Stuart Barton Jenness

JENNESS, Stuart Barton, 91, of Henrico, born June 5, 1928 in Richmond, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, December 5, 2019 after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles F. Jenness, Sr.; his mother, Emily Shaw Jenness; his brother, Charles F. Jenness, Jr. (Phyllis); his sister, Barbara Jenness Barden (Sonny); and his nephew-in-law, C.G. Winston, Jr. He is survived by his devoted wife of 70 years, Joyce Coleman Jenness; and his loving daughter, Janet Stuart Jenness. Stuart is also survived by his adoring nephews and nieces, Charles F. Jenness, III (Muriel), Dianne Roberson (Kelly), Brenda Winston, Cathy Barden, Karen Corrigan, and Steve Barden; as well as many caring great- nieces and nephews. He was a 1945 graduate of John Marshall High School. Stuart began his career in property and casualty insurance at the Virginia Insurance Rating Bureau, where he met Joyce Lee Coleman, the love of his life, in 1946. After some years with Tabb, Brockenbrough & Ragland, Stuart joined the Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company as an underwriter and shortly obtained his CPCU designation. Stuart gave back to his community as an active member of the Richmond Jaycees. An active outdoorsman, Stuart raised beagles and enjoyed hunting squirrels and rabbits on his wife’s family farm in Spotsylvania County. He was an award-winning gardener whose tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers were coveted. A life-long baseball fan, he supported the Braves and the Yankees with enthusiasm. He reserved his greatest devotion, however, for his daughter’s alma mater, The University of Virginia, even though he was always grossly outnumbered at family football and basketball game watch gatherings. One of his final days was spent cheering on the Wahoos of Virginia to victory against the Hokies of Virginia Tech in this year’s Commonwealth Cup. After his retirement from Harleysville in 1991, he loved working part-time as a courtesy clerk at Ukrop’s for 15 years. He was also an active missions volunteer at First Baptist Church, where he and Joyce became members in 1959. Stuart never met a stranger. He was affectionately known as “Mr. Christmas,” and his childlike enthusiasm for life, his abiding love for his family, and his strong faith carried him through many tough times. He was dearly loved and will be sorely missed by all. Special thanks are extended to the compassionate care team at Companion Extraordinaire, especially Lisa Tyler and Beatrice Banks, for their loving assistance in Stuart’s last months. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, December 11 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Woody Funeral Home, 1771 N. Parham Rd., Richmond, VA 23229. A funeral service will be held at Woody - Parham Chapel on Thursday, December 12 at 11:00am. Interment will follow at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, 12609 Patterson Ave., Richmond, VA 23238. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, 2709 Monument Ave, Richmond, VA 23220 www.fbcrichmond.org/giving-options, or the Richmond SPCA, 2519 Hermitage Rd, Richmond, VA 23220 https://richmondspca.org/how-you-can-help/donate/.