Conrad Lewis “Mr. D” Dandridge spent more than 35 years teaching and mentoring countless students at Armstrong High School from which he graduated.

Mr. Dandridge was best known for teaching wood- and metal-working and other industrial arts before Richmond Public Schools scrapped the vocational programs at its secondary schools in favor of sending students to the Technical Center.

“He had a passion for teaching,” his family said, “and loved sharing his knowledge with students.”

The Corvette enthusiast is being remembered for the role he played in students’ lives following his death at age 87 on Dec. 25, 2023.

Family and friends paid final tributes at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at Scott’s Funeral Home, 116 E. Brookland Park Boulevard.

Dr. Wilson E.B. Shannon remembered Mr. Dandridge as the influential teacher who opened up the high school’s shop on weekends so Dr. Shannon could continue working on projects rather than being out on the street.

“He changed my life,” the pastor of First Baptist Church-Centralia told mourn- ers in his eulogy.

Born in Richmond during the Great Depression, Mr. Dandridge began teaching at Armstrong in the late 1950s after graduating from Virginia State University.

He retired in the 1990s after RPS closed shop programs.

Along with teaching, his family said he had a “deep appreciation for automobiles, technology and fashion.”

Survivors include his brother, Elmer E. Dandridge of Martinez, Calif.