Frank DuVal Hargrove Sr.

Frank DuVal Hargrove, Sr. died on October 16, 2021, at Cool Water, his Hanover County home. He was ninety-four years old. Born in Elmont, Frank was the son of Arthur W. Hargrove, Jr. and Lula D. Hargrove. His parents; his brother, Arthur W. Hargrove III; and his sister, Mary Anne Hargrove Coolidge, predeceased him. Frank was independent and very competitive from his earliest days. An adventurous childhood presaged his later life. He is said to have traveled solo around the southern United States when he was twelve and learned to fly airplanes as a teenager. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, where he was a standout football player and earned the nickname Ripper, the name by which his grandchildren knew him. Upon graduating from high school in 1945, Frank enlisted in the Army and served in the occupation forces in Japan. After discharge, he attended Virginia Tech on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. He rarely mentioned his studies or football, but there were numerous stories of his exploits with his airplane. He enjoyed recounting how he dropped flour bombs on VMI, landed on the Drillfield, and flew under bridges. Later, Frank repurchased the plane he owned in college and flew it from the airstrip at his home. If an out-of-town grandchild expected a present, he might drop it from the plane. Following college, Frank joined his father in the insurance business and married Oriana Robertson, his wife of fifty-seven years who died in 2010. She took credit for channeling her husband’s considerable energy to productive ends. Frank was a success in business. He assembled a team, and together, they built A. W. Hargrove Insurance Agency, Inc. into one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Virginia before selling it in 1997. He sought new challenges while his business grew. He taught himself to sail, joined Fishing Bay Yacht Club, served as its Commodore, and competed in regattas throughout the United States. In the 1960s, he spotted Cool Water, an eighteenth century home, from his plane. That discovery led him to buy Cool Water and restore it with his wife, Oriana, before moving his family there. Frank and like-minded friends promoted building Hanover County Airport in the late 1960s. The airport field is named for him in recognition of his work. Frank was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1981, where he served for twenty-eight years. He loved making government work for his constituents. He did not believe that men and women in government power were angels. That skepticism and his moral compass led him to call for abolition of the death penalty years before the idea gained acceptance. Although over 90% of his constituents disagreed with his stance, they continued to re-elect him until he retired. He supported many causes over his long legislative career. One of the most important to him was the Virginia War Memorial. He was instrumental in securing funding through the General Assembly to restore the Memorial Shrine and Building, and led the fund raising efforts for the Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center construction and programs. In his fifties, he took up long distance running and cycling. He was the sort of person who preferred a bike to a car to cross Teton Pass. He rounded out a busy life with the support of many more charitable organizations than can be mentioned here. He was especially proud of his work on the governing bodies of Ferrum College and Randolph-Macon College. He is survived by his children and their spouses, Dale Alderman (Richard Alderman), Frank Jr. (Elizabeth), Stewart (Lynn), and Wellesley (Kim), and grandchildren Oriana (Douglas Fletcher), Stewart (Dana), Sarah, Mark (Amber), Frank III, Madeleine, Mollie, Hannah, Graeme, and Bailey, and one great-grandchild, Stewart. He was an indulgent, supportive, and caring parent and grandparent. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law Dr. William A. Robertson (Mary), M. Bruce Robertson (Juanita), and Jean Beckh Robertson, the wife of his deceased brother-in-law E. Stewart Robertson. Frank’s family will miss his direct manner, vice grip handshake, storytelling, elaborate family gatherings complemented by bonfires on the order of infernos, and the Thanksgiving shooting contest for the Cool Water Cup. The family thanks Joram “Joe” Kiromo, Mary Kiarie, Colonel Watkins, Alice Mwangi, and Casey Jones whose care made it possible for Frank to remain at home during the final years of his life. There will be a private funeral service and burial. Those wishing to make a memorial gift might consider The Virginia War Memorial Foundation, 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, VA 23220, or Randolph-Macon College for the Hargrove Scholarship, P. O. Box 5005, Ashland, VA 23005.