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions to LaCrosse Baptist Church, P.O. Box 40, LaCrosse, Va. 23950. Online condolences to www.crowderhitecrews.com.
SMITH
Vergie Ella
Smith entered eternal rest on July 11, 2002 after an extended illness. She is survived by her loving and faithful husband, Roy L. Smith; her daughter, Brenda Walton and husband, Scott; grandchildren, James, Chris and Ashley; one son, Jeffrey and wife, Dianna; granddaughter, Hannah; three stepgrandchildren, Patsy, Christopher and Charles; three great-grandchildren. Her remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Home's Chippenham Chapel, 6900 Hull Street Rd., where the family will receive friends Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., and where funeral services will be held Saturday 12:30 p.m. Interment Washington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Lung Association of Virginia, 9221 Forest Hill Ave., Richmond, Va. 23235.
STEELE
Wade Hampton Steele Jr., 84, of Concord, went to be with the Lord, Wednesday, July 10, 2002. He was a former co-owner of J.W. Wood Wholesale Distributor, traveling for them for 47 years. He is survived by his wife, Judith "Billie" Carson Steele; two children, W. Hampton Steele III and Gloria S. Winston; a sister, Margaret S. Jones; and five grandchildren. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, July 13, 2002 in Calvary Baptist Church, with burial following in Concord Cemetery. Robinson Funeral Home, Appomattox.
THOMPSON
Gay Frith Thompson, 60, of Roanoke, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 11, 2002, at her home. She was a native of Bramwell, W.Va. and a member of Colonial Avenue Baptist Church from 1968 to 1998 and a member of Windsor Hills United Methodist Church since 1998. Gay was predeceased by her father, Jack Earl Frith and is survived by her husband, Branan G. Thompson Jr. of Roanoke; her mother, Lillian Goins Frith of Rocky Mount; two sons and their partners, Scott Thompson and Jim Duplissie of Portland, Maine, John Thompson and Todd Yoggy of Richmond; a sister and her husband, Wanda and E.J.
Smith of Rocky Mount; a brother and his wife, Wayne and Jo Frith of Hopewell. Mrs. Thompson was a graduate of Westhampton College of the University of Richmond and completed additional graduate studies at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. She enjoyed being on the staff of Family Services of the Roanoke Valley during her fourteen years there, and had been Director of Marketing and Admissions at the Roanoke United Methodist Home since 1990. Gay was a strong advocate of human rights. Mrs. Thompson stated "In the midst of living with cancer, I learned increased joy in family, travel, friends, dancing, going to the beach and sitting on the dock. And a strong faith became stronger." A memorial celebration will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday from Windsor Hills United Methodist Church with Dr. Bud Davis and Dr. Kirk Lashley officiating. Interment will be private. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Oakey's South Chapel and also at a reception in Windsor Hall immediately following the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Branan G. Thompson Scholarship Fund at Colonial Avenue Baptist Church, 4165 Colonial Avenue, SW, Roanoke, Va. 24018 or Good Samaritan Hospice, 3825 Electric Road, SW, Suite 19, Roanoke, Va. 24018.
THURSTON
Departed this life July 11, 2002, Sarah Thurston, of Mineral, Va. Her remains rest at the Henry W. Dabney Funeral Home, 518 N. Washington Hwy., Ashland, Va. McCarthy, Director.
WILLIAMS
Homegoing services for John C.
Williams will be 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13, 2002 from the Calvary Baptist Church, Christchurch, Va., with the Rev. Paul S. Pleasants officating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. He is survived by three sisters, Camilla A. Williams, Juliette W. Holmes (Milton) and Wanda L. Williams, all of Philadelphia, Pa.; three brothers, Theodore
Williams Jr. (Chong) of Widefield, Colo., Reginald A.
Williams Sr. (Lorraine) of Locust Hill, Va. and Rodney D.
Williams (Sarita) of Somerset, N.J.; and a special cousin, Lois K. Lofton. The family will assemble at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Reginald A.
Williams Sr. at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday. Professional services entrusted to White-Tidewater Funeral Home, Jamaica, Va.
WOODSON
Mary Jane Jennings Woodson, 84, of Richmond, died Monday, July 8, 2002. She is survived by her stepdaughter, Winifred Woodson Stribling and her husband, Bradley; her son-in-law, Glenn Walters; two grandchildren, Thomas Edwin Walters and Sarah Louise Stribling. Her remains rest at the Bliley Funeral Home's Staples Mill Chapel, 8510 Staples Mill Rd., where the family will receive friends 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Friday at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Forest Hill Ave. and W. 43rd St.
Rhoda R. Thalhimer dies
Generosity aided VCU and Maymont
Mar 25, 2003
Rhoda Rubin Thalhimer, whose generosity and devotion aided many Richmond institutions including Virginia Commonwealth University and Maymont, died Monday at her home in Marco Island, Fla.
