Dr. Alma Gaynelle “Gay” Whitlock dies at 70

Alma Gaynelle "Gay" Whitlock was born in Mineral in Louisa County. She studied, and later taught, at universities whose dining halls could seat the entire Mineral population of under 500. She was equally at home in either environment, relatives and colleagues say.

Dr. Whitlock died Sunday of cancer, 10 days after her 70th birthday. Until recently, she had been hard at work as director of Virginia Commonwealth University's Center for School-Community Collaboration and as a town historian and preservationist in Mineral.

Funeral services will be Saturday at First Baptist Church in Richmond at 11 a.m., and then in Mineral at the Mineral Historic Foundation in the former Mineral Baptist Church at 4 p.m. Burial will be in Mineral Baptist Church Cemetery.

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Dr. Whitlock and her brother, Robert, were co-founders of the historic foundation, dedicated to having the town declared a historic district and "saving Mineral one building at a time," said her niece Jane Sisk of Richmond.

Dr. Whitlock and her husband, G. Swift Williams Jr., were renovating the house where Dr. Whitlock was born, and he will carry on the work, Sisk said. They also have a home in Windsor Farms in Richmond's West End, she said.

Dr. Whitlock was a retired associate dean of education and professor emeritus at VCU. A former high school counselor and supervisor of counseling in the Henrico County school system, she held a doctorate in counselor education. She had been an assistant professor at the University of Georgia and an associate professor at Virginia State University.

"Gay had such a positive influence on the school, simply by her positive attitude and her take-charge attitude," said Dr. Beverly Warren, dean of VCU's School of Education. "She made you feel that anything would be possible with her leading the way. She was just superb."

Two endowed scholarships to the School of Education are named for Dr. Whitlock, Warren said.

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The Center for School-Community Collaboration was a perfect fit for Dr. Whitlock, Warren said. The center works with area schools to promote a healthy environment for students, one that is safe and drug-free and prevents bullying. "Gay truly understood those issues. She was a great bridge between higher education and the community," Warren said.

"She was an amazing person, the matriarch of our family. She held us all together," her niece said. "A wise woman, a counselor. We would always seek her counsel, especially raising our children."

Sisk said her daughter will be graduating from the University of Georgia this year and that Dr. Whitlock had made a donation for an engraved sidewalk brick in front of the education building in her great-niece's honor.

"She was looking forward to attending graduation. Now we'll meet at her brick and know she's there in spirit," her niece said.

In addition to her niece and her husband, survivors include her brother, Robert A. Whitlock of Louisa County; six nieces and nephews; and 32 great-nieces and great-nephews.