Richard William Lacks

Richard William Lacks, 83, went to be with the Lord on October 28, 2025. Richard was born on January 11, 1942 in Simcoe Ontario, Canada. He was the son of the late Richard Lee Lacks and Patsye Thompson Lacks and the brother-in-law of the late Randolph McDowell and the late W.J. "Dunnie” Nichols. He is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Janice Salley Lacks; his two sons, Richard Christopher Lacks (Amy) and Michael James Lacks (Kristin); his six grandchildren: Joshua Lee Lacks, Jason Robert Lacks, Samuel Philip Lacks, Esther Mariah Lacks, Audrey Marie Lacks, and William Colton Lacks; his two sisters: Carolyn Lacks Nichols of Halifax, Virginia and Margaret Lacks McDowell of Celebration, Florida; his sister-in-law: Geneva Salley Lotspeich (Clyde) of Parksley, Virginia; several nieces and nephews; and very special friends in the Anniversary Group. Richard was a 1965 graduate of Virginia Tech with a major in Animal Science. Throughout his life, Richard faithfully followed the motto of Virginia Tech, “Ut Prosim” meaning “That I May Serve.” Service and Relationships defined his life. Richard was devoted to serving his community, his church, and his family. He enjoyed the relationships he built when working as an extension agent for over thirty years in the Virginia Tech Extension Service serving the counties of Appomattox, Amherst and Lunenburg. His dedication is demonstrated by the numerous associations he served on including the Soil and Water Conservation District, the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Lunenburg County Planning Commission, Community Memorial Hospital Board, Kenbridge Ruritan Club, and participation in the Phillip Morris Outstanding Young Tobacco Farmer Program where he had several winners from Lunenburg County. Service to his church and his Lord were very important to Richard. He was a faithful member of Kenbridge Baptist Church for over fifty years where he served as a Deacon, Deacon Chair, Sunday School teacher and Trustee. Richard appreciated the outdoors where he enjoyed hunting and gardening. The many hours he worked the land produced an abundance of vegetables including his prized Celebrity tomatoes and Jade string beans. He supplied many family and friends with the abundance of his crops. He worked in his garden until he could not physically do it anymore. When his health failed, Richard continued to have a positive attitude and strong faith. A special thanks to all the wonderful caretakers who faithfully cared for Richard, including Liz Graves, Mary Foster, Erica Bell, Kisha Walton, Estelle Johnson, Rhonda Holder and Connie Gascon. A memorial service will be held to honor the life of this beloved and faithful servant on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 2pm in the Kenbridge Baptist Church with a private burial to follow. The family will receive friends Saturday at the church from 1PM until start of services. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kenbridge Baptist Church P.O. Box 445 Kenbridge, VA 23944 or the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom P.O. Box 27552 Richmond, VA 23261.