John Davis Massey

1930 - 2024

John Davis Massey

July 12, 1930 - December 13, 2024

A dancer, actor, teacher, favorite uncle, lover of tractors, motorcycles and complicated knots, expert in jury-rigging, a jack of all trades, and proud Richmond native son, John D. Massey passed peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and loved ones. He was 94.

A 'Tee-Jay' graduate, class of '47, John attended the precursors of both UofR (Richmond College) and VCU (RPI), eventually earning a BFA in theater. Born and raised on a bluff overlooking the James, he built his home next to the family log cabin and lived there for his last 29 years. An amateur historian, he loved to tell stories of old Richmond.

Broadway musicals and the allure of theater life led a young John to Hollywood and then New York, a city he grew to know and love. Performing in regional theater and through a host of odd jobs John enjoyed all kinds of wonderful (mis)adventures - a jitney driver for Tennessee Williams, a hotel doorman for Judy Garland, a box office clerk at the opening of Sound of Music with Mary Martin, a Vegas dancer for Liberace. He was still telling us new stories just weeks before he died! And during these years he developed a passion for ballroom dancing and studied dance instruction under the famed Arthur Murray.

John returned to Richmond as an accomplished and elegant ballroom dancer, and he taught at VCU School of the Arts, Richmond Ballet and local dance schools for the next 50 years and well into his late 80's. One of his greatest joys was to dance and to share that passion with young people. When not ballroom dancing (how he met his wife) or building a 45-ft sailboat with his brother (see Moby Dick), John worked for Christian Children's Fund, Style Weekly and the Fort James paper company.

John is survived by his wife, Susan Israel, of 31 years, his sister Caroline Shreve, stepchildren Aaron Israel, Seth (Casey) Israel and Jessica (Brian) Rannie, nephews Broaddus (Deloris), Davis (Gita) and John Julian Massey, niece Amy (Ken) Rohle, nephew Tommy (Ginny) Sanford, and grandchildren Stella and Phineas Rannie, and Lila and Vivienne Israel. He was preceded in death by his sister, Charlotte and her husband Thomas Sanford, brother Broaddus and his wife Beverley, nephew Danny Shreve and niece Susan Sanford.

A memorial gathering will be held Sunday, April 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the ballroom at the Cultural Arts Center, 2880 Mountain Rd, Glen Allen.