John Almond Sankey III

SANKEY, John Almond, III, 69, of Richmond, Va., passed away on December 23, 2021, at University of Virginia Medical Center, of Interstitial Lung Disease. A dedicated fan of the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams, John was an avid outdoorsman, a gifted musician and a devoted husband to his wife, Trish.

John Sankey was born on October 26, 1952, in Camden, S.C. In his early adolescence, John and his family moved to the Netherlands, where his father, John Sankey Jr., worked as an engineer. The Sankeys moved to Richmond while John was in high school. He graduated from Huguenot High School and shortly after, was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served in the 3rd Army Field Artillery Battalion during the Vietnam War. Upon returning to Richmond, John enrolled in VCU and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 1979. He soon found his professional calling with D.B. Schenker, where he worked in supply chain logistics for nearly three decades before retiring as general manager.

John was a season ticket holder for the VCU Rams' basketball team and often traveled to out-of-town games with his dear friend John "Boogie" Bailey. Bailey also was drummer in the Bluz Catz, a blues and rock group that John Sankey co-founded in 1988 with neighbor and friend, Jack Mason. "From playing acoustic guitar on his front porch, to playing in the Bluz Catz, John had great joy in sharing his music with friends and fans," recalled Mason. John was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics as well.

Sharing times with friends was also one of the joys that fueled his love of outdoor sports. "He was a true outdoorsman," recalled friend and outdoor companion, Bill Bolin. "John did not have to experience great success either fishing or hunting—just being in the great outdoors with his buddies was most important to him." John's devotion to the outdoors included 30 years of supporting Chesterfield Ducks Unlimited.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Dell and John Sankey Jr. Survivors include the love of his life and his wife of 43 years, Trish; his sister, Robbins (Giles) Hopkins of Bethesda, Md.; and his brother, Thomas Sankey of Katy, Texas.

Donations may be made to Floyd County Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 257, Floyd, Va. 24091. Condolences may be expressed through Hill & Wood Funeral Service, 201 N. First St., Charlottesville, Va. 22902. A Celebration of Life is planned for a later date.