James Dowling Cherry

Cherry, James Dowling age 93, of Blacksburg, Virginia died Sunday March 18, 2012 at Heritage Hall in Blacksburg. He was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on January 16, 1919 to the late James B. Cherry and Mary Cross Cherry. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie Newsome Cherry. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he majored in English and went on to work in journalism and marketing for several newspapers, including the St. Louis Post Dispatch, where he was Marketing Director. Jim and Marjorie founded the Unitarian Fellowship of Hampton, Virginia; were instrumental in creating the Church of the River in Memphis, Tennessee; and were actively involved in leadership at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Louis. Both were also active in community theater wherever they dwelled. Jim served for many years as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels in St. Louis. Jim was well loved for his friendly and gregarious nature, his wit, his generosity, and his sense of responsibility to community. He leaves many beloved friends behind in Memphis and St. Louis, and he will be sorely missed by both friends and family. He is survived by his two daughters, Joanna Cherry and Peg Sorrentino, and son-in-law Paul Sorrentino; brother Jack Cherry and sister-in-law Elaine Cherry; granddaughters Elizabeth Webb and Sophia More; and his great grandson Dasan Febrizio Bolanos. Services: A memorial service will be held in St. Louis at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, at a future date.