12/12/12
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Alan J. Chenery Jr. '50 |
The Randolph-Macon College community mourns the loss of Alan J. Chenery Jr. ’50, who died on December 11, 2012.
Chenery, a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 1950 with a degree in psychology. After serving for two years as a surgical technician in the U.S. Army, he earned a M.Ed. from University of Virginia.
Chenery taught in local schools from 1954 to 1958 and served as a school teacher and administrator in Chesterfield County for 25 years before becoming president of Chenery Distributing Co. in Ashland in 1979.
Chenery’s family connections to Randolph-Macon are legendary and include: his son, Jeff Chenery ’80; his father, Dr. Alan Chenery Sr. 1911; his uncle, Chris Chenery 1907 (who owned Meadow Farm, birthplace of Secretariat); and his uncle, William Chenery 1905. A nephew and niece are also graduates of R-MC.
“Alan’s loyalty to Randolph-Macon was unsurpassed,” says R-MC President Robert R. Lindgren. “He established the Alan J. Chenery Fund for faculty development in 1987, the Alan Chenery Honors Program Endowment in 1988, and the C. T. Chenery (Class of 1906) Memorial Fund. Most important, he was a friend and an inspiration to all who knew him.”
Chenery served on the Board of Associates from 1988-97 and he was a Society of Alumni Board member. He served with distinction on the Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2008 and was named Trustee Emeritus in 2010. In 1991 he was presented the Society of Alumni Distinguished Service Award.
He is survived by his wife, Sara Lu, daughter Lu Gay Chenery Lanier and husband Robert; son Alan Jeffries Chenery III and wife Audie; granddaughter Cortne Lanier; and grandson Carl Lanier and wife Natalie.
A graveside service will be held in Woodland Cemetery, 12495 Clinton Heights Drive, Ashland, Virginia, on Saturday, December 15 at 1:00 p.m. A reception at Randolph-Macon College in the Andrews Hall Building, 420 Henry Street, Ashland, Virginia, will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Randolph-Macon College Honors Program, P.O., Box 5005, Ashland, Virginia, 23005, or Lakewood Manor Benevolent Fund. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to: to Mrs. Sara Lu Chenery, Lakeside Manor, 1906 Lauderdale Drive, Richmond, VA 23238.