Layman Elwood Earl “Sandy” Sanders of the Hanover Church of the Nazarene helped organize the event, said Community Life pastor Joyce Grambo.

Sanders said he e-mailed Del. Chris Peace, executive director of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, who readily agreed to use of the site.

Church members set up six stations for visitors, to pray for government on the federal, state and local levels, along with stations for praying for members of the military, revival and church unity.

“We can use all the help we can get,” observed Chickahominy supervisor Robert Setliff.

Brad Norwood, brother of lead pastor Greg Norwood, said the site was appropriate for the observance.

“The foundations of religious liberty began right here at Polegreen Church,” said Norwood.

Visitors then dispersed, visiting the six stations to pray silently or aloud.

Sanders and Peace said the program might well become an annual event at the historic site.

While her neighbor Tom Curd lost his barn, and others suffered damage all around, the house where Linda and her husband Richard got by with hardly a scratch.

Not that it wasn’t a frightening experience.

Sunday April 20 was a rainy day in the area, and Linda was relaxing after church when she heard her big cast iron dinner bell ring one time.

“I looked up to see if maybe a bird had hit it,” said Linda.

What followed was the storm that destroyed there neighbor’s barn and downed trees throughout the area.

“It was all over in 20 seconds or so,” said Linda, who yelled to her husband to take shelter in the basement.

But he was looking out the window of his home office.

“I saw the top of the tree go straight up in the air and come down,” said Richard.

Debbie Turner, who lives across the from the Wooddy’s home on McClellan Road, said the Wooddy home disappeared inside a dark cloud for a moment.

Despite the destruction, no one was injured by the tornado of April 20.

That was the blessing,” said Turner.

Linda agrees.

‘Our lives, our house and our animals were spared,” she said. “we began to count our blessings rather than our damages.”

When everyone had left, Lind and Richard found a stone cross with the Lord’s Prayer on it lying on the floor, that fell from a shelf by the front door.

“Along with the bell, we believe this cross is to let us know that God had his protective hand over us,” said Linda.

“This storm was a reminder of who is really in charge.”

Editor’s Note:
Questions of why some are spared often arise after natural disasters. The answers each person finds are different.

Ken Odor
A large tree was sheared in half in the Wooddy’s front yard.

SADD stands for “Students Against Destructive Decisions.” And these students realize that one of these destructive decisions is choosing to drink.

In fact, for a lot of high school students, prom season presents the opportunity to drink with a celebratory vengeance.

Nancy Carter, a math teacher, is the faculty sponsor of the Lee-Davis chapter of SADD. SADD is currently promoting THINK.Prom, a campaign launched by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company in 2006.

Think.PROM asks students to be alcohol- and drug-free all year, and to be especially vigilant during prom season.

“Students get involved with SADD because they want to be a positive influence with their peers,” said Carter. “To promote the program we will be hanging posters around school, we will be hanging a banner, we will be having students sign the pledge cards.”

She added, “On the night of the prom, SADD members will be placing fliers on the cars to remind students as they are leaving of the prom promise they have made. Hopefully by seeing this as they are leaving it will have an impact and make them think.”

And thinking through the dangers of driving under the influence could save a teen’s life.

MADD says traffic deaths among teenagers during prom season weekends are higher than at any other time of the year.

In Hanover, among teens, alcohol violations have risen by almost 60 percent over the past year.

According to the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, in 2006, 44 people under the age of 17 were arrested for the unlawful purchase or possession of alcoholic beverages. By 2007, that number had risen to 70.

“Prom night, like other widely attended events, provides a host of opportunities for young people,” said Lt. Michael Trice of the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. “Our message or recommendation would be to select, choose those opportunities that will not only be fun, providing good memories, but also safe.”

Part of keeping kids safe is ensuring that they don’t have access to alcohol in the first place.

“We are continuing with our Underage Buyer Program,” said Trice, noting that between 2006 and 2007 the number of individuals charged with selling alcohol to an unauthorized person rose from 19 to 29, indicating an increase of 52 percent.

“With the support of a grant from the ABC department we still spot check our retail establishments to ensure they are complying with the law.”

“Everyone from peers, parents, school officials,” he added, “must work together to create and maintain this safe environment.”

Harrison Moncure, a Mechanicsville Nationwide Insurance Agent, has donated THINK.Prom materials, such as pledge cards, posters and banners, to Lee-Davis.

“THINK.Prom is an awareness based program,” he said. “We want to get the message out to teens not to use drugs or drink while driving.”

