Suffolk Living September-October 2019

suffolklivingmag.com

History IN SCHOOL AND IN THE FIELD

september/october 2019 • vol. 10, no. 5

2 suffolk living

If your pet had a medical emergency, would you know where to go?

757.935.9111

When minutes count – count on The COVE. A world-class 24/7 animal emergency and specialty hospital – in your own backyard.

Advanced care by referral: + Cardiology + ER/Critical Care + Dentistry + Surgery Located 1/4 mile from Hwy 664 N. @ College Drive exit.

6550 Hampton Roads Pkwy, #113 • Suffolk, VA 23435 • thecovevets.com Jeff Stallings, DVM, DACVS • Merrilee Small, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) Jacqueline Nobles, DVM, DACVECC • Colleen Fox, DVM

suffolk living 3

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN US....

LOCALS CHOICE

2018

LOCALS CHOICE

2018

FEATURE

16

The Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery is a veritable history lesson all its own, not to mention an important resting place for thousands of U.S. veterans.

CONTENTS sept - oct | 2019 14

WHERE AM I? | Think you know Suffolk well? Then see if you can identify this photo.

Advertising rates and information available upon request.

Subscriptions are $20 annually in-state; $25 annually out-of-state; $30 for international subscriptions.

Please make checks payable to Suffolk Publications, LLC P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439

12 In the News

The Nansemond Indian Nation’s 31st powwow took place in August, bringing together people of all races for a celebration of culture.

ON THE COVER suffolklivingmag.com

History IN SCHOOL AND IN THE FIELD

History lesson

20 Local schools named after historic figures provide a history lesson as soon as students walk in the doors.

september/october 2019 • vol. 10, no. 5

By John H. Sheally II

editor's note sept - oct

2019

All about the history Sometimes, it’s just all about the history.

School started again in recent weeks for local youngsters, and their schedules are filled with all

EDITORIAL

sorts of classes. They have the intense STEM subjects, science and math and computers; the old

Tracy Agnew Editor

mainstays, reading and writing; health and physical education, which helps them keep their bodies

Alex Perry Writer & Photographer

out on their own.

Jen Jaqua Photographer

working right; and even personal finance, which is a vital skill as soon as they graduate and head But let’s not forget history.

In this edition of Suffolk Living Magazine, there’s a lot of history.

Several local schools are named after prominent leaders both

Jimmy LaRoue Writer

national and local. In this edition, we were able to feature two of

news@suffolklivingmag.com

superintendent of Suffolk Public Schools; and a national leader,

ADVERTISING

Booker T. Washington, who was an influential educator, reformer

Earl Jones Marketing Consultant

and one of the founders of what’s now Tuskegee University.

Lindsay Richardson Marketing Consultant

the school, which have inspired generations of students and will

Kandyce Kirkland Marketing Consultant

read about them starting on page 20.

Amanda Gwaltney Marketing Consultant sales@suffolklivingmag.com

PRODUCTION Troy Cooper Designer

ADMINISTRATION

them: a local leader, Mack Benn Jr., the first African American

Both schools have notable memorials to their namesakes within continue to inspire, we hope, for generations to come. You can Over at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, there is a lot of history.

More than 12,000 veterans of the United States military and their family members are interred at the cemetery, and an expansion is under way to ensure there will be room for all those who would like to take advantage of this benefit they earned through their service.

You can read about the cemetery, and an interesting story of one veteran buried there, on page 16.

Now that summer is history, we hope you enjoy the beginning of autumn and all it has to offer.

We’re always looking for your submissions to help us make Suffolk Living better. We need you

John Carr Publisher

for story ideas, submissions for the Through The Lens and On Vacation features, guesses for the

Cathy Daughtrey Business Manager

suffolklivingmag.com.

Hope Rose Production

Where Am I? feature and any other suggestions you may have. Please send these items to news@

God bless.

