Two long-time Mathews residents, each with a heart and passion for serving their community, will lead Saturday’s Mathews Christmas Parade. Raymond and Arma Willis were named grand marshals of the parade, which will begin at 1 p.m. from Thomas Hunter Middle School.
Mr. Willis has a long list of community organizations that he has been involved with for a number of years. He serves as president of the Mathews chapter of the NAACP, as vice president of Hands Across Mathews, is a member of the Mathews Rotary Club and is treasurer and member of the board of trustees at his church, Emmaus Baptist at North.
A Mathews native and graduate of Thomas Hunter High School, Mr. Willis said he loves helping others, and that’s what drives him to be so involved. “Just the idea of seeing people happy is what keeps me doing this,” he said. “In Mathews, there are a lot of people that need help.”
Willis said he started doing some part time volunteering for Hands Across Mathews before he retired from Dominion Virginia Power in 2005. In 2006, he dedicated even more time to the organization, picking up food from the food bank and coordinating the organization’s assistance for families that will help people with their electric and oil bills.
With the NAACP, Willis works to organize the chapter’s events. He also makes sure he keeps abreast of local, state and national issues and visits the local schools regularly to help maintain the organization’s relationship with students and the community as a whole.
All the while, Mrs. Willis has been standing by his side, encouraging and helping him along the way. Next Saturday, Dec. 20, the couple will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.
The Willises, who reside at North, have two children. Their son, Raymond Jr., is CEO of Heritage Capital Group, LLC and resides in Suffolk. Their daughter, Yvette Gaither, works for the U.S. State Department. They have two grandchildren.
When not volunteering in the community, the couple enjoys traveling, especially to see their daughter and grandson, who move around quite a bit with the State Department job.