“I couldn’t find out where or when it was going to take place,’ she said.

So Anderson decided to volunteer some time to publicize the musical ensemble’s performances so their fans wouldn’t have the same problem.

The band, started in 1989 by Davidson Burgess has about 40 members, and performs about 15 concerts a year around the area.

Members range in age from high school students to retired seniors who still love to play.

Marshall Johnson, 70, has been playing trombone with the band since it began.

“Music is something to do as you get older. It’s a lifetime of creativity,” he said.

Clarinetist Jim Mathers, 62, feels the same way.

“I plan to play as long as I can hold a horn,” he said.

Mathers said the band was more than a place to play music, but also a social network of “good folks.”

Hanover County provides $2,800 toward the band’s expenses, said Mathers, and they accept donations at concerts, but it’s basically a volunteer operation manned by amateur musicians who just love to play.

Right now the band is looking for some french horn players and could use some more percussionists, said Mathers.

Karla Bloom is band director, a job she has held for the last nine years.

The band rehearses every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Arts and Activities Center, located at 500 S. Center St. in Ashland.

Their next performance is at the Ashland Strawberry faire June 7.

And thanks to Kate Anderson, they have an informative Web site with schedules, information for prospective new members and more at http://www.etc4u.com/band.

His wanderlust led him to India last December, to a place he says is “indescribable.”

And as he gazed out over the streets and sunsets of Mumbai, he stood not as a random sightseer but as a guest of a young man, Pranav, and his family.

Pranav had stayed with Moore’s family in 2006 and Moore says that that intimacy enhances what he strives to find in his travels.

“It helps you understand another culture,” he said, “and you’re not going to pick that up by being a tourist, and just seeing monuments. When you’ve lived with someone from another country you absorb it in a different way.”

For the past three years, Moore’s family has hosted students through the Rotary Youth Exchange, a program that is administered globally through Rotary International.

“My family decided we wanted to host a foreign exchange student,” said Moore. “We liked the rotary program because they have it set up that each family hosts a student for about three months of 10-month stay. This also gave the students exposure to, and the support of, other families.”

So far, the Moore family has hosted Pranav, from India; Mariana, from Chile; and Maud, from France. Each of these students lived with local families and attended classes at Atlee High School.

“It’s been tremendous, and we still stay in touch with the students we’ve had here,” said Moore. “And I even went to India to see Pranav!”

He described his visit with Pranav as a “terrific, life-changing experience.”

“The highlight was meeting Pranav’s family,” he said. “They’re a very close-knit family… They even live together, and Pranav expects, when his is married, to still live in is parent’s house, which is only 1200 square feet. This was my big “ah, ha.” I told him that if he were to live with his parents in the U.S., there would be a stigma attached, and he answered, ‘Jeff, if I moved out, people would all want to know what happened!’”

Moore says that for his children, including Jake, aged 15, and Mary, aged 12, the exchange students serve as strong role models. “These (students) are great, adventurous, and well-behaved.”

Students are chosen by the Rotary Clubs in their host countries. Requirements include being an above-average student with demonstrated leadership in the community. “They will ask, is this student comfortable being an ambassador from France, Chile?” said Moore.

Host families are volunteers who agree to provide room and board, to involve the student in family, community and cultural activities.

“When you become a home for an exchange student, you give up privacy, there are costs involved, you’re sharing family time with somebody else,” said Moore, who is planning to host a student from Brazil next year. “But you get so much more out of it than give…I love foreign exchange.”

Amidst the sprinkling rain and umbrellas, a special plaque was revealed in front of a new red oak tree recognizing Williams as the ‘Mayor of Old Church.’
The 79-year-old was surprised to see the church had decided to honor her.

“I’m so shocked,” Williams said. “I don’t know why they did this but I really appreciate it.”

“She is such an integral part of the church and the community,” said David Knight, Immanuel’s interim rector. “She has just touched so many lives.”
The new tree was planted in front of the church, in the same location where another tree once stood before until it was destroyed by a storm last year.

Until the plaque was revealed, Williams thought that the dedication ceremony was merely a celebration for Rogation Sunday, a time to observe and bless the trees and plantings around the church.

“I didn’t know this had anything to do with me,” said Williams, who was honored because of her long-time dedication to the life and mission of the Immanuel church parish.

“We give thanks for her wisdom, her keen mind, her gentle wit and sense of humor, for the twinkle in her eye and her ability to laugh at herself and with others, for all she means to us and to this community,” Knight explained during the ceremony.

