Oakley Welford Patrom Obituary (1919 - 2014)

Patrom Oakley Welford Patrom, departed this life at his residence in Richmond, June 12, 2014. He was born in Beach Community of Chesterfield County July 6, 1918, the ninth of ten children of Porter and Magnolia Robertson Patrom; his father having passed away when he was only eight years old. He was preceded in death by his dear wife of 57 years, Ethel Bunson Patrom. His survivors are his beloved children, Donald Patrom and Abasi Ote of St. Petersburg, Fla., Michael Patrom (Arlene) of Clearwater, Fla., Howard Patrom, Oakland, Calif., his devoted caregiver for the past several years; Ronald Patrom (Sherita) of Aurora, Colo., Mustafa Abu-Bkr (Basimah) of Durham, N.C., Pamela P. Bhagat and Muhammad Abu-Bkr of Richmond; 15 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; sister, Magnolia Patron of N. Chesterfield; three nieces, Naomi Rachal, Carolyn Patron and Patricia Jones of Bronx, N.Y.; one nephew, Daniel Patrom of Lynchburg, Va.; sister-in-law, Barbara Brown; brother-in-law, Thomas Bunson; countless cousins, among them, Mozelle Preston and Henry Johnson; other relatives and friends. Nurtured in a Christian environment, he accepted Christ as the Lord of his life and joined First Baptist Church Centralia as a young boy where he welcomed into its fellowship by his grandmother, a founding member. As a youth, he, with the late Irving Friend, initiated and conducted biweekly prayer meetings at the church. He was an active member until he relocated to Washington, D.C., but he remained a spiritual person throughout his lifetime. After completing elementary school, he attended D. Webster Davis High School on the campus of Virginia State College, where he received masonry training. At age 17, he built his brother's first brick house that still stands on Centralia Rd. He later became one of the greatest brick masons and general contractors of his time. His other entrepreneurships included the operation of a laundromat and a uniform shop in the Richmond area. A veteran of WWII, he served his country from 1941 to 1945 in the Pacific Theater. Oakley will be remembered for his love and devotion to family, compassion that extended beyond family, generosity of spirit, well-groomed appearance, quick humor and love of life. Graveside services Saturday, June 21, at 11 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Park, Chester, Va. Arrangements entrusted to Mimms Funeral Home, 1827 Hull Street.