In Memoriam

At this year’s consortium, a moment of silence was held in memory of two special friends who had recently departed. 

Walter Craigie, who passed away March 3, “was one of the MCV campuses’ most impactful advocates,” says Kenneth Ellenbogen, MD. An investment banker and public servant, Craigie was also an active volunteer, serving as a trustee of the MCV Foundation. With his wife, Beese, he supported everything from Nursing to Pharmacy to Parkinson’s and the Massey Cancer Center.  In 2000, the couple founded the Craigie Endowment for Cardiology Scholarship Awards at VCU to benefit the scholarship of professional staff.

“Over the years, the two had grown that fund and we are so appreciative of their generosity to the Pauley Heart Center,” says Ellenbogen. “Mr. Craigie’s impact is widely felt as he advocated each year on behalf of the Medical Center and VCU to the General Assembly.”

John (“Jack”) Zehmer, Jr., died Feb. 7. An architectural historian in Richmond for many years, he served as the city’s first senior planner for historic preservation. He later directed the Valentine Museum, the Historic Richmond Foundation, and the Capital Region Office of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and helped lead efforts to expand historic districts, restore such architectural treasures as the Virginia Executive Mansion and the Wickham-Valentine House, and save Old City Hall.

In addition to his preservation work, he was also committed to the Pauley Heart Center and many other local medical charities. His wife, Fran, is continuing his philanthropic legacy. “The Zehmers have supported the Pauley Heart Center steadfastly as annual donors and have been great advocates,” says Ellenbogen. “We thank them for their leadership in giving, and we will certainly miss Mr. Zehmer.“