VIRGTXIA BIOGRAIMIV
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corporations. The fact that he was of South-
ern birth, had rendered distinguished serv-
ice in the Confederate army, and was sym-
pathetic with Southern customs and habits,
made him especially valuable to the enter-
prises with which he was connected. These
points in his favor, coupled with a nature of
push and progressiveness, and intensified by
his years of association with the Northern
railroad builders and magnates, enabled him
to advance rapidly in every line of activity he
entered. He was president of the Citizens'
Bank of Norfolk, director of the Norfolk
National Bank, director of the Norfolk Bank
of Savings and Trusts, and at the time of
his death was president of the Ghent Resi-
dence Corporation, vice-president of the
Norfolk & Portsmouth Traction Company,
and general superintendent of the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad. President Harry Wal-
ters, of the latter company, began his rail-
road career under Mr. Serpell on the Pitts-
burgh & Connellsville railroad, and would
never consent to the latter's retirement from
the Atlantic Coast Line. "Come around to
the office when you feel like it, or don't come
at all," Mr. Walters would say when refus-
ing point blank to accept Mr. Serpell's resig-
nation, which was frequently submitted
until he saw it was useless. About five years
prior to his death he withdrew as far as
possible from business life, failing health
notifying him that his years of activity were
numbered. He was a man of most lovable
disposition, was the soul oi business honor,
generous, charitable and public-spirited.
While he was one of the most prominent
men of Norfolk, he never accepted a public
office, but did all in his power to advance
the industrial and commercial development
of that city. He was a member of many
business, fraternal and social organizations,
a warm friend of church, educational and
philanthropic institutions, and aided all with
his advice, experience and means. He was
a good citizen, a true friend and neighbor, a
loving husband and a devoted father.
Mr. Serpell married, September 14, 1869, Georgianna Clarke, born June 25, 1841, in Prince George county, Maryland, daughter of Robert and Alethea (Cheney) Clarke. Children : i. Alethea, now a resident of Nor- folk. 2. Nqra Latrobe, now a resident of Norfolk. 3. Jane Deakins, married, January 30, 1904, Chaplain B. R. Patrick, United States navy ; children : Bower Reynolds,
Goldsborough S., Jane Clark, Elizabeth
Withers, and Alethea Cheney. 4. Alice,
married Dr. E. C. Taliaferro (q. v.). 5.
(joldsborough, married, January 4, 1912,
Susan Watkins, who died in 1913. 6.
Gulelma, a resident of Norfolk. 7. Nell
Louise, married, November 16, 1904, Stock-
ton Heth Tyler ; children : Goldsborough
Serpell and James Hoge (3). 8. Albert
Clark, married, February, 1906, Achsa Maria
Dorsey. Miss Alethea Serpell is the regent
of Great Bridge Chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution, gaining admission to
that society through the patriotic service of
her great-grandfather, Captain Leonard
Deakins.
Richard Gordon Simmons, M. D. Richard Gordon Simmons, M. D., a distinguished citizen and physician of Roanoke, Virginia, is a member of a family whose name has been associated with the history of Mary- land for many generations. His first ances- tor of the name was Abraham Simmons, who came over to the then British colony with Cecil Calvert, deputy governor of Maryland for his brother. Lord Calvert, and landed at St. Mary's in the year 1669. He had four sons, Samuel, Richard, George and James, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Eleanor. Of these children, James is known to history as the owner of the famous Tanneyhill Mill, which supplied the revolu- tionary army with flour. He was Dr. Sim- mons' great-great-grandfather.
Dr. Richard Gordon Simmons was born April 4. 1865, on Carroll's Manor, Frederick county, Maryland, a son of Richard Edwin and Theresa Ann (Kinzer) Simmons, and a grandson of Major James and Rebecca (Shekel) Simmons. Richard Edwin Sim- mons' father, was a large and successful planter of Frederick county, and a graduate of the Landen Military Institute. Dr. Sim- mons received his education, first at the local schools of his native place, both public and private, and later at the Western Mary- land College at Westminster. Maryland. In the year 1883. he removed to Roanoke, \'ir- ginia, to accept a clerical position in the em- ploy of the Shenandoah V^alley Railway, in which he continued for two years. During this time, however, he came into close contact with Dr. Koiner, then chief surgeon for the Shenandoah Valley & Nor- folk & Western railway, and in 1885 became
