TJ Class of 1965

- Richmond, Virginia -

Ronald Shaw Reflects

At the TJ Class of 1965's brunch on Sunday, October 3, 2010, I spoke about Johnny Squire (a fellow Black classmate who is deceased), who encouraged me and other Black students at Maggie L. Walker High School (MLWHS) to test Richmond, VA's "open school enrollment policy" in 1963. Our target high school was Thomas Jefferson High School. There was only one Black student there during the 1962-1963 school year out of a total student body population of approximately 2,000.

...My two years at TJ were very uneventful (a very good thing). Our fellow students treated us with the same respect as any other student. I can't say that we had an active social life there, but we really didn't expect that. Attending TJ was like a job. We attended TJ for an education, and that is what we received (and, after becoming an adult with a wide range of experience and exposure, I discovered how great an education I obtained from TJ)...

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January 5, 2012 - Town & Village - Stuyvesant Town in NYC

"9/11 memorial is for New Yorkers, too, says Stuyvesant Town volunteer [Cheryl Sporn Gross] ...

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WALKER, Benjamin Harrison III, 67, of Richmond, passed away Monday, April 23, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Holzbach Walker; brother, J. Sterling Walker and his wife, Mary Hardin, of Hilton Head, S.C.; nephew, Bradford Harrison Walker of Charleston, S.C.; and uncle, Wm. Howard Walker and his wife, Sally, of Walkerton, Va. Mr. Walker was a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served in Vietnam. He was a Purple Heart recipient. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 3215 Cutshaw Avenue. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in Hollywood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kan. 66675.

Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch on April 25, 2012

ALSTON, Charles Allen Jr., 92, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2012. Born in Richmond on November 19, 1919, he attended John Marshall High School where he met the love of his life, Katherine Marie Bassett. They were married in 1940 and raised three children in Richmond's West End. Katherine preceded him in death, dying in 2001, after 61 years of marriage. During World War II, he worked for DuPont in south Richmond. Throughout his life he often talked about his experiences there. Following the war, he left DuPont and went to work for the American Oil Company where he worked until his retirement. In his final years, he always endeared himself to his caretakers with his sense of humor and his frequent expressions of appreciation for their care. He is survived by his children, Charlotte Marie Chandler, Richard Allen Alston and his wife, Patricia, and Lynda Alston Bare and her husband, Doug, all of Richmond. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Christopher Alston and his wife, Krista of Richmond, Katherine Winckler and her husband, Richard, also of Richmond, Julie Wargo and her husband, Steve, of Laurel, Maryland, Gary Alston and his wife, Jennifer, of Hanover, Virginia and Andrew Chandler and his wife, Sarah, of Richmond. He is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren, Charles Alston, Jack Alston, Chris Winckler, Alex Winckler, Kinsley Wargo, Carson Wargo, Rebecca Alston, Josh Alston, Grace Alston and Preston Chandler. The family wishes to express its sincere thanks to Medi Home, Health and Hospice and to the administrators, caregivers and other staff of Parkside at Beth Sholom. A private graveside ceremony is planned at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Parkside Assisted Living at Beth Sholom in honor of Charles Alston, 1550 John Rolfe Parkway, Richmond, Virginia 23238.

MANDEL, Harriette Klaff, passed away on Monday, April 2, 2012. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Benjamin Mandel. A native of Norfolk, Va., she worked for many years as a bookkeeper for Drug Mart Company and Perl Distributing. She is survived by her children, Rhona and Irving Blank and Barbara and Michael Mandel; her grandchildren, Lisa and Rick Looney, Susan and Jonathan Blank of Charlottesville, Va., Jodi and Jordan Hirschfield of Atlanta, Ga., and Jennifer and Matthew Mandel of Gaithersburg, Md.; her sister-in-law, Irene Blum; and her brother-in-law, Abe Mandel, both of Norfolk; and many loving nieces and nephews. Harriette lived to enjoy all of her nine great-grandchildren, Lev and Ari Looney, Noah and Emmy Hirschfield, Ryan Mandel and Madeline, Alexandra, Caroline and Isabel Blank. A long-standing member of Temple Beth-El, funeral services will be held at the Chapel at Richmond Beth-El Cemetery at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Tuesday, April 3 at 11 a.m. A special thank you to her devoted friend, Trinidad Serrano; and the wonderful caregivers. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Beth Shalom Life Care Community, or the Sam Brooke Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 800168, Charlottesville, Va. 22908.