The community at Immanuel has been the reason why Williams has remained a member for all these years. “The people are so wonderful and special,” she said.

For years, Williams was as a high school English teacher in Hanover and Henrico counties and in Richmond City. “I had great fun teaching, I probably had a lot more fun than my students,” she said.

“There are just hundreds of people whose lives she has touched over the years,” Knight said.

That’s kind of what it feels like having Phat Boyz BBQ located right next to Greentop Sporting Goods.

It’s one of those natural fits. 

Like the traveling carnivals of yesteryear, there is a quality to Phat Boyz that feels as though it may have just rolled to a stop, parked next to Greentop, hung out a sign and made itself at home.

Not a sportsman?  No problem – stop by anyway!  The thick and lusty smokiness of the pork or chicken grilling is enticement enough to veer off and pull into what is indeed a bonafide roadside BBQ.  Phat Boyz would be proud to call itself what it is, a joint.

Here the barbeque holds its own, both the chicken and pork styles – sweet, tangy, smoky, slow cooked, with all the gusto you’d expect from legitimate barbeque. 

If you walked in blindfolded, you’d know instantly what was on the menu.  The atmosphere is pretty straightforward; in the bright yellow interior, the long counter divides the room where you can place your order, sit and dine, read the paper, or chat with the staff. 

Lunch can get busy, but lack of elbow room is not a problem, as friendly diners stepped aside so we could reach for more napkins or sauce, as we made our way to seating outdoors. 

Enjoying a sunny spot at our table in the lot, the smoke billowing above us, we felt a kind of county fair atmosphere, a mix of folks somehow all invited to the same picnic.

Surely a place called Phat Boyz BBQ considers barbeque its specialty, but the side dishes are pure nostalgia.

The macaroni and cheese, better than grandma’s, is easily the kind you’d expect to find at the church fundraiser.  The warm cornbread was a balance of texture and flavor, moist and sweet, like good cornbread should be.  The onion rings, perfect with barbeque were the real deal. 

Good barbeque needs great coleslaw and Phat Boyz has it. Not overly chopped, slightly acidic, it was a natural complement to the meats.  The potato salad was true old school, dovetailing nicely with all the other traditional and genuine sides on the menu.

Saving room for desert is recommended, because in keeping with authenticity, the homemade sweets stand up. )

Creamy, fresh bananna pudding, complete with vanilla wafers, was authentic and pure, with straight-off-the-box sincerity. The warm peach cobbler seemed as if it had been made for generations, just like the early settlers might have prepared it.

Phat Boyz has heart.  Its patrons seem to feel it.  I know we did. 

Could it be located elsewhere?  Likely.  Would it want to be?  Perhaps not. 

Birds of a feather flock together, so they say.  Barbeque and Greentop.  Iced tea and onion rings.  Tattoo artists and cops, hunters and boaters, mechanics and doctors.  It’s all there, and it feels thankfully, as if it always has been.

If you go...

Phat Boyz BBQ is located at 10185 Washington Highway in Glen Allen.  For more information, call 550 – 5707

“We want to make sure that we continue to keep a low crime rate and, more importantly, decrease the victimization,” Goodman said in a recent interview.
Town Manager Charles Hartgrove chose Goodman, who joined the department as a captain in August, to replace Tom Clark, who came out of retirement with the Henrico County Division of Police to serve as interim chief after Frederick Pleasants Jr. resigned in 2006.

Clark will return to retirement June 30. Goodman takes the reins the next day.

Goodman, 36, came to the department from the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked for 14 years. He was a primary media spokesman for the sniper shooting in Ashland in 2002, when a man was wounded outside a Ponderosa restaurant. The sniper attacks terrified the public from the Washington suburbs to the Richmond area and drew international media attention.

Goodman was at the center of it.

Friends he hadn’t talked to in years called him up to say they had seen him on TV. He said it still amazes him how quickly members of the media “from oceans away” descended on Ashland.

“I’ll never forget cabs dropping reporters off that appeared to be from Southeast Asia,” he said. Goodman said the experience taught him a lot about public relations at the local level and beyond.

Hartgrove said Goodman’s communications skills are an important plus in a small town where department heads often deal directly with the public. The town’s police department has 25 sworn officers, including Goodman and Clark.

“Hopefully, he’ll be with us for a long time,” Hartgrove said.

Goodman joined the Hanover Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy in July 1993 after graduating from Virginia Tech. He then worked as a school resource officer at Liberty Middle School and Patrick Henry High School, and after that as a domestic-violence investigator.