Tracy Agnew, Editor

Suffolk Living is published six times per year by Suffolk Publications, LLC. P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 www.suffolklivingmag.com • (757) 539-3437

suffolk living 7

8 suffolk living

what to do Send us your news To submit your calendar or news item, simply email it to: news@suffolklivingmag.com

Way Down Wanderers OCTOBER 4

The Way Down Wanderers and Good Morning Nags will perform from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave. The opening act Good Morning Nags is a roots-country band that finds inspiration in traditional American folk music as well as more contemporary styles. The Way Down Wanderers are often referred to by fans as one of the hardest-working, hardest-touring bands on the circuit today.

The five-piece Illinois-based act not only proves that classification with their jampacked tour schedule but also on stage every night with youthful exuberance and a lively stage show, as reliable as it is infectious. Tickets are $25 to $35; visit www. suffolkcenter.org or call 923-2900.

suffolk living 9

what to do

THROUGH OCTOBER 18

“Art of the Functional” will be on display at the Suffolk Art Gallery. This invitational exhibit highlights the art of functionality with handmade textile works, hanging ceramic birdfeeders and turned wooden vessels, to name a few. Artists include Tom Wessells, Sam Warren, Ed Francis, Phil Guilfoyle, Linda Bunch, Beth Netts and Angelia Armstrong.

The Suffolk Art Gallery, 118 Bosley Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

All exhibits are free and open to the public.

THROUGH OCTOBER 25

“Beauty Beneath the Bark” by the Tidewater Turners will be on display at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave. The exhibit is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesdays through Saturdays. It is free and open to the public. A demonstration day will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 21. Visit www.suffolkcenter.org for more information.

SEPTEMBER 15

The 11th annual Mutt Strut Dog Walk and Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bennett’s Creek Park, 3000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. The biggest fundraiser of the year for Suffolk Humane Society

will showcase new pet-related activities and fun for the entire family, including the four-legged members. Adoptable pets, a Frosty Paws eating contest, dog talent show, lure coursing, agility course, silent auction, dog and kid playing areas, The Deloreans playing live music, vendors and more will be on site. Visit suffolkhumanesociety.com for more information.

SEPTEMBER 19

Poetry, Prose and Pizza will be held at the Suffolk Art Gallery, 118 Bosley Ave., from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Hosted by poet and writer Nathan Richardson, writers, spoken word artists, musicians and more are invited to participate. All are invited to come and listen.

The event is free and open to the public.

SEPTEMBER 21

SPARC Fest in downtown Suffolk will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event held by the SPARC (Suffolk’s Premier Art, Retail and Cultural) Initiative is free and open to the public and will feature the unveiling of the South Main Street Train Station public art project, live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, activities, beer garden, face painting and local businesses featured. Visit SPARCVA.com or call 809-3229 for more

information.

SEPTEMBER 28

Riddick’s Folly House Museum, 510 N. Main St., will have an American Girl program featuring Rebecca Rubin. Rebecca, born in 1905, is from a Jewish family that immigrated from Russia and maintain their family heritage. There will be three sittings at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Space is limited to 20 girls per sitting, and reservations are required. Ages 5-12 are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult. Call 9340822 or email riddicksfolly@verizon.net for reservations.

OCTOBER 3

The Suffolk Peanut Fest Queen’s Banquet will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront, produced by the Pilot Club of Suffolk. The Peanut Festival queen is selected from among local high school ladies based on a creative writing essay, school activities, awards and achievements and community involvement.

Tickets are $30 each and must be purchased in advance at outlets including the Suffolk Visitor Center and Cecelia’s Boutique & Gifts.

LOOKING FOR A BANK

WHO LISTENS? This personal approach to banking is what our customers and community members have come to expect for the past 100 years.

Farmers Bank is proud to be a community partner — proving that prompt and courteous service never goes out of style.

We hear you and we’re here to help.

FARMERS BANK C E L E B R AT I N G 1 0 0 Y E A R S

farmersbankva.com • 757-242-6111

10 suffolk living OCTOBER 10-13

The Suffolk Peanut Fest will take place at the Suffolk Executive Airport Thursday through Sunday. The 42nd anniversary of the festival will feature the traditional Suffolk Ruritan Club Shrimp Feast, Demolition Derby, the Suffolk Mud Jam, four days of live music, carnival food and rides, vendors and more. For more information, visit www.suffolkpeanutfest.com.

