John W. Lovelace

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – John William Lovelace, 79, a native of Johnson City, Tenn., died January 2, 2004, in a Portsmouth hospital.

A graveside service was conducted Monday at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens by the Rev. Tom Potter. Sturtevant Funeral Home was in charge. Memorial donations may be made to a favorite charity.

Lovelace was a retired electrician from Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Shop 51, and a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Wanda L. Lovelace; a daughter, Mary K. Rust of Portsmouth; a son, Keith Lovelace of Corapeake; three sisters; four brothers; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

James Davidson Jr.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – James C. Davidson Jr., 78, a native of Aulander, died January 1, 2004, in a Suffolk hospital.

A funeral was conducted Monday at Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel, by the Rev. Damon Wyatt. Burial was in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens with military honors. Memorial donations may be made to the Portsmouth SPCA.

Davidson was a retired quality assurance inspector for Norfolk Naval Shipyard and a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of Scrappy Pill Reunion, and the 8th Calvary.

Survivors include his wife, Jacqueline C. Davidson; six daughters, Joyce D. Clarke of Corapeake, Angela M. Hassell of Gates, Loretta J. Gray, Rita D. Esada, Sonja L. Adkins, and Shelia Y. Ferguson, all of Suffolk; four sisters, Marie Lassiter of Colerain, Fannie Carlisle of Norfolk, June Culpepper of Portsmouth and Shirley Fitchette of Jacksonville, Fla.; 13 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Margaret L. Britt

NORFOLK, Va. – Margaret Lucille Britt, 88, a native of Rich Square, died January 3, 2004. She was the widow of Arthur (Smokey) Collins Britt.

A graveside service will be conducted Tuesday in Riverside Memorial Cemetery in Murfreesboro by the Rev. Jim Rushing. Loving Funeral Home, Churchland Chapel, was in charge. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Odyssey Hospice, 130 Business Park Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.

Survivors include two daughters, Barbara Myrick and Joanne Whitney; a granddaughter; two grandsons; and four great-grandchildren.

Sallie V. Keely

NORFOLK, Va. – Sallie Vick Keely, 86, a native of Roxobel, died December 30, 2003, at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. She was the widow of Willie Flowers Keely.

A private graveside service, officiated by family friend Robert Woollard, was held Jan. 2, 2004, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk.

She was a homemaker and a longtime member of Norview Baptist Church. During World War II, she served her country in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard as a &uot;Rosie the Riveter&uot; and volunteered at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Hampton, Va., during the Vietnam War.

Survivors include two sisters, Helen Francis of Jacksonville, Fla., and Chloree Overton of Ahoskie; and her son, William M. Keely of Currituck County.

Elsie Brown

ROANOKE RAPIDS – Elsie Brown, 71, died January 1, 2004 at Halifax Regional Medical Center.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Community Church of Christ #2 in Roanoke Rapids by the Rev. Dennis Wooten. Interment will be in Crestview Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday with the family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Roanoke Rapids Chapel of H.D. Pope Funeral Home.

Cynthia Freeman

AHOSKIE – Cynthia Delois Hopson Freeman, died January 2, 2004, at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Greater Harvest Fellowship COGIC, Aulander, by Bishop Leroy J. Woolard. Burial will be in the family cemetery. Reynolds Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

Mrs. Freeman was a member of Greater Harvest Fellowship, Aulander.

Survivors include her husband, George D. Freeman Jr. of Gates; three sons, Christopher, Keith and Kenneth Hopson, all of Aulander; one stepson, Douglas N. Freeman of Murfreesboro; two stepdaughters, Angela Elliott of Tyner and Pamela Green of Gates; her mother, Mary Askew of Aulander; three brothers, Alexander Askew of Smithfield, Va., Calvin Askew of Ahoskie and Ricky Askew of Greensboro; two sisters, Joyce Outlaw of Aulander and Mary Futrell of Hampton, Va.; and one grandchild.

Elijah D. Lane

ROCKY MOUNT – Infant Elijah Donta Lane, died January 3, 2004, at Nash General Hospital, Rocky Mount.

A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at Gardens of Gethsemane by the Rev. Davis. H.D. Pope Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, is in charge.

Aquilla Harvey

WOODLAND – Aquilla Harvey, 88, a native of Northampton County, died December 31, 2003, at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Ahoskie.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Willow Oak AME Zion Church by the Rev. James Baker. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Hunter’s Funeral Home, Inc., Ahoskie, is in charge.

She was a member of Willow Oak AME Zion Church.

Survivors include one son, William Williams of Gouvernour, N.Y.; three daughters, Lois Jones of Seattle, Wash., Flora Deloatch and Jurdy M. Crump, both of Poughkeepsie; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.