Obituary

Horace Dean Downs, Sr., 92, of Mechanicsville, Virginia, went to be with the Lord on July 15, 2026.

Dean was born on October 9, 1933, in Highland Springs, Virginia, to Horace and Louise Downs.
He graduated from Midlothian High School in 1952 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Richmond, graduating in 1956. He served his country with the United States Army from 1957 to 1959, working with the Army Chemical Corps in Edgewood, Maryland during his initial career as a chemist with the American Tobacco Company in Richmond, Virginia. The family later moved to Connecticut where he worked for the Perkin-Elmer Corporation.

Dean married Charlotte in Richmond at Westover Baptist Church on January 29, 1954. The couple went on to have four children, Deborah, Cheryl, Paula, and Horace Dean, Jr.

Dean was best known for his love of beekeeping, gardening, flying model airplanes, and fixing things.

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Charlotte Downs, his children, Deborah Embler, Cheryl (Charles) Green, Paula (Keith) Benge, and Horace Dean (Trish) Downs, Jr., brother Wilmer (Phyllis) Downs, brother-in-law Melvin (Bess) Frame, sister-in-law Barbara Downs, ten grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Dean is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Meredith Downs, and sister Marian Frame.

A visitation for Dean will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service, 6500 Iron Bridge Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia, 23234 followed by a funeral service.

A brief graveside service will be held the following day, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Westhampton Memorial & Cremation Park, 10000 Patterson Ave, Richmond, Virginia, 23238.

Memorial donations can be made in Dean’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/.