Richmond doesn't just forget its own. When you look through recent obituaries Richmond Virginia, you aren't just seeing a list of names; you're seeing the literal architecture of the city’s soul. From the visionaries who built the shopping districts we walk through to the quiet neighbors who kept the gardens on Monument Avenue pristine, the last few weeks have seen the passing of some truly remarkable Virginians. It’s heavy. Honestly, it’s a lot to process when you realize how much history can leave a room all at once.
Take Frances Aaronson Lewis, for example. She passed away on January 10, 2026, at the incredible age of 103. If you’ve ever been to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), you’ve felt her influence. She and her husband Sydney started Best Products—that catalog showroom giant—but her real legacy is the avant-garde art she brought to a town that was, at the time, maybe a little too stuck in its ways. She was friends with Andy Warhol. Imagine that. She’s gone now, but the Sydney and Frances Lewis Collection remains a cornerstone of Richmond’s cultural identity.
Loss is everywhere.
Who We've Lost in Richmond Recently
The Richmond Times-Dispatch and local funeral homes like Bliley’s and Joseph Jenkins Jr. have been busy. It’s a somber kind of busy. We’ve seen the passing of people like Vickie Argabright, who fought a brave battle with cancer until January 8. Then there’s Robert Stanley Parham, a WWII Navy vet and former real estate appraiser for Henrico County, who died at 98. These are the people who worked the jobs that made the county run.
It’s not just the centenarians, though.
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The community is also mourning younger souls, like Bridget Desiree Riley, who was only 39, and Mackenzie "Kenze" Jackson, who passed at 37 in Midlothian. It’s heartbreaking. When you see a 1980s birth date in the obituaries, it hits differently. It reminds you that the "River City" is a small town at heart, and these losses ripple through schools, churches, and workplaces.
Finding Information on Recent Passings
If you’re looking for someone specific, you basically have three main routes.
- The Legacy Portal: This is where the Richmond Times-Dispatch hosts most of its formal notices. It’s searchable by date and name.
- Local Funeral Home Sites: Sometimes a family won't run a full newspaper ad because, let’s be real, they’re expensive. Instead, they’ll post a digital tribute on sites like Wilson & Associates’ Funeral Service or March Funeral Homes.
- Social Media Groups: "RVA News" and neighborhood-specific Facebook groups often share these updates faster than the papers do.
The Cultural Impact of These Legacies
We talk a lot about "Old Richmond." But what does that actually mean? It means people like Leonard "Buddy" Fox Jr., who passed away recently at 99. He was a John Marshall High grad—part of a generation that saw Richmond transform from a post-war hub into the craft-beer-and-tech city it is today.
When these people pass, we lose the first-hand stories of the 1940s and 50s. We lose the "I remember when this was all fields" perspective.
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Honestly, the recent obituaries Richmond Virginia residents are reading right now show a city in transition. We are losing the builders. People like Marvin Smith Sr. and Rev. Dr. Sylvester L. Turner (who passed Jan 11) were pillars in the Northside and East End communities. Dr. Turner, at 74, represented a lifetime of spiritual leadership. You can't just replace that kind of institutional knowledge or community trust. It takes decades to grow.
How to Support Grieving Families in RVA
If you’ve found a name you recognize and want to help, Richmond has some very specific traditions.
- The Fan/Museum District Way: Often, families will request donations to the VMFA or the Richmond SPCA in lieu of flowers.
- Direct Support: For families working with places like Wilson & Associates, checking the "Services of Comfort" section on their website can tell you if there’s a viewing or a public wake.
- Meal Trains: This is still huge in Henrico and Chesterfield. If you know the family, don't ask "what can I do?" Just bring the food.
A City Built on Stories
Richmond is a place where history is layered. You walk over it every day. The obituaries are just the latest layer. When someone like Danise Anita Harmon (who worked at VCU) or J.D. Shipman (age 87) passes away, a little piece of the city's living history goes with them.
It's sorta weird how we look at these lists. Sometimes it's just to check. Other times, it's to find a connection to a past version of ourselves. Maybe it was a teacher at Open High or a clerk at the old Harpers Department Store, like Dorothy Ann Nicholas.
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We’re all just keeping the seat warm for the next group, right?
Practical Steps for Finding a Specific Obituary
- Use Filters: On the Legacy website, make sure you filter by "Richmond, VA" specifically, as names like "Smith" or "Jones" will pull results from all over the state.
- Check the Date: Most obituaries appear 3 to 7 days after the passing. If you don't see it immediately, wait until the following Sunday—that's still the "big" day for print notices.
- Verify the Name: Many Richmonders go by nicknames. If you can’t find "Robert," try "Bob" or check for middle names like "Stan."
- Search Funeral Home Archives Directly: If the newspaper search fails, go straight to the source. Bliley’s, Bennett, and Woody’s have very clean, searchable databases on their own websites.
The reality is that recent obituaries Richmond Virginia are a reflection of us. They show our diversity, our age, and the deep roots we have in this soil. Whether it's a co-founder of a national retail chain or a beloved grandmother from Church Hill, every name on that list helped make Richmond what it is this morning.
To stay updated or find specific service details for the names mentioned above, you should visit the Richmond Times-Dispatch obituary section or the individual websites of Bliley’s, Joseph Jenkins Jr., or Wilson & Associates. These platforms offer guestbooks where you can leave memories or coordinate with the families for memorial contributions.