IRVINGTON—Robert Hill Fleet Jr. of Irvington died September 14.
The son of the late Robert Hill and Rubenette Lee Fleet, he was born on August 17, 1927. He grew up in Irvington and Richmond. He was one of 12 first cousins who gathered in Irvington for the summer, a rather rambunctious group they were.
Bob was known as “Country” to classmates, Dad or Pop to his sons, and Bop or Grandfather to his grandson.
Bob was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School Class of 1947, Mars Hill College in North Carolina and Concord College in West Virginia. Later, he earned his master’s at William and Mary. After college, he joined the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and served for two years.
After his service, he began his 33 years with the Newport News School System. He worked at Warwick High School, Magruder Elementary, Eppes Elementary, where he was the first principal, Newsome Park Middle School and finished his years in education at Booker T. Washington.
He retired to Irvington, where he helped his brother (Alex) in a lawn cutting business, raised a beautiful garden and built birdhouses. Joining the church at age seven, Bob was the oldest member of Irvington Baptist Church, where he was the longest serving deacon.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Virginia Brooks Fleet, whom he met at Warwick High School; two sons, William Jeffries Fleet (Nick) and Robert Hill Fleet III (Dawn); and a grandson, Robert Hill Fleet IV (Caitlin Blankenship).
He was predeceased by his two older sisters and their husbands, Jo Lee (Henry) Edwards, Leah (T) Waller, and younger brother and buddy, Alexander (Susanne) Fleet.
A memorial service and luncheon will be held at noon Friday, September 20, at Irvington Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in his memory to the Irvington Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 417, Irvington, VA 22480, or to the Ware Academy Endowment Fund, 7936 John Clayton Memorial Highway, Gloucester, VA 23061.
Currie Funeral Home LLC of Kilmarnock handled the arrangements.