Second Saturdays in Downtown Suffolk

OCTOBER 12

Second Saturdays in Downtown Suffolk will be held by the SPARC (Suffolk’s Premier Art, Retail and Cultural) Initiative. Second Saturdays offers the opportunity to tour more than 20 artist studios, some with demonstrations; browse the SPARC Shoppe, an artisan retail sales gallery featuring handmade items by local artists; free art activities; and more. The open-air market at the Courthouse Park next to the SPARC Shoppe, 126 N. Main St., will feature vendors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; SPARC Shoppe will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; an artisan demonstration will take place at the SPARC Shoppe from 1 to 5 p.m., with light refreshments; and OnePast7 Studios, 100 N. Main St., will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Visit SPARCVA.com or call 809-3229 for more information.

OCTOBER 26

The Suffolk Art League’s Annual Juried Exhibition will be on display from Oct. 26

to Dec. 6. The Suffolk Art Gallery, 118 Bosley Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

All exhibits are free and open to the public.

Suffolk Living All Year

Six times a year in Suffolk

Subscribe and you can get Suffolk Living delivered to your door six times a year. Don’t miss out.

for

$20

Out-of-state subscriptions

for

$25

suffolk living 11

through the lens: Dora Breaux

D

ora Breaux is a New York City native who currently resides in Suffolk and has a photography studio in Virginia Beach. She is a wife, mother of three boys and a veteran. She does a wide range of professional photography, including weddings, high school senior, maternity and family shoots. We’re always looking for amateur and professional photographers who want to share their views of Suffolk.

If you’d like to have your work considered, send an email to news@ suffolklivingmag.com.

12 suffolk living

in the news

Powwow draws large crowd

Story by Tracy Agnew Photo by Troy Cooper

T

he 31st annual powwow hosted by the Nansemond Indian Nation enjoyed robust turnout on Aug. 17-18, despite high temperatures that curtailed some of the activities.

The traditional dancing ended slightly early on Saturday due to the effects of the heat, but the powwow still welcomed thousands that day as well as Sunday.

“It just keeps growing,” said Nikki Bass, a tribal council member. “I know it’s hard to be in the heat, but people keep showing support, and we love it.”

Regular attendees and first-time visitors enjoyed traditional dancing by dancers in colorful regalia, led by Daniel Gear Jr. and Leah Fortune, moving to the beat of drum groups, Stoney Creek and War Paint. The public was invited to join in for some dances, including the children’s candy dance.

Visitors could get food from a number of vendors and browse the art show, shops selling traditional crafts and more. They were able to visit a petting zoo by Dobbins Mini Petting Farm, see inside a replica of an authentic Nansemond dwelling called a yehakin, and learn about how Eastern Virginia Indians made their own materials and tools for hunting, clothing themselves and keeping warm.

“I think the most important thing is to talk to people,” Nikki Bass said. “Meet people.

Learn about what people are doing here.

There’s a lot of attention on the people in the dance arena, but go and talk to everybody.

You’ll find some treasures out there.”

Desmond Ellsworth, who was attending his first powwow since becoming a member of the Nansemond Indian Nation, managed the art show.

“It’s a lot of work being a member and helping the powwow succeed,” he said.

The art show brought in entries from the Nansemonds as well as Osage, Cherokee, Mattaponi and Nottoway, he said.

Ellsworth attributed the large attendance to greater connections in the community.

“The word is getting out, and people are

The Nansemond Indian Patriots Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution increased its membership to 25 with the induction of Keith Anderson and Kalen Anderson at the powwow. more interested in native culture now,” he said.

“And the tribes are interacting with each other more.”

Many at the powwow are Nansemond members or related to the Nansemonds in some way. Tatanka Gibson, a citizen of the Haliwa-Saponi nation who also counts Nansemond in his heritage, came and brought his family.

