In memoriam: Honoring James E. Ukrop ’60, L.H.D. ’99, P ’85, G ’25
Civic visionary, regional champion and tireless William & Mary advocate
July 17, 2026
By
University Advancement Staff
James “Jim” E. Ukrop ’60, L.H.D. ’99, P ’85, G ’25, whose visionary leadership in business, philanthropy and civic development helped transform Richmond, Virginia, and elevated generations of students at William & Mary, died on [date] in [Richmond]. He was [age] years old and is survived by his wife, Barbara “Bobbie” Berkeley Ukrop ’61, L.H.D. ’23, P ’85, G ’25 and sons Scott Ukrop ’85 and Ted E. Ukrop P ’25.
At William & Mary, Ukrop was a business management major and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. It was at the university that he met and fell in love with Barbara “Bobbie” Berkeley, and they married soon after her graduation.
Ukrop embodied the university’s values of service, integrity and excellence throughout his distinguished life and career. Both personally and in business, he prioritized community impact over personal acclaim. Importantly, he also brought those same values and a deep passion to his engagement at the Alma Mater of the Nation.
As the CEO and chairman of Ukrop’s Super Markets and chairman of First Market Bank, he focused first on the people who called Richmond home. Ukrop, along with his brother, Bobby, expanded the supermarket company that bore his family’s name from a single store on Hull Street to a widely admired regional chain of more than 30 stores that operated from 1937 to 2010. After selling the operation to the Dutch parent company of Martin’s Food Stores, he and two partners from William & Mary started New Richmond Ventures, later NRV, to boost community development efforts in Richmond and beyond.
It was through his deep and sustained relationship with William & Mary, though, that Ukrop left perhaps his most enduring legacy. Over the course of more than six decades, he and Bobbie served the university with extraordinary devotion, offering leadership and philanthropic investment that helped shape the institution’s modern era.
Ukrop served as secretary of the William & Mary Board of Visitors, as president of the Alumni Association Board, and as a member of the William & Mary Foundation Board, the William & Mary Business School Foundation Board and the Athletic Educational Foundation board. He also served on the committees for each of the university’s four comprehensive campaigns, among other volunteer roles. He was awarded the Alumni Medallion in 1981, the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1999. A trusted advisor to university presidents, vice presidents, coaches and deans, he was known for his optimism, pragmatism and steady focus on excellence.
Ukrop’s approach to engagement and philanthropy was deeply personal. He believed that higher education, when rooted in character and compassion, could help build a more just and connected society. He often cited the enduring friendships formed during his undergraduate years as the most meaningful part of his William & Mary experience — relationships that continued for more than half a century.
The Ukrops’ support for William & Mary has been transformational in both scope and spirit. Their philanthropy has touched virtually every corner of campus — from Swem Library and the School of Education, to business and the arts, to scholarships and W&M Athletics. They championed fundraising for the Jimmye Laycock Football Center, and in honor of the retirement of their friend Bobby Dwyer M.Ed. ’94 in 2019, the Ukrops established the Bobby and Patti Dwyer Basketball Endowment. Over the years, they also established the Ukrop Football Scholarship, the Ukrop Humanities Endowment, the Ukrop Teachers Scholarship, and the Ukrop Leadership Initiatives fund. In 2021, they answered the call of the All In Campaign for W&M Athletics to establish the One Tribe One Family Fund — named for a phrase he loved — to support the most pressing needs of W&M Athletics, including scholarships. At the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, the Ukrop Studio for Innovation and Design stands as a lasting testament to the Ukrops’ belief in the power of innovation and collaborative, student-led problem solving. In recognition of their many years of support and friendship, the university renamed College Drive to Ukrop Way in 2006 — choosing “Way” over “Drive” in honor of the “Ukrop way of doing things.”
Beyond campus, Ukrop was a guiding force in Richmond’s civic and entrepreneurial renaissance over the last 50 years. As co-founder of New Richmond Ventures (NRV), he mentored and invested in purpose-driven startups and championed initiatives that married economic development with social good. His advocacy helped reshape the city’s arts infrastructure, schools and downtown culture. The Dominion Energy Center, the Quirk Hotel and multiple community initiatives bear the imprint of his energy and imagination.
A man of quiet conviction and boundless generosity, Ukrop never sought the spotlight, but illuminated the lives of those around him through action and example. He once said that through his gifts of time, talent and treasure, he hoped to leave his world a better place than he found it, a guiding principle he lived by with unwavering consistency.
He is survived by his wife of more than six decades, Bobbie; his brother, Robert “Bobby” Ukrop; his sons, Scott Ukrop ’85 and Ted E. Ukrop P ’25 and their spouses; and his grandchildren, including Emma Ukrop M.Ed. ’25.
University leaders reflect on Ukrop’s passing
“Jim Ukrop was a lifelong innovator: pragmatic, savvy, and farsighted, and joyfully committed to the prosperity of his communities. His alma mater was the grateful beneficiary of his loyal leadership. We send our deepest sympathy to Bobbie, their children, grandchildren, and extended family. We will miss Jim’s friendship and his spirited presence at Tribe Athletics events. With great affection, we will continue to steward his legacy of excellence at William & Mary.” — President Katherine A. Rowe
“Jim leaves behind a grateful university community that will forever cherish the memory of his leadership, loyalty and love. The campus and the Tribe he cherished will continue to reflect his spirit—in the students who strive, the faculty who inspire and the alumni who serve—all bound together with the same spirit of selfless devotion to others that defines Jim’s life and legacy.” — Senior Vice President for University Advancement Matthew T. Lambert ’99