The contributions of two distinguished community leaders—the late Rev. Fred Carter and Marion Randall—were honored at a special celebration on Saturday at the Abingdon Ruritan Club in Bena.
The Legacy for Gloucester Citizens hosted the event, titled Celebrating the Legacy of the Past and Present.
“We want to recognize people while they are still here and we also want to recognize those who have gone before us,” said Brenda Dixon, the president of the Legacy for Gloucester Citizens.
Both honorees had loved ones who gave speeches commemorating their accomplishments and service to the community.
Rev. Fred Carter
Carter, who was a funeral director, a pastor as well as a community activist, was born and raised in Gloucester County.
Carter graduated from Temple University where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He also graduated second in his class from the American Academy of McAllister Institute of Funeral Services.
After that, he continued to run his family’s funeral home in the 1960s and later opened Carter Funeral Home, Denbigh Chapel.
Carter was the first black deputy sheriff to work for the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office and he was a member of the Christopher Newport Board of Visitors. He was the former chair of the Newport News Planning Commission and the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers. He was also appointed to the Peninsula Airport Commission when he found his love of flying after receiving the gift of pilot lessons for his 50th birthday from his family. He also was the pastor of Shepherdsville Baptist Church.
Carter was the co-founder of the Thursday Morning Breakfast Group, which held weekly meetings to discuss events that were occurring whether they were national, local or global.
Marion Randall
During the event Marion Randall, a member of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Eta Chapter for 43 years, was honored by the Eastern Regional Director, Dr. Audrey Douglas-Cooke with a Proclamation making Oct. 12 the Eastern Regional “Marion Randall Day.”
Marion Randall, born and raised in Bena, was a longtime educator, teaching in Gloucester County for 30 years with the last 15 years being with Achilles Elementary School. She retired in 2001.
Randall’s civic involvement include being an active member of First Baptist Church, Ordinary; the Samaritan Group of Gloucester, a charter member of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority Incorporated; the recipient of the 2005 Grand Marshal, Golden Rule Chapter #66 OES, Salvation Army, Gloucester Retired Education Association, NAACP, Golden Girls, Docent of Gloucester Museum of History, co-founder of the Widows of Gloucester and Mathews, former PTA president of Abingdon Elementary School, former member of the Retired Teachers’ Association of Gloucester, former member of the Samaritan Group, the former member of the boys and girls council, and she continues to strive to do more within the community.
Sponsors for the event included the Cook Foundation, True Destinations Travel, Pam Garner, Fairfield Foundation, First Baptist Church, First Morning Star Baptist Church, the Rev. E. Randall Graham and First Lady Gwenda Faye Graham, Shepherdsville Baptist Church, Steve and Kathy Greaves, Friends to the Legacy for Gloucester Citizens, C.W. Davis Clearing Grading, Gregory’s Professional Lawn Maintenance and Landscaping LLC, Leon Gregory Jr., and Kathy Phillips.
Music and entertainment were provided by the Grooveline 757 Band and catering was done by Chef Andre Smith.