Obituaries

Sep 16, 2020

Mark John Yannarella, 51, resident of Yorktown, VA, passed away on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at Norfolk General Heart Hospital after a valiant fight with pneumonia.

Mark was born on February 18, 1969 in Youngstown Ohio.  He was the son of Nellie Jo Yannarella and the late Anthony Yannarella.  He lived most of his life in Hampton,...

Sep 10, 2020

Kenneth Lee Williams, 59, of Hampton, VA, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 10, 2020. He was born on March 30, 1961 in Lanett, Alabama. He was raised in West Point, Georgia. After graduating high school, he entered the US Army and became a supply sergeant. He served his country for 10 years and then...

Sep 9, 2020

Reed K. Gram, Jr., 77, passed away on September 9, 2020. SMSGT Gram (aka  "Shorty") retired from the United States Air Force after 22 years (+2 days!) of proud service, primarily in munitions. His military career spanned tours of duty throughout the world until he retired to Hampton in 1983. Following his military retirement, and in a continual expression...

Sep 9, 2020

Gregory Smith was born March 26, 1954 in Jacksonville, NC. He had been a Hampton resident for the last 30 years and worked as a caretaker and provided landscaping duties for others.

Survivors include,  1 son, Gregory Smith, Jr. of Selma, NC;  1 daughter Ziaye Brooks of Newport News, Va;  two brothers, Victor Guy and wife, Helen...

Sep 8, 2020

Virginia Raynor, 75, a native and lifelong Hamptonian, died Tuesday, September 8, 2020. She was a loving wife, mother and nanny.

Preceded in death by her husband, John Raymond Raynor; she is survived by her daughters, Annette Wilhelm and Cheryl Raynor; her granddaughter, Virginia Wilhelm; and two sisters, Dorothy Seidnitzer and Betty Keene.

The family...

Sep 8, 2020

Klara G. Arnold, 92, died Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Born in Briesnitz, Germany on August 10, 1928, she immigrated to the US and worked as a nurse at Cleveland Metro Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio where she retired after 30 years and moved to Hampton in 1995. She was an active member of St. Joseph...

Sep 7, 2020

Our dad, retired U.S. Air Force, MSGT John Henry Meseroll II of Poquoson Va., left for his last great adventure on September 7, 2020.  Born on October 21, 1946 in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, our dad was a 1964 graduate of Huntington High School, Huntington N.Y.  He is preceded in death by his parents Melvin and Eleanor Meseroll and brother Thomas...

Sep 7, 2020

Larry Arnold Ezzell, 68, died Monday, September 7, 2020.

Larry is survived by his wife, Doris Ezzell; children, Tina Marie Smith (George), Tracy Lin Chaney (Christopher Sr), Teresa Rose Byer (John), Larry Arnold Ezzell Jr; Bobbie Kuta; brothers, Marvin Eugene Ezzell Sr (Cynthia), Mark Keith Ezzell (Dorothy); eleven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; and longtime friend, William Weinbarger.   ...

Sep 6, 2020

Edwin Daniel Heath, Sr., 90, passed away surrounded by his family on Sunday, September 6, 2020.  Born in Clover, Virginia on November 5, 1929, "Pop" was married to Virginia Young in 1950 until her death in 1996.  In 1951 they moved to Hampton where he was employed by Newport News Shipbuilding for 40 years.  He returned to his childhood...

Sep 6, 2020

Arthur Reese Tracey Jr, 64, died Sunday, September 6, 2020. Born in Washington DC, Arthur had been a Hampton resident since 1961 and worked 45 years in the Newport News Shipyard most recently in X-31. He was a member of the Hampton Moose Lodge and the Sons of Confederate Veterans 13 th VA Mechanized Cavalry Camp 9. He was...

Sep 5, 2020

Hampton,

Donnie Wood Minetti, 83, passed away on Saturday, September 5, 2020 with her family by her side. Donnie was born in Cobbtown, GA, the youngest of four children. She enjoyed life on her family farm until she suddenly lost her mother at only 9 years old. Her family later moved to Hampton to be closer to...

Sep 5, 2020

Shirley Mae Cutler Wells, 88, of Hampton was given eternal peace by God on Saturday, September 5, 2020. Shirley was born and raised in the Camp Leach area of Washington, North Carolina. She moved to the Hampton Roads area in 1950. On September 17, 1962 she was married to Mack Wells, and until his demise, were together for 42...

Sep 5, 2020

Helen R. Levister, 73, passed away Saturday, September 5, 2020. Born in Wadesboro, NC to Lexie Davis and Steele Ratliff, Helen had a passion for kids and teaching and retired after 36 years with the Hampton City Schools.  She was truly a wonderful wife, mother, and person.

Helen is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Jeryl...

Sep 4, 2020

Joseph E. Byrum, Sr. went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on September 4, 2020 surrounded by his loving family.

Joseph was born January 28, 1937 in Chowan County, NC to Berda May and Emmett Byrum. A resident of Hampton for 56 years, Joseph owned and operated Byrum Sheet Metal Works in York...

Sep 3, 2020

Peter Francis Daly, died on September 3, 2020 at the age of seventy-three, after a long illness. He was a lifelong resident of Hampton Roads, graduating from Hampton High School and Old Dominion University where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He was a lifelong supporter of Old Dominion Athletics. He joined the United States Marine...

Sep 2, 2020

Brenda Suits Potter, 58, died Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Born in Hampton, she was a longtime Peninsula resident until recently relocating to Charles City. Always positive and upbeat, her main focus was her faith, her family and her friends. She had a wonderful spirit and was always smiling, even in the face of her illness, her only complaint was...

Sep 1, 2020

Ronald Lee Weber, "Ronnie", 84, passed into the arms of Jesus on September 1 st with his loving family by his side.

Ron was the only child of the late Richard Thomas Weber and Margaret Elliott Weber.

A 1954 graduate of Hampton High School, Ron played basketball and baseball there. Following high school, he attended...

Aug 21, 2020

Joseph Dean Elliott, born October 9, 1954, in Hampton, VA, passed away at home on August 21, 2020, with his family by his side. Joe was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and brother. His family meant everything to him and he always put everyone's needs before his own. Joe was a very caring, loving and giving person....

Aug 20, 2020

William Claytor "Bill" Ayers, 70, died Monday, August 24, 2020 at Riverside Regional Medical Center from complications of the Covid 19 virus. A native and lifelong resident of Hampton, he graduated from Hampton High School in 1969 and served in the US Navy. Bill went on to work at the Newport News Shipyard where he worked 47 years retiring...

Aug 20, 2020

Robert "Rusty" Coe Boswell, 66, of Hampton VA, passed away on August 20, 2020 from a courageous battle of liver disease.

"Rusty" was born in Hampton Virginia on August 12, 1954. He was a graduate from Kecoughtan High School in 1972, and was a member of the football and baseball team. He joined the United States Marine...