Herbert Joseph Clegg

CLEGG, Herbert Joseph, 80, of Mechanicsville, passed away Saturday, September 4, 2010. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Virginia Jackson Clegg; his parents, Herbert and Mary Clegg; and two sisters, Rosemary LeSage and Derythe Murry. He is survived by his son, Michael Clegg and wife, Susan; grandchildren, Eli, Stacy and Rana Clegg; great-grandchildren, Logan Clegg; three brothers, Ralph Clegg of Attleboro, Mass., James Clegg (Shirley) of The Villages, Fla. and John Clegg (Sheila) of Hadley, Mass.; six sisters, Carole Messino (James) of Grants Pass, Ore., Janet Green of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Mary Ellen Gobin (Robert) of Attleboro, Mass., Nancy Chestnut (Joseph) of Baraboo, Wis., Marge Hunter (Richard) of Pensacola, Fla. and Roberta Parenteau of Taunton, Mass; and a devoted friend, William "Billy" Doswell. Mr. Clegg was a U.S. Army veteran. He was a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in education. He had a very successful career path as executive vice president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Restaurant Association from 1979, where he retired in 1993. He was also chief operations officer of the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Industry Association (retired 1994), executive vice president/secretary of the VRA Educational Foundation Inc. Board of Directors and established permanent scholarship in the name of The Herbert J. Clegg Scholarship Fund at VPI & SU in 1994 (1983 to 1995), executive vice president of the VRA Charitable Foundation Inc. (1989 to 1995), treasurer/ chief lobbyist of the VRA Political Action Committee (1980 to 1990), and administrator/assistant secretary of the Virginia Hospitality Group Self-Insurance Association Inc. (1992 to 2010). He was a member of several professional associations including the American Society of Association Executives, National Restaurant Association, Virginia Society of Association Executives (president, 1977; Award of Excellence, 1983) and the International Society of Restaurant Association Executives (president, 1991). He also provided and promoted community activism being a part of the Petersburg Optimist Club, president 1959 to 1960 (awarded life membership, Optimist International, 1961); the VCU School of Education, Self-Study Committee; Henrico County Vocational Education Advisory Committee, secretary; J. Sargeant Reynolds Faculty Selections Committee (HRIM); Virginia Department of Education, Marketing Advisory Committee, VPI & SU; College of Human Resources Futures Council, VPI & SU; Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management Advisory Council; and the Central Virginia Food Bank Advisory Board. Mr. Clegg established the VRA Educational Foundation Inc. and the VRA Charitable Foundation Inc. A memorial service will be held Friday, September 10, 2010 at Nelsen Funeral Home & Crematory, 4650 South Laburnum Ave., Richmond, Va. 23230, at 11 a.m. Interment will be private.



This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.