Later, he served as media spokesman. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2002.

He said he enjoyed his time at the sheriff’s office and that Sheriff V. Stuart Cook “treated me like a son.” He said he left specifically to take the Ashland captain position.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to join a department that was really up and coming,” Goodman said. He said he is proud that the town police department this year became the 25th law-enforcement agency in Virginia to be internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.

Goodman lives with his wife and two children in central Hanover. He enjoys running and bicycling. In December, he earned his master’s degree in public administration at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“I’m excited about the future of the agency,” Goodman said, “and I’m proud of the past.”

Battalion Chief William E. Jones said 31 firefighters from eight companies responded to a call at 9:41 of a fire at Bost Construction Company at 8141 Elm Drive in old Mechanicsville, near the EVB windmill bank branch.

No injuries were reported.

Towering smoke and flames could be seen from the blaze until it was brought under control.

“We went into defensive mode,” said Jones, because several explosions were heard, possibly from propane tanks or other sources at the company’s facility, used to repair and maintain construction equipment and vehicles.

Firefighters used a ladder truck to hose down the building from above to make it safe to enter.
Jones said the fire was declared under control at 10:47.

Sandy Hare, who works at Mechanicsville Paint and Body, Inc., said she called 911 about 9:45 after hearing several explosions.
“There was a pretty good one there,” said owner Steve Aldridge of the explosions.

Sheila Pace of Brice’s Villa, an assisted living facility on Elm Drive, said she heard at least six explosions.
“I was scared,” she said.
Pace said staff gathered the residents in case they needed to be evacuated.

Firefighters worked to prevent runoff of any pollutants into nearby Chickahominy River after gaining control of the fire.

“We’re thrilled,” said Rachel (last name withheld by request), whose son is part of the program, “although we’re sorry the program lost the coordinator position.”
Rachel said she and other parents were convinced the program would end June 30 when the $400,000 in federal grant money, which was used to start it in 2006, ran out.

She and other parents and teens involved in the program had appeared before the Board of Supervisors in January to ask the county to find a way to continue Drug Court.

The program provides an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system, employing specialized counseling, group support and random drug testing to help the participants stay off drugs.

If the teenagers, who have all engaged in criminal behavior because of their drug addictions, complete the program, their records are wiped clean. 

Parents of teenagers in the program attended the April 9 board meeting holding their breath to find out if Drug Court would continue.

A budget amendment bill by Del. Chris Peace had failed in the General Assembly, but the county came up with $80,000 to continue the program. A private donor added $50,000.

County Administrator Cecil R. “Rhu” Harris, Jr. said the donor wished to remain anonymous.

“It was great that the board was able to step up to the plate,” said Rachel.

Although the program continues, only two of three positions will be retained. A counselor and a probation officer will carry on, but without a program coordinator. That position will end June 30, with its duties being taken over by Juvenile Court Services and the Community Services Board.

Valerie (last name withheld), a nurse practitioner whose daughter Tara will graduate from the program in June, is happy Drug Court will continue, but concerned at the loss of the coordinator’s job.

“Parents are concerned about the coordinator losing her job,” said Valerie. “It’s not going to be the same.”

Valerie said she is grateful the program will continue, and with her daughter graduating from it before the changes take place she will not be affected.

But she is concerned about teenagers who will enter the program in the future. She said she and her daughter will volunteer their time after Tara graduates to come back and help new participants in the program.

“It’s about kids that come after my daughter,” she said.

Kay Rankin, M.D., of the Chickahominy Health District, said that this student has been treated and is doing well.  And, “after being on appropriate antibiotics for 24 hours,” she said, “he’s no longer considered contagious.”

In the meantime, the health department wants all students to stay alert to signs that they may have been affected.

“There were two sets of letters that went home,” said Rankin. “Those that were identified as having close contact (with the afflicted student) were advised to see their health care practitioner for preventative treatment.”

Dr. Rankin said that this treatment would typically involve a two-day course of antibiotics.

Meningitis affects the fluid around the spinal cord and the brain, and is usually caused by either viral or bacterial infections. Bacterial meningitis tends to be the more severe form of the disease, and even with appropriate treatment, can prove fatal 5 to 15 percent of the time.

Of those who survive the disease, 10 to 20 percent have serious long-term complications such as brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities.

Rankin said that as far as she knew, no one else in the school community has developed any signs of having contracted meningitis.

