Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Colenda, Joseph Alton April 11, 2007
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Suzy Fleming wardflemin@aol.com October 12, 2013, 9:33 am

Virginian Pilot April 14 2007
J. Alton Colenda, a native of Hampton Roads, died four days after his 90th 
birthday on April 11, 2007 following a long illness. Art was born in Norfolk 
April 7, 1917, in what was then locally known as Atlantic City, where his 
grandmother kept cows on the site of what is now Sentara Norfolk General 
Hospital. He attended Patrick Henry School, Blair Junior High School and 
graduated from Maury High School in 1936. He was the son of Rose Isabel and 
Christopher C. Colenda. During World War II, Art was a member of the U.S. 
Merchant Marines and was at Omaha Beach on D-Day. He was in the transportation 
and warehousing business for many years before he decided, in 1957, that he was 
going to college. The family moved to Charlottesville, where he attended the 
University of Virginia for four years. When signing up for classes he was told 
he had to take a foreign language. As he was not foreign language oriented, he 
decided to find out what language the football players took so he could do the 
same. He subsequently took Italian with all the jocks. Following his return of 
Norfolk, he was an executive in Southgate Corporation for 25 years before his 
retirement. In 1970, Art and his wife, Gerry, discovered the travel bug, 
especially to international destinations. They never let their passports expire 
after that, and those passports were well used. Among the destinations were 
golfing trips to Scotland where they played St. Andrews along with several 
other courses, Spain, Barbados and California to include Pebble Beach. Another 
trip to Croatia led them to find unknown relatives, which culminated in an 
exchange of visits for more than 36 years. Art is survived by his wife of 65 
years, Gerry, and daughter, Jeri. His parents, his brother, Christopher 
Colenda, and his sister, Nell Rose Swain, preceded him in death. His sister, 
Margaret Prince and his four nephews; his sister-in-law, Janet of Williamsburg 
and his nephew, Dr. Christopher Colenda, M.D., and wife Kathy of Texas, also 
survive him. A graveside service will be held at Elmwood Cemetery Monday at 11 
a.m. with the Rev Stephen Ratliff of the First Presbyterian Church of Virginia 
Beach officiating. The family will receive friends Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at 
H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., 2002 Laskin Road Chapel, Virginia Beach. Too 
numerous to mention by name, our thanks go to the employees, past and present, 
of Seaside Health Center for their loving care and dedication for the past 
three years, and to the wonderful employees of Atlantic Shores. It is requested 
that, in lieu of flowers, any desired memorial donations be directed to The 
Colenda Fund/VBF, c/o The Virginia Beach Foundation, P.O. Box 4629, Virginia 
Beach, VA 23454 or to the charity of your choice. The Colenda Fund is set up to 
provide needed assistance to children (including The Maury Foundation), 
veterans (particularly disabled) and animals (abandoned, abused or in need of 
rescue).



Additional Comments:
Elmwood

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