“I’ve been coming to the Nansemond powwow since I was a little kid,” he said. “A lot of my family is here. The people are great. The place is great.”

For some others, they are not related to the Nansemonds or other tribes, but they enjoy coming to learn.

“I really like the powwow,” said Saleya Scales, 9, who got her grandmother to bring her for the second consecutive year. She said her favorite part was the dancing.

Sandro Villarroel said he was attending his first powwow after coming across videos about powwows on YouTube and becoming interested.

“I connected with the sound of the drums,” he said, adding that he drove all the way from Fairfax to attend the Nansemond powwow. “I

love it.”

At the event, the Nansemond Indian Patriots Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution increased its membership to 25 with the induction of Keith Anderson and Kalen Anderson. About 17 of the members are of Nansemond heritage, said Secretary Joe Vermaelen, and it is the first predominantly Native American chapter of the organization.

Nansemond Chief Sam Bass said he was “elated with the attendance and the people.”

“I believe the citizens in the region are interested, and based on what they have heard, they want to come see for themselves,” he said.

Bass thanked the city of Suffolk for its assistance in putting the event on, as it does every year.

Nikki Bass added that partnerships, with city agencies as well as other community organizations, are growing.

“It’s really blossoming into more and more partnerships throughout Suffolk,” Nikki Bass said. “We have recycling for the first time this year. Kathy Russell helped with that, and I feel really grateful for that. We want to increase our engagement with the tribal community but also with the Suffolk neighbors that we have.”

suffolk living 13

14 suffolk living

where am I?

I

n each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know. We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.

If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to news@suffolklivingmag.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.

So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.

Go out and enjoy Suffolk!

suffolk living 15

SERIOUSLY SASSY GOURMET

FALL IN LOVE WITH OUR

AUTUMN FLAVORS! Cupcakes, Cookies, Cheesecakes and Deliciously Baked Food Stuffs Ways to taste - Order by: 1maddecoratator@gmail.com Send a message to Facebook.com/bitemebakery Place an order at Uncork’d in Historic Downtown Suffolk

Take a BITE today! It’s #SuffolkingSweet!

PERFECT EYEBROWS

MICROBLADING NO MAKE UP • NO MESS UPS

(757) 774-5180 www.skin2ospa.com 5833 Harbour View • Suffolk

OCTOBER 10-13 SuffolkPeanutFest.com

16 suffolk living

A HISTORY LESSON IN THE FIELD

suffolk living 17

H

erbert Horst, a World War II veteran, was one of thousands of military veterans who choose to find their final resting place at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery.

Each year, the 74-acre cemetery averages 1,200 burials, according to Dan Kemano, cemeteries director and a retired U.S. Navy Command Master Chief. Horst was interred on July 29, 2019.

Kemano oversees all three state veterans’ cemeteries in Virginia — one in Dublin, one in Amelia and the one in Suffolk. Suffolk, opened in 2004, is by far the most active.

As the cemetery becomes increasingly known, it is undergoing yet another expansion that will make burial space for 7,000 more veterans and their spouses. Currently the cemetery has 12,000 veterans and family members interred.

Thanks to a $10.2 million federal grant to the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, the 10-acre expansion includes three new burial gardens with 7,108 pre-installed, double-depth burial crypts. The raised gardens have been designed and built with drainage systems. After the crypts are in place and covered with three feet of earth and turf, they can be efficiently accessed as needed, opened for secure burials, closed, re-covered with grass and marked with appropriate stones.

The work at the cemetery also includes a renovated cemetery administration office and a backup power system. Passersby will also notice new wrought-iron fencing lining Milners Road along the cemetery boundary, a wider main gate to facilitate the entrance of larger trucks onto the property and a new stone sign on the corner of Lake Prince and Milners roads.

When Horst enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, his life changed radically from an elite public high school in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the glassSee HEROES page 18

18 suffolk living HEROES continued from page 17

enclosed bombardier’s perch at the nose of a B-29 bomber. He was 18, a slender, hazel-eyed student when he chose to enlist because, according to his son John Horst, Herb had been raised to do the right thing.

