Harold Ronald “Van” Lighty Sr., who often received standing ovations after making his drums speak, was a fixture on the Richmond jazz scene for more than 60 years.
In 2023 Virginia and the Richmond area said goodbye to bright lights in business and civic life, politics and the arts, as well as storied high school and college coaches.
During Wednesday’s memorial service for Van Lighty, mourners at March Funeral Home were treated to a video of the drummer demonstrating his craft to students in the Richmond Youth Jazz