Teacher. Principal. Art Curator. Mother. Godmother. Friend.

Barbara Radcliffe Grey held many roles during her life and career, and she approached each with a dedication to creativity, growth and joy. That commitment, friends and family say, continues to resonate after her peaceful passing on Saturday, June 8, at age 99, surrounded by loved ones.

“She was very active right until the end,” Barbara’s son Michael Grey said. “She lived a good, long life.”

Born on April 10, 1926 in Stuart to Harrison and Harris Radcliffe, Grey came to Richmond to attend Virginia Union University, graduating in 1947 before earning a master’s in early childhood education at New York University.

Grey began her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Buckingham County, where she used every resource available to educate her students — a commitment to innovation she continued to build on throughout her career.

From 1950 to 1952, Grey and her husband, Robert, lived in Europe during his military service. While there, she taught classes in France and Germany and learned about the Summerhill philosophy of open education. 

Grey put her skills to use throughout her career, joining Richmond Public Schools around 1955, according to her son Michael. She served as principal of several schools, established four alternative schools and made other significant contributions over several decades.

For Paul DiPasquale, the sculptor who created the Arthur Ashe monument, Grey’s approach to education, beautifying schools and more left a lasting impact on his family and their friendship.

"She truly inspired both students and teachers by being an original thinker and a creative spirit,” DiPasquale said. “She was such a positive force in the world. I’m going to miss her a lot.”

Grey received multiple accolades, including recognition from the U.S. Department of Education, which named John B. Cary Elementary School — later renamed Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary — one of the nation’s 15 top schools while she was principal. She was also honored as Richmond’s “Woman of the Year” in 1988 by Style Weekly and received the Richmond History Makers Humanitarian Award in 2016.

Although Grey retired from education in 1990, she continued working, including as director of the Virginia Union University Museum Art Galleries, where she helped curate and preserve African-American art. Those close to her say her welcoming, teaching approach remained evident after retirement and continued to influence those around her.

 Jill Bussey Harris, right, of the Richmond Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, greets Lucille M. Brown, left, and honorary chair Barbara Grey at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts March 25, 2017.
 

“She inspired me to soar, to be creative, to be my full self, to even be calm and to just be a good person,” Grey’s student, goddaughter and photojournalist Regina H. Boone said, “living with purpose just as she modeled perfectly for me and so many.”

Grey was preceded in death by her husband, parents and three sisters. She is survived by two sons, Michael Grey and Robert J. Grey Jr. Funeral arrangements are pending.