The Army recognized Horst’s aptitude for math and science and trained him as a bombardier, a position that required learning celestial navigation as well as mastering the

Norden bombsight. Horst also cross-trained as a navigator.

His service with the 6th Bomb Group of the Army Air Forces took him to Tinian Island, one of three islands from which the United States launched massive aerial attacks on the Japanese islands, leading up to Aug. 6, 1945, when Gen. Paul Tibbets dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

Aboard Horst’s bomber, the Flak Alley Sally, the crew of young airmen quickly established a bond that endured for the rest of their lives, a camaraderie forged through combat and close calls with disaster. From his bombardier’s post, he had a clear view of incoming flak, including one fiery chunk that penetrated his “bubble” and landed at his feet, leaving him unscathed.

Discharged in January 1946 as a first lieutenSee HEROES page 19

Burial at the cemetery is available to all service members who died on active duty, retired or were honorably discharged, as well as their spouse and eligible dependent children. Some Reserve and National Guard are also eligible.

Except for the $300 administrative fee for the spouse, there is no cost for the site, opening and closing of the site, headstone, double-depth crypt for veteran and spouse, committal services and perpetual care.

For more information, visit www.dvs. virginia.gov/cemeteries/suffolkcemetery or call 255-7217.

Burial at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery is available to all service members who died on active duty, retired or were honorably discharged.

suffolk living 19

Dan Kemano is a retired U.S. Navy Command Master Chief and cemeteries director for Virginia’s three official veterans’ cemeteries.

HEROES continued from page 18

ant with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and several campaign medals, Horst used the GI Bill to graduate from Columbia University in New York, and worked for DuPont de Nemours, Inc. as a mathematical statistician. Horst was also a quiet but active community volunteer, He and his wife, Alice, raised their three children in Kennett Square, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pa. When asked to host a foreign exchange student for a year, they agreed.

However when they learned that the student was from Japan, Horst worried about the boy’s comfort level in the home of a World War II veteran of the war in the Pacific. When another placement failed to work, however, Horst agreed to take in Masaki Kobayashi. When the boy, who immediately called Horst “Dad,” asked about the silk flag of Japan he saw hanging on the wall, Horst called the student’s father and explained that 24 years earlier he had been dropping bombs on Japan. Was that a problem?

“Not at all,” answered the Japanese gentleman.

That year-long visit prompted a lifelong international friendship between the two families with visits, letters and phone calls back and forth, said John Horst.

Later in life, Herb and Alice moved to Suffolk and were active members of Main Street United Methodist Church.

Rarely did Horst speak of the war, but he maintained a close relationship with several of the Flak Alley Sally’s crew, and attended the Bomb Group’s reunions with his son, John. It may have been his abiding respect and affection for those men, and his respect for his other comrades, that influenced his decision to be buried at the veterans’ cemetery, among those who have shared the military experience.

20 suffolk living

A history lesson at school Story and photography by Alex Perry

T

here’s a story behind every name, and that includes the men and women who have become namesakes of different Suffolk Public Schools.

Florence Bowser Elementary School is named after the educator and community organizer who taught in Suffolk and elsewhere in Virginia for roughly half a century, going back to the late 1800s. Col. Fred Cherry Middle School honors the Suffolk native who was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than seven years.

John Yeates, as in Suffolk’s John Yeates Middle School, is named after an Englishman who died in the 18th century. Yeates was a philanthropist who established two free schools in what is now North Suffolk. And of course, like many schools across the country, John F. Kennedy Middle School is named after the nation’s 35th president.

These are people who made their mark on history and on the Suffolk community one way or another, and their statues, portraits and other markers still honor their work to this day.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Standing inside the lobby of Booker T. Washington Elementary School is a lifesized bronze statue of Booker T. Washington himself. The Booker T. Washington High School Alumni Association raised the $6,000 cost of the project, which was sculpted by Dr. Roderic Taylor in 1999.

Born in 1856, Washington was an educator, reformer and the first president and principal developer of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama — known today as Tuskegee University.

