Herbert Timothy "Tim" Lovelace Sr.

Herbert Timothy "Tim" Lovelace Sr.

January 10. 1947 - April 13, 2023

Herbert Timothy "Tim" Lovelace Sr. was born on January 10, 1947, to the late Lilly Catherine Lovelace and Timothy Edward Lovelace in Roanoke, Va. The Lord called Tim to eternal rest on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va.

Tim was a proud graduate of the Lucy Addison High School, Class of 1965. He served as class treasurer and was a member of Lucy Addison's newspaper staff, drama club, and choir.

Tim touched countless lives as an employee and unionist at the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He worked in a variety of roles throughout the hospital across four decades: psychiatric nursing, recreation therapy, volunteer service, and the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) advisory committee. He received numerous merit awards for his outstanding contributions to the hospital community, including EEO Employee of the Year.

The Lovelace family has worshipped at Hill Street Baptist Church for generations, and Tim served the Lord in many of the church's ministries. He was a faithful deacon for 30 years and a former trustee and usher. Tim was a gifted singer, and as a child, he sang in the Dover's Angels Choir. Tim later joined the Souls of Faith where he served as the choir's chaplain and the Male Chorus where he served as treasurer. Tim was also active in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and the Men's Ministry.

Hill Street has a distinguished history, and Tim was passionate about sharing the church's legacy with others. In the 1960s, under the leadership of Rev. R. R. Wilkinson, Hill Street played an integral role in Roanoke's civil rights movement. Tim vividly remembered participating in church services and rallies to close the Washington Park Dump, desegregate Lakeside Amusement Park, and improve employment opportunities for Blacks in the city. In the 1970s, the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority purchased and razed the old Hill Street church building as part of urban renewal. Hill Street temporarily met at Lucy Addison, and Tim was a member of the Building Committee for the new Hill Street church building. And inasmuch as Tim loved his church, Tim's church loved him. He was a past recipient of Hill Street's Man of the Year Award, and he was recently honored during the church's 130th Anniversary Celebration.

Tim was preceded in death by his parents and parents-in-law, Milton and Lillian Ophelia Hazzard. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Lorraine Lovelace Anderson, Eleanor Maria Lovelace, and Joan Alfreda Lovelace.

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of more than 50 years, Rebecca Hazzard Lovelace; children, Tammi Lovelace (James Osby), Taiwan Lovelace, and Tim (Daisy) Lovelace Jr.; grandchildren, Josiah and Jeremiah Osby and Lillian Lovelace; brother, Roland (Robbin) Lovelace; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

A public viewing will be held Friday, April 21, 2023, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home & Crematory. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Hill Street Baptist Church. Live Streaming will be available from the Hamlar-Curtis website. Click "View Live Streaming Here" at the top of the screen. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Williams Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hill Street Baptist Church Annex Fund. Condolences may be sent to www.Hamlar-Curtis.com.