Robert Spencer Kenerley Sr.

Published 6:26 pm Friday, February 11, 2022

Robert Spencer “Bob” Kenerley Sr., of Carrollton, died at his home, surrounded by family, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Kenerley and Helen Peabody; his sisters, Betty Bartholomew, Barbara West and Margaret Horne; and his dog, Bubba. Bob is survived by his children, Robert S. Kenerley Jr. (Gina), of Gloucester, and Tracy Callis (Bobby), of Carrollton; as well as his grandchildren, William Robert Callis (Shayna), of Carrollton, Geoffrey Wayne Callis, of Chesapeake, and Elizabeth Marie Kenerley, of Gloucester; great-granddaughter, Camila Allison Callis; and his brothers, Phillip Kenerley and Willis Kenerley.

Bob enlisted in the Air Force at an early age, serving during the Korean War before settling on the Virginia Peninsula to begin his career in banking in the early 1960s. He joined Old Point National Bank as a branch manager in 1966 and retired as bank president in 1988 before beginning the next chapter in his career — Kenerley Business Brokerage and Consulting. This new phase afforded him the opportunity to travel to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, assisting the new country in the implementation of its banking/commerce system. Bob was a lifelong member of the Freemasons and was highly active in the local community. He served as chairman of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, president and campaign chairman of the United Way, and director of the local and state American Heart Association. He loved to travel and spent much of his retirement exploring the world with friends and family. When not traveling, he could always be found in downtown Smithfield discussing world events and making new friends.

A memorial service will be conducted at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home, 245 S. Armistead Ave., Hampton. The family will receive friends Wednesday prior to the service from 2 to 3 p.m. The family will also receive friends following the service at the home of his daughter.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the local charity of your choice in Bob’s name.