OBITUARIES | Death Notices & Funerals MEADE, Earl D., 81, of Mechanicsville, went to be with the Lord on Monday, September 14, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Janice G. Meade; three children, Gail M. Godfrey, Angela
D. Eller (Will) and John D. Meade (Jacquelyn); four grandchildren, Andrew (April) and Josh Godfrey, Johnathan and Faith Meade; three greatgrandchildren, Raelynn, Carson and Avery; a brother,
ur O g n r! ati Yea r leb rd Ce 1 23
A 123 Year Tradition of Caring
8014 Lee-Davis Road, Mechanicsville • 746-8665 www.bennettfuneralhomes.com
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Bennett Funeral Home was established in 1897 to serve the needs of Richmond families. Since then, this locally owned and operated business has continued to serve the community with its unique combination of caring and convenience. This tradition of excellence can be seen in four beautiful chapels located throughout the Richmond area: centrally located on Cutshaw Avenue in the city, on Broad Street Road past Innsbrook, on Ashbrook Pkwy. in Chesterfield and serving the Hanover-Mechanicsville area on Lee-Davis Road. All four facilities are under the personal direction of Charles D. Morehead, President. In a time of need, you can turn to Bennett Funeral Home with trust and confidence. It serves families of all faiths with personal service – before, during and after. There is a long tradition of professionalism and caring. One way in which Bennett cares for families is by offering a convenient and personalized pre-need program. Through this program of pre-need planning, you can spare your loved ones the burden of making decisions at an emotional time. Call Bennett Funeral Home at 746-8665 to schedule a pre-planning consultation.
Charles D. Morehead, President and General Manager, stands next to the portrait of Alphonso Winston Bennett, Founder-President 1897-1933. Now in its second Century, with 123 years of operation, Bennett Funeral Home continues its quality service in a compassionate local atmosphere.
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The Mechanicsville Local
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Bruce Meade; and three sisters, Shirley Hill, Shelva Meade and Sue Martin; also numerous nieces and nephews. Earl was a loving Christian husband and a great father. He retired from Westvaco and afterward drove a Hanover County School Bus for many years. He was a member of Meadowood Church of God for many years and a lover of gospel music. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, at the Atlee Chapel, Woody Funeral Home, 9271 Shady Grove Road. A graveside service will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday, at Signal Hill Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Meadowood Church of God, 325 Azalea Avenue, Richmond, Va. 23227. Online condolences at www. woodyfuneralhomeatlee.com.
MUDD, Robert Gardiner “Bobby.” Bobby Mudd, 75, a lifelong Richmond resident and beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother and friend to so many, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, September 6, 2020. He leaves his wife of 53 years, Blair, to cherish him. Bobby was a gifted artist, a talented chef, a winning fisherman who occasionally exaggerated his catch-
September 23, 2020
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es, a Sudoku master, a collector of rods and reels and broken lawn mowers and just about anything else. He was a modern day Renaissance man who loved Hershey bars, caffeine free Diet Coke, Doritos and his family, although not necessarily in that order. He was also a tough but loving dad to Randy, Tommy and Brian. And he was Granddaddy/BopBop to his 10 grandchildren. He could fix anything or at least fiddle and fool with it until it was functional again. Bobby relied on his vast collection of spices and seasonings to whip up gourmet meals for his family, although his 10 grandchildren always looked forward to the specialty of the house when they visited hot dogs, mac and cheese and applesauce. He loved his grandchildren fiercely and was immensely proud of them, whether they were winning high school cross country races, hooking a big fish at their house in Mathews County, getting a perfect report card or following in his footsteps by creating beautiful art. He loved painting landscapes of rolling hills, river scenes, abstract oils. Some of his favorite pieces hang in his own private art space in the basement of his home in Mechanicsville. He and Blair spent hours together creating masterpieces with their friends with the Rivah Rat Painters group in Mathews. Bobby was
born and raised in Richmond, just as his parents were. He met the love of his life, Blair, when they swam together for the Ginter Park Pool swim team. Bobby also was a proud Eagle Scout. Bobby and Blair both graduated from John Marshall High School, and then he went on to pursue degree in architecture at the University of Virginia. He worked at Fluor Daniel for 20 years and then at Circuit City until he retired in 2008. He traveled often but always came home in time to see every one of his three boys’ football and basketball games. Bobby had a rumbling voice and a wide grin that commanded attention. He was kind and creative, and he loved life and all its joys especially his family. He will be missed dearly and celebrated often by his wife, Blair; his three sons, Randy (Kristin) of Mechanicsville, Tommy (Regan) of Midlothian and Brian (Paige) of Mechanicsville. His grandchildren will continue to make Bobby proud through all of their achievements. They are all Mudds through and through: Andrew, Rachel, Daniel, Courtney, Beau, Dylan, Whitney, Presley, Townshend and Campbell. He is also survived by his brothers, Dick Mudd (Donna) and Bill (Gladys); and many nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, September 30 at 11 a.m. at Mechanicsville Christian Center, 8061 Shady Grove Road, Mechanicsville. Masks are required. NORMAN, Joseph Henry Jr., 85, of Mechanicsville, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on September 15, 2020. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy. He is survived by his sons, David (Susan), Gary (Stacia), Steve
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(Karol) and Rob; 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; brother, Dr. Robert Daniel Norman; and a very close family friend, Donnie Statzer. Joe devoted his life to his family, friends and community. He had a lifelong career as a professional structural engineer where he was one of the founding principals of Harris, Norman & Giles Consulting Engineers in Richmond, and president of Hanover Engineers. He served his community as a former member of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors, a Deacon at Mechanicsville Baptist Church and as a mentor to many young men as a former Boy Scout Leader and Scoutmaster for Troop 544 in Mechanicsville. The family received friends on Sunday, September 20, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mechanicsville Chapel of the Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Rd., where a funeral service was held on Monday, September 21, at 3 p.m. VIRTUAL ONLINE SERVICE may be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/y28ojbnh. Interment followed in Walnut Grove Baptist Church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cornerstone Food Bank, 8270 Richmond Tappahannock Hwy., Aylett, Va. 23009 or to Feedmore, 1415 Rhoadmiller see OBITUARIES, pg. 11