On each side of his statue in the elementary school are plaques that represent where he taught. One is for Tuskegee, and the other for the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute — now Hampton University — in Virginia, from which he graduated in 1875.

He founded the National Negro Business League and is considered to be the most influential spokesman for black Americans from 1895 until his death in 1915. The Booker T. Washington School in Suffolk opened in 1913 at 201 Lee St., two years before his death.

The original school served first through eighth grades before ninth grade was added in 1923. An adjacent building was constructed due to overcrowding, after which the high school opened in 1925 to teach sixth through 11th grades, and later 12th grade in 1949.

Its first high school graduation ceremonies were held in 1937 for 11th grade. The school was later relocated in 1953 to a newly built facility on Walnut Street due to increasing enrollment.

The school continued operations on Walnut Street until desegregation in 1969. It See HISTORY page 22

suffolk living 21 Julia Bradley, historian for the Booker T. Washington High School Alumni Association, holds up her old school picture of herself while standing beside the display case at Booker T. Washington Elementary School.

22 suffolk living HISTORY continued from page 20

was renamed Booker T. Washington Elementary School, where it continues to serve pre-kindergarteners through fifth-graders.

A historical marker was placed at the school’s original location between Lee and Smith streets in 2016.

The high school alumni had to make do with books and other school supplies that were leftover from Suffolk’s white schools, yet they persevered and became some of the city’s most outstanding citizens.

Among these illustrious alumni are former Suffolk Councilman and Vice Mayor Ronald Hart, former Vice Mayor Moses Riddick, Army Col. Charles “Chuck” Whitehead Sr. and Dr. L.D. Britt, who was recently named the 2019 Suffolk First Citizen by the Suffolk and North Suffolk Rotary Clubs.

There’s also a plaque in honor of the school’s late, great basketball coach, Charles Christian.

“There are pictures on the walls of some of the people that have come through this school,” said Julia Bradley, historian for the Booker T. Washington High School Alumni Association and member of the class of 1956.

The names on the photographs and plaques, as well as the bronze statue inside Booker T. Washington Elementary School, are meant to show young students the heights that they, too, can achieve.

“The parents back then wanted to make sure that they set an example for their children, for someone to look up to, and that’s why our school was named Booker T. Washington,” Bradley said.

MACK BENN JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Mack Benn Jr. Elementary School is named after “a Suffolk native who dedicated his life to education,” according to the plaque beside his portrait inside the school. This portrait was com-

Julia Bradley stands beside the Booker T. Washington statue inside Booker T. Washington Elementary School.

See HISTORY page 23

• Asphalt Paving • Stone & Mulch Sales • Grading • StreetPrint Parking Lots & Driveways www.blairbros.com

Providing Quality Paving Since 1968

757-538-1696 1 Blair Brothers Rd., Suffolk, VA

suffolk living 23

HISTORY continued from page 22

missioned and donated by the Alpha Iota Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, of which Benn was a member for more than 50 years.

Benn was born in 1927 and was a product of Suffolk Public Schools, according to Suffolk News-Herald reports. He graduated from East Suffolk High School in 1946, and after he later graduated from Bluefield State College in Bluefield, W.Va., he completed a military tour of duty in Korea.

He returned home and earned a master’s degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. and completed additional graduate work at Old Dominion University.

Benn wore many hats while he served Suffolk Public Schools for 35 years. He taught and coached and served as athletic director, assistant principal and principal. He served as elementary supervisor, both coordinator and director of pupil personnel services and assistant superintendent.

His hard work culminated in 1986, when he was appointed superintendent. He was the first African-American superintendent in Suffolk Public Schools, according to the school’s website.

“Having been a native of Suffolk, and then being employed as a teacher and a principal and then a supervisor and so on up the chain of administrative positions in the school system, I feel that he had enough experience and empathy to provide the leadership that the position of superintendent required,” Elaine Brown Benn, his wife of 42 years, wrote in an email.