FEIBISH, Lillian Cohen, 90, passed away March 28, 2012. Born May 7, 1921, in Richmond, to Louis and Molly Cohen, she was predeceased by her husband, Hyman R. Feibish; daughter, Carol Feibish; and sisters, Ruth Meyerhoffer, Blanche Shapiro and Jean Barley. She was a lifetime member of Hadassah, and a longtime member of the Jewish Community Center and Keneseth Beth Israel. She volunteered at the Beth Sholom Home, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Lillian and her husband were proprietors of several neighborhood grocery stores, the last being Budget Food Store, from which they retired and then divided their time between Boca Raton, Fla., and Richmond. "Bubbie" delighted in making her opinions known, in telling stories about long-ago Richmond, and in talking to anyone, about anything. She loved her large extended family dearly, and enjoyed being the most senior member of the Cohen Family Club. For the last four years, she was an active resident of Beth Sholom Gardens. She is survived by her children, Marlene Feibish Hutcher (Gary) of Greenville, S.C., Ronnie Feibish Thomas of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., David S. Feibish (Pam) of Richmond, Barbara Rae Feibish of Wellington, Fla., and Terri Lynn Gilleece of Fort Lauderdale; grandchildren, Andrew M. Hutcher (Gayle), Holly Hutcher-Shamir (Nachum), Ashley S. Feibish, Monica R. Marcello and Martha J. Gilleece; and great-grandchildren, Jordan H. Shamir, Alexandra M. Shamir and Lilly A. Hutcher. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Bliley's-Central, 3801 Augusta Ave. Interment to follow at Sir Moses Montifiore Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the American Lung Association or to Keneseth Beth Israel.

HIND, John Raithel, grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He was graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1971 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. In 1973, he obtained a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering with a specialty in Computer Science and Applications, also from VPI. He was in the first (and very small) class of this newly created specialty. At the time, computer science was only just beginning to emerge into the academic mainstream. He is survived by his daughter, Laura Lindsay Hind, his daughter's beloved guide dog, Apollo, who loved John and kept vigil to the end; his sister, Eleanor Hind Smith, of Portland, Maine; sister-in-law, Martha Clark Goss, of Hopewell, New Jersey; and lifelong friends, M. Johns Gray III, of Richmond, Va. and Thomas Gee of Clifton, Virginia. His beloved wife of 33 years, Virginia Clark Hind, passed away in July of 2010. John had a lifelong interest in electronics that evolved into computer software development that led to a 35-year career at IBM during which he became a Senior Programmer, was recognized as a "Master Inventor" and received over 200 patents. Approximately half were international patents. In December, 2010, he received the "Thirty-Second Plateau Invention Achievement Award" from IBM. When John was much younger, he worked as a consultant for the Navy and helped salvage a computer system that had stumped 19 prior "experts". After six months, he got it working and then told the Navy to scrap it and start fresh. It was a testament to his brilliance and stubbornness. He had an extraordinary capacity to put the technical and the complex into intelligible English. Despite his capabilities, John was always approachable and willing to assist others both professionally or personally. John was always interested in the future and its vast possibilities, a trait that soon led him to the speculative world of science fiction. He was an avid fan of Star Trek, attending numerous of its conventions with his daughter, Laura and his best friends, Tom Gee and Johns Gray. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 2 p.m. in the Mausoleum Chapel of Raleigh Memorial Park. Flowers will be accepted, however, memorials may be made to the ASPCA, or a charity of one's choice in memory of John. Condolences to the family at MitchellatRMP.com.

Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch on February 19, 2012

ABBOTT, Stephen J., 64, of Powhatan, passed away on February 16, 2012. He was an active member of the ACCA Shriners since 1974. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Acree (CA) Abbott. Steve was a loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Ruth Ann; children, Stephen J Abbott Jr. (Cameron), David Christopher Abbott and Stephen H. Goodwin II (Tina) of Texas; mother, Nancye Jones Abbott of Richmond; brother, Charles (Terry); many grandchildren, Brendan Cole, Harrison Scott, Katherynn Tayte Abbott of Texas, Emily and Carey Goodwin of Fort Hood, Texas. A graveside service will be conducted Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11 a.m. in Westhampton Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Fine Creek No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department, 1825 Huguenot Trail, Powhatan, Va. 23139.

Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch on February 19, 2012

“65 does 60” Birthday Party

FOSTER, Harry Holland Jr., 89, of Richmond, passed away Wednesday, January 25, 2012. He is survived by two daughters, Susan F. Stanley and her husband, Harry P. Stanley, and Eileen F. Beane and her husband, Albert T. Beane Jr.; four grandchildren, Sarah M. Buss and her husband, David, Elizabeth L. Muse, A. Tyson Beane III and Ellen W. Beane; a great- granddaughter, Hartley G. Buss; and his brother, William C. Foster and his wife, Angela. Mr. Foster was preceded in death by Hilda W. Foster; and his sister, Betty M. Foster. He was proud of his service in the Army during World War II, and of his career as an architect. The family will receive friends 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Central Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 3215 Cutshaw Ave. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Monday, January 30, at Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Interment will follow in Westhampton Memorial Park. Parking for the service will be available on the perimeter of Monroe Park. Memorial contributions may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, 1503 Michaels Road, Richmond, Va. 23229, where he had been a resident for 12 years.

Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch from January 27 to January 29, 2012

WALKER, "Sonny" Charles Joseph, 66, passed away January 17, 2012. He was born in Richmond and proud to be from Byrd Park. He was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, where he was an outstanding left-handed pitcher for the baseball team. He retired after 35 years with the U.S. Postal Service. Sonny is survived by his beloved wife of 44 years who was his childhood sweetheart, best friend and soul mate, Shelia Katz Walker. He is also survived by his cherished daughter, Amy Walker Delony; son-in-law, Kevin L. Delony; his greatest joys, his grandchildren, Rachel and Connor Delony; his sister, Linda Waldron and family; and many devoted friends and adopted family. Services will be held 2 p.m. on Friday, January 20, at Bliley's-Staples Mill, 8510 Staples Mill Road, followed by entombment at Greenwood Memorial Park.

STRATTON, James Norman, 64, of Richmond, departed this life on December 31, 2011, surrounded by his family. His death was the result of complications with lung cancer. He was predeceased by his parents, William R. and Opal F. Stratton. Jim was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. He proudly served his country for 11 years in the U.S. Army, three of which he volunteered for duty in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star and Air Medal for his actions in combat. He was most proud of being a "Trooper" with the First Cavalry Division. He was last employed with Nelsen Funeral Home. He loved sitting on his boat fishing and spending time with friends and family. His smile and cheerful disposition will be missed by all. Surviving are his brother, William M. Stratton and his fiancée, Jennie B. Huffman, of Richmond; "The Huffanets," whom he considered his nieces, Tara, Haylee, Page and Sydney, of Richmond; an aunt, Naomi F. Bowes of Richmond; and several cousins and friends. A celebration of his life will be held on January 14, 2012, 4:30 p.m., at Sitter-Barfoot Veterans Care Center, 1601 Broad Rock Blvd., Richmond, Va. The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the 1st Cavalry Division Association, 302 N. Main, Copperas Cove, Texas 76522-1703, or a Vietnam veterans association, and remember to thank any veteran you may meet for their service to our country.

Published in Richmond Times-Dispatch on January 12 to January 13, 2012