“This is not a highly contagious disease,” said Rankin, “but be aware of symptoms, fever, stiff neck, headache, and seek help promptly.”

“Early diagnosis and treatment key to best chance at good prognosis,” she added.

Unlike a cold or the flu, which can be caught by simply breathing the same air as an ill person, bacterial meningitis is spread through very close contact with an affected individual. Contact that would put a healthy person at risk includes exchanging respiratory or throat secretions.

“This is an example of the importance of good hygiene,” said Rankin, “of not sharing personal items, like lipstick, drinking glasses, water bottles or cigarettes. When a person is first infected with this form of meningitis, they are not symptomatic right away—so you don’t know you’re drinking from the glass of someone who is ill.”

There are two vaccines available that protect against meningitis. The vaccine MCV4 is recommended for those who live in close quarters with large groups of people, such as in a military barrack or a college dormitory. Rankin says that while the vaccine is not required for all citizens, it is mandatory for students entering Virginia colleges and universities.

For more information, contact the Hanover Health Department at 365-4313 or 365-4314, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/meningitis.

My purpose in writing is most of all, to express my thanks and sincere gratitude to so many who have supported me, my family, and my soldiers during this deployment.

Honestly I am not sure that I can adequately express my appreciation in this brief note, but it is important to me to try. 

Here is a humble attempt to quickly say thanks to so many who were there for us, and for me. Here it goes:

My fellow staff, students, parents and community of Chickahominy Middle School have been wonderful.  From the many packages of food, comfort items, DVDs, and the notes of support and encouragement for me and my soldiers, to the grass cutting, yard work, taking trash to the dump for my family and much, much more, thanks.  Your support and reliable presence over an entire year touched and humbled me and also my grateful wife Cathy.  I have seen the true meaning of community at CMS!

To the leadership, especially in the Human Resources Department, of Hanover County Public Schools, the knowledge that I did not have to feel distracted by job related civilian career questions while serving here was a blessing. 

The many friends from Atlee Community Church in Mechanicsville who have cut fallen trees up, done yard work, taken trash, visited, fed and checked on my family, prayed, and provided the occasional break from watching and raising three small children for Cathy. 

Thank you to the wonderful, caring ladies of Community Bible Study (CBS) in Mechanicsville who have given so much support and encouragement for my family and constant prayer for the Soldiers of the CAV.

American Legion Post 175 and VFW Post 9808 from Mechanicsville, both of which I am a member.  The incredible amount of packages, items and notes of encouragement for my soldiers made a difference in their morale and quality of life. 

To the community members that supported their military drives, you have made an impact through your support and patriotism. 

There are others I could thank as well, but I will stop here and ask their forgiveness for not directly mentioning them all in this small space.

While a deployment is a sacrifice, the giving spirit and sense of community that I have experienced from so many across the Mechanicsville/Hanover Courthouse community has made me grateful that I live and work in such a special community. 

I can’t wait to see the green of Hanover, and to be back in the clean, safe place that it is!  See you soon!

Walt Mercer
2-183d Cavalry Squadron
Virginia Army National Guard

Editor’s Note:
We thought this letter special enough to feature it on our Local Pick page.

And like many other mothers, Alyssa’s mom, Christal Doane mother takes videos of her daughter, to capture those sweet, sparkling moments of childhood.
In one video, as photos of a smiling blonde girl flicker across the screen, a written narration reads, “Alyssa spends hours each day taking pills, inhaling medicine and doing therapy in an effort to keep her lungs healthy and strong. She also spends a lot of time in the hospital and at home on IVs. That’s a lot of time for such a busy bee.”

Alyssa is one of about 30,000 people in the United States to be afflicted by Cystic Fibrosis.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. 

Children diagnosed with CF in the 50s rarely lived long enough to go to elementary school. Today, advanced medical research and medical treatment has extended the length and quality of life for many of those with this disease.

Alyssa and her family want to make sure that this research continues.

“Alyssa helped up to fundraise when she was four years old, when we did a softball tournament for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” said Christal.

Alyssa has also been involved with Great Strides, a national fund-raising event to support the organization’s mission to pursue a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

“This will be her fifth year of going out and walking, with her friends and her family,” said Christal. “This will grow with her through the years, and will hopefully get bigger and bigger.”

This year, Alyssa’s team boasts about 56 walkers, 24 more than participated last year. The team’s goal is to raise $10,000.

“Ninety-three cents of every dollar goes back into research, and into the (CF Foundation-accredited) care center, so she really does use that money,” said Christal.