She and her husband, Charles G. Thalhimer, retired vice chairman of Thalhimers Department Stores, maintained their primary home in Richmond.
"Rhoda was a very able woman, a woman of intellect who took an interest in any community in which she lived," said longtime friend and fellow civic leader, Mary Tyler McClenahan.
"She was a person with a rare gift for friendship. If she was your friend, she was your friend always. It was a privilege to know her."
Mrs. Thalhimer, 81, began a lifelong association with VCU when she was appointed to the board of the former Richmond Professional Institute in 1962. Her service included the era of the school's merger with the Medical College of Virginia, which created the university in 1968. She remained on the university's board until 1972, then served again from 1974 to 1985.
For her service and dedication, the university honored her with the Presidential Medallion and the Wayne Medal.
The Thalhimers were inducted into VCU's athletic hall of fame for their support of the tennis program including a gift to construct the school's tennis courts.
Mrs. Thalhimer was an avid collector of art, including paintings, American furniture and French animal bronzes. She gave several pieces to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Together the Thalhimers established an art purchase fund at the museum and endowed the Rhoda Thalhimer Chair in Art History at VCU.
Dr. Robert Hobbs, who has held the chair since 1991, said Mrs. Thalhimer would be remembered for a tremendous sense of humor and a great public spirit.
"In addition to her incisive intelligence and her no-nonsense reasoning, she set very high standards for herself and others. She was a marvelous force in Richmond," said Hobbs.
Mrs. Thalhimer was the first president of the Maymont Foundation in 1973 and continued the Thalhimer family's long-standing relationship with the city park. She was named a life trustee in 1995.
"The restoration of Maymont, its buildings and gardens, would not have taken place without her involvement," said Geoffrey Platt Jr., executive director of the Maymont Foundation. "She was a major force. She was instrumental in the whole movement to create the foundation."
Mrs. Thalhimer was particularly interested in the park's animal habitats and children's programs, he added. She and her husband helped establish the Children's Farm. The popular otter exhibit at the Nature Center is named in the couple's honor.
The first woman to be elected president of the Beth Shalom Home of Virginia, she was also president of Jewish Family Services. With her husband, she co-chaired the Jewish Community Federation's Operation Exodus, an effort to aid the resettlement of Russian Jews.
Her work also included service on boards and committees for the Carpenter Center, the MCV Hospitality House, the Shepherd's Center, the YWCA and the United Way.
Before coming to Richmond, Mrs. Thalhimer worked in public relations for the entertainment industry in New York. She was a graduate of Adelphi University.
In addition to her husband, survivors include two sons, Charles G. Thalhimer Jr. and Harry R. Thalhimer, both of Richmond; a daughter, Ellen T. Holland of Atlanta; her brother, Martin J. Rubin of Ferrington Village, N.C.; and six grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Monday at Congregation Beth Ahabah.
ALFORD
Cousar Alford Jr. of Richmond departed this life April 6, 2001. Remains rest at the Mimms Funeral Home, 19th and Hull Sts. Funeral notice later.
ARD
James Oliver Ard, age 68, died April 15, 2001. He is survived by two daughters, Peggy Faile of Emporia and Diane Schmidt of Judsonia, Ark.; two sons, Carroll D. Stevenson of Flowery Branch, Ga., and Tony Ard of Judsonia, Ark.; three sisters, Doralee Dunn and Mary Garrison, both of Warm Springs, Ga., and Sarah Webb of Columbus, Ga.; three brothers, Fred Ard of Denver, Colo., Daniel Ard of Fayetteville, Ga., and Dillard Ard Jr. of Panama City, Fla.; six grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted 11 a.m. Thursday, April 19, at the Echols Funeral Home Chapel, Emporia, with interment to follow in the Emporia Cemetery. Family will receive at the residence Wednesday (tonight) 7 to 8:30 p.m.
BARNES
Departed this life April 13, 2001, Mrs. Grace Q. Barnes of Richmond, Va. She is survived by her husband, Earl Barnes; four nieces, Mary Ann Champ, Barbara Jones, Bertha Thorne and Marlena Jones; two nephews, Ronnie and Donnie Jones; two great-nieces, Debra and Kimberly Jenkins; one cousin, Hallie B. Boisseou; two sisters-in-law, Doris Fletcher and Eva Mae Barnes; two brothers-in-law, Theodore Fletcher and Lawrence Barnes; and other relatives and friends. Remains rest at Joseph Jenkins Jr. Funeral Home, 2011 Grayland Ave. Funeral Thursday, 1 p.m., at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 913 N. First St., where remains will lie in state one hour prior funeral time. Family and friends assemble at the church 12:45 p.m. Thursday. Interment Riverview Cemetery.
