Senior Master James E. Covington of the Deep Run Hunt (VA) died at home, surrounded by family, on January 21, 2016. He was born February 23, 1935 in Richmond, Virginia, but spent most of the first four years of his life in Shanghai, China, where his father bought tobacco for Universal Leaf. After the Japanese invasion of China, the Covington family returned to Richmond.
Jim loved sailing, skiing, and golfing, but his main passion was foxhunting. He served as MFH from 1980 to 1985 and from 2001 to the time of his death. Among his many roles as Master, he worked hard to ensure that Deep Run would have open country for hunting.
Following a tip from Joint-MFH Polly Bance, he learned that Sunnyside Farm in Fluvanna County was up for sale. At the time the farm had not been lived in for several decades. The buildings were in disrepair, and the fields were overgrown. Nonetheless, he had a vision. He mowed and cleaned up fields, fenced pastures, and cleared miles of trails. With the help of his daughter, Janie, he restored barns and outbuildings. Sunnyside also became the center of his land conservation efforts in Fluvanna County. He put land he owned in easement and convinced and guided neighbors through the process. As a result, several thousand acres of land have been protected there. At Sunnyside he could be found on the back of a horse or behind the wheel of a tractor.
Jim was a graduate of the University of Virginia. While in law school there, he met his wife of fifty-five years, Jane Elizabeth Ellis. They married in 1961 and after his graduation, the couple moved to Richmond, where he joined the law firm of Williams, Mullen, Christian, Pollard. In 1969, he created The Covington Company, a residential and commercial real estate development company that is still in operation today. He is described as having introduced the concept of luxury-condominium living to the city of Richmond, and pioneering its development.
Click for James Covington’s complete obituary.
Posted March 3, 2016