The Doanes believe that if they can hit their goal this year, then they may well be able to raise $15,000 next year. This amount would be enough to enable Hanover to host its own Great Strides event.

“We’ve always enjoyed the Richmond Great Strides,” said Christal. “But because the Richmond Great Strides covers such a broad area, when we’re trying to get sponsors, well, Hanover people like to help Hanover people. And that’s why I love my town!”

Until then, Hanoverians can show their support at the Richmond Great Strides walk that will take place on May 17 at 9:30 a.m.

Walkers will meet at the Turning Basin and walk along the canal to Brown’s Island.

For more information, or to make a pledge, visit Alyssa’s Web site at http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/AlyssaDoane

But it’s not like any tea party you may have been to before.

It’s the National Tea Party for Neurofibromatosis Day, sponsored by the Children’s Tumor Foundation. All proceeds will go directly to research and patient support to better the lives of individuals living with NF.

Here in Mechanicsville Matt and Sheri Fincher are hosting a party at the Church of the Creator at 7159 Mechanicsville Turnpike from 2 to 5 p.m.

Their son Noah, born May25, 2006. As time passed Matt and Sheri became concerned with his development.

“We noticed he wasn’t doing the normal things like rolling over, holding his head up,” they said.

A specialist diagnosed Noah with the genetic disorder in October 2006.

According to the foundation, Neurofibromatosis encompasses a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow along various types of nerves and, in addition, can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin.

Now 23 months old, Noah’s development has been delayed by his disorder.

“He says two or three words,” said Sheri. “He’s still on the bottle.”

Noah also has the typical café-au-lait spots on his skin and a sunken chest.

One in 3,000 children born will have NF, according to the foundation, and there is no cure.

Half of all cases are inherited, the other half are caused by a spontaneous genetic mutation, which occurred in Noah’s case.

Matt and Sheri say the worst part is the unpredictable nature of the disease.

Noah could lead a relatively normal life, or complications caused by the tumors could result in blindness, deafness, bone deformities or heart defects.

Noah has benefited from physical and speech therapy, and has a battery of specialists helping him deal with his disorder.

At almost two years old, he is an active child who “runs all over the place,” said Sheri.

“The worst part is we don’t know what is going to happen,” said Matt.

For more information about neurofibromatosis, visit the Children’s Tumor Foundation Web site at http://www.ctf.org.
To find out more about the tea party, contact the Finchers at 804 218-6648.

He served on the board of directors for several organizations and was owner and president of Green Top Sporting Goods Inc. in Hanover County, which he bought in 1993.

“Charlie . . . was an empathetic individual when it came to the employees. He was caring and always wanting to make sure all of us were taken care of and that things were running smoothly,” said Bill Prout, a vice president of Green Top.

Mr. Thalhimer died Monday at his home after a brief illness. He was 58.

Born and raised in Richmond, Mr. Thalhimer was the son of Charles G. Thalhimer, who is the retired vice chairman of Thalhimers Department Stores, and the late Rhoda Rubin Thalhimer. Mr. Thalhimer was a graduate of Collegiate School in Henrico County and Brown University in Rhode Island.

After a stint in the Navy during the 1970s, Mr. Thalhimer held management positions in the family-run Thalhimer Bros. Inc. chain. In 1993, he purchased Green Top from Cecil Hopkins, who founded the store in 1947 with his brother, Carroll.

Mr. Thalhimer, who was an avid fisherman, didn’t make sweeping changes when he bought the sporting-goods business and maintained a strong focus on the customers, Prout said. “He felt that our customers were the most important people of all.”

As involved as he was with his business, Mr. Thalhimer also continued his family’s tradition of serving the community. At the time of his death, he was serving as chairman of the board for Hospital Hospitality House, a nonprofit organization that provides lodging and nonmedical services in a caring, homelike environment.

Mr. Thalhimer also served on the boards for the VCU Foundation, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Collegiate School, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Boys and Girls Club of Richmond.

“He loved life and was a giver of love and happiness to people, and they gave it back to him,” said longtime friend Rusty Lester.

Growing up, Mr. Thalhimer was active in all kinds of sports, including tennis, baseball and basketball. He also enjoyed fresh and saltwater fishing, said his brother, Harry Thalhimer of Richmond.

In addition to his father and brother, Mr. Thalhimer’s survivors include his wife of 35 years, Carol Thalhimer; a son, Chas Thalhimer; and a daughter, Meg Thalhimer, all of Richmond; and a sister, Ellen Holland of Atlanta. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.