Benn held his superintendent post until he retired in 1988, “but education never left his blood” and he served as acting superintendent twice, both during “serious transition periods” of the school board, according to a 1997 Suffolk News-Herald report.

“During his tenure as superintendent and as

One of the many photographs inside the display case at Booker T. Washington Elementary School. acting superintendent, Benn brought financial stability to the board and continued to be known for his outstanding leadership ability,” according to the report. He also served on the Suffolk school board from 1992 to 1995, plus “countless” committees for the school system.

Benn was a devout Christian and a faithful member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for 40 years, where he served as senior warden. His nephew, Edward “Pete” Smith, described him in an email as sincere, caring, encouraging, manly and loving.

“A man who never allowed his somewhat small (stature to) diminish his big heart and perseverance in uplifting his fellow man,” Smith wrote. “From sharecropper parents who instilled the love and need for education in all their children to be the best they could be. A

much-loved son, husband, father, brother uncle and role model.”

Benn died in 1997 and was survived by his wife; his sons, Mack Benn III and Bruce T. Benn; and many other family, friends and colleagues in Suffolk that mourned him then and continue to do so today.

In 1998, the year after his death, the city opened Mack Benn Jr. Elementary School in his honor. The school’s motto, according to its website, is “moving beyond excellence step by step.”

“I would like his legacy to be one of dedication to the town in which he lived and died,” Benn wrote about her husband. “I believe that he did everything he could to make the school system better for the students in the town he truly loved.”

As your love grows, so can your diamonds.

In house Jewelry design, repairs, personalized gifts & engraving

757.934.8101

LOCALS CHOICE

LOCALS CHOICE

2016

2017

Est: 1991 Family Owned & Operated

24 suffolk living

suffolk scene

Cupcake Wars Bakers enjoyed friendly competition while raising money for Alzheimer’s research in the “Cupcake Wars” held at the Lake Prince Woods Retirement Community on July 14. Six bakers brought more than a dozen flavors of cupcakes to the Portsmouth Room at Lake Prince Woods, and participants purchased tickets to try the cupcakes and vote for their favorite flavors. Donations benefited the 2019 Western Tidewater Walk to End Alzheimer’s. PHOTOS BY ALEX PERRY

Denise Brown and Lynn Nelson

Lois Morelen and Robin Decker

Donna Karr and Lois Morelen

Jeff Jacobs

Sabrina Widmeyer and Yvette Whitehead

Janette Johnson and Robin Decker

suffolk living 25

Independence Day Citizens across the city enjoyed another year of Suffolk Fourth of July festivities. The Eclipse community once again embraced its favorite holiday with the 43rd annual bicycle parade, carnival games and the raft race on Chuckatuck Creek, while others enjoyed even more fireworks and fun downtown at Constant’s Wharf Park and Marina.

PHOTOS BY ALEX PERRY AND TRACY AGNEW

suffolk scene

Madison, MaKiya, NyAsia, Zyanna and Chloe Davis

Shannon Hrinda, Josh Hrinda, Andrew Eby, Andrew Duck, Truett Edgell, David Edgell, Lory Horne

Marie Walls and Keegan Walls, 7

Ashley Copeland and Sarah Baldwin

Dylan Henley, 14, Drew Henley, 2, Adalynn Henley, 6, Hannah Murphy, 1, and Anna Henley, 12.

Claire and Taylor Newsom, 8, and Landon Rodriguez, 11

26 suffolk living

suffolk scene

Library Carnival Suffolk Public Library held its Camp SPL Finale Carnival on Aug. 3 at the corner of West Washington and Lee streets, with roughly 600 people in attendance. Children enjoyed the bounce houses, relay races, tug-of-war, water-blasting fun and other free activities. Participants gathered on the grass with cups filled with five different colors of powder, then everyone tossed their colored powders at the same time for a dust storm of dye. PHOTOS BY ALEX PERRY

