Captain Robert Roland Hudgins, 91, of Port Haywood, Virginia, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. He was born on June 11, 1929.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George Vernon Hudgins and Mary Hudgins Armistead and stepfather, Harry Armistead; a sister, Elizabeth Jones; brothers, George Vernon Hudgins Jr. and Eugene C. Hudgins.

He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Janice; a son, Robert Foster Hudgins (Charry); a daughter, Nancy Hudgins Rowe (Ronald Keith); grandchildren, Leslie Shipley, Leah Sutton (Kevin), Justin Rowe (Farley), Auburn and Brittany DeBolt; great-grandchildren, Brody and Austin Sutton, Garrett and Elliott Rowe, Caleb DeBolt; many nieces, nephews, and great friends that stood by him.

Robert was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church and Oriental Lodge No. 20 A.F. & A.M. He was a commercial fisherman from New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico and he retired from Omega Protein. He was also a member of the United States Coast Guard. His love of the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, as a waterman, is evident in his life by the pictures he kept. Each picture held a treasured memory. He was a treasure to his family, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a gifted artist and loved to paint.

A graveside service was held on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, at 2 p.m. at Friendship Cemetery, Susan, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bethel Men’s Bible Class, c/o Jimmy Hudgins, P.O. Box 91, Mathews, Va. 23109, to the Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad, 94 Cricket Hill Road, Hudgins, Va. 23076 and to the Mathews Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 1130, Mathews, Va. 23109. Faulkner Funeral Homes, Foster-Faulkner Chapel, Mathews, assisted the family. Please be advised that current state-mandated guidelines applied to all in attendance, including social distancing and appropriate face coverings.