Fran Duman with her dog Holly and Debbie George with her dog Gigi

Cayleb Erb, 5, Makayla Erb, 7, Shane Bentz, 14

Liam Reyes, 5, and Lana Reyes, 7, with Rowan Ellis

Natalie Sifuentes and April Watkins

Bryson Perea, 4, and Wayde Wood, 4

Aisling Anderson with Brianna, 10, and Brian, 3, Anderson

suffolk living 27

National Night Out National Night Out brought the community together on Aug. 6 with activities, food, fun and unity. An estimated 8,000 people turned out for this year’s National Night Out in Suffolk to celebrate community and local first responders, while also saying goodbye to crime. PHOTOS BY ALEX PERRY AND TRACY AGNEW

suffolk scene

Da’vion Bremby, Grayson Bremby, Se’maj Bremby and Jaylen Bremby

Dorothy Woodley, Clatie Eure and Lester Pugh Jr.

Charles Slaughter, Peggy Boone, Charlotte Adams and Robert Warren

Arlezja Lewis, 18, with Jahlae Lewis 10-months-old, Miracle Smith, 12, and Giavoueni Mayberry, 17

Ernest Davis with KJ Wilkins, 2

Candace Myrick, Aquesha Knight and Kyera Pope

28 suffolk living

on vacation

suffolk living 29

Opposite spread, Jeff and Cora Hancock enjoyed a trip to Pamplona, Spain, for the running of the bulls. Above, Danny Epperson and his niece, Sara Epperson, enjoy the beach in front of Monterey Bay, Carmelby-the-Sea, Calif., with Suffolk Living. At far left, John Rector took Suffolk Living on the ferry to Ocracoke Island. At left, Melissa Judkins enjoyed an Alaska cruise, taking Suffolk Living to Ketchikan, “The Salmon Capital of the World.�

We love seeing where Suffolk Living goes on vacation! Send your submissions to news@ suffolklivingmag.com.

30 suffolk living

CLEARANCE

Last edition’s Where Am I? We learned this summer that many of our readers have a “sharp” eye for antlers! The distinctive feature of the elk located outside the Suffolk Elks Lodge No. 685 at 329 W. Constance Road was the subject of our last Where Am I? challenge, and many of you knew where am I? where it was right away.

I Nine people sent in responses with the correct answer, but Bert Young was the lucky one randomly selected from among the correct responses. He wins a $25 gift card for his keen observation.

Look for this edition’s challenge on page 14. suffolk living 17

Event

RADICALLY REDUCED PRICES IN EVERY DEPARTMENT. SAVE ON THE NEW FASHIONS FOR EVERY ROOM OF YOUR HOME.

n each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know. We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.

If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to news@suffolklivingmag.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.

So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.

Go out and enjoy Suffolk!

Visit us on Facebook or our website to see our new arrivals.

186 E. Washington St. 757-539-3355 • carterfurniture.biz

Make yourself at home in one of our 79 air conditioned rooms featuring mini refrigerators, microwaves and Keurig Coffee Makers. Wireless internet is complimentary and the Flat Screen Televisions come with HBO. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Convenience includes desks with free local calls.

Network with Suffolk Living on Facebook

Our Business Center has two new HP Computers available 24 hours. Rent our meeting space which boasts 672 sq. ft., that can host 40 people comfortably.

Our fitness center is open with a cedar sauna and includes free hand weights.

For more information, Contact the hotel at 1018 Centerbrooke Lane Suffolk, VA 23434

1-757-923-1010

we will be eager to help you.

suffolk living 31

scrapbook

BILLBOARD: This photo from around 1958 shows community leaders posing in front of a billboard touting Suffolk as “The World’s Largest Peanut Market.” The sign lets visitors know there is plenty of parking, fine schools and churches, friendly stores and diversified industries. It also advertises meetings of a number of community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Cosmopolitan Club, Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, the Pilot Club and the Suffolk Retail Merchants Association. Most of the groups, it says, met at the Elliott Hotel.

COURTESY OF “THE SUFFOLK PEANUT FESTIVAL,” BY PATRICK EVANS-HYLTON; PHOTO FROM THE ARCHIVES OF RIDDICK’S FOLLY HOUSE MUSEUM