Russell Thomas Cherry, Jr., 84, son of the late Russell Thomas Cherry and Ruth Rayfield Cherry died at Wesley Pines Retirement Community on December 2, 2011.

A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, Dr. Cherry was educated in the Portsmouth public schools and was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. Further education was received at the University of Richmond, where he received the Bachelor of Arts degree, and at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, where he received both the Master of Divinity degree and the Ph.D. degree. During graduate study, he served as a fellow in the Department of Homiletics. Campbell University honored Dr. Cherry with the Doctor of Divinity degree in 1989. He traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Orient.

Ordained by the South Street Baptist Church (now Western Branch) in Portsmouth, VA, he has served as pastor of churches in Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina.

For twenty-two years, Dr. Cherry served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lumberton, NC, retiring from that pastorate in April, 1992 to care for his wife, Jewell. She preceded him in death in January, 1993. He married again in June, 1995 to Mrs. Faye Paul. She preceded him in death in May, 2007.

In 1992, prior to his first wife\\chr(39)s death, Dr. Cherry became Interim Pastor of First Baptist Church, Bladenboro, NC. In 1993, following Mrs. Jewell Cherry\\chr(39)s death, Dr. Cherry became pastor in Bladenboro and served in that capacity for ten years, retiring from there in 2003.

In September, 2004, Dr. Cherry was installed as Pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church of Lumberton, and continued to serve in that capacity until his death.

From 1996 to 2009, he served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at UNC-Pembroke. For a number of years, Dr. Cherry wrote Sunday School lessons for the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He authored two books, published by the Brentwood Christian Press: At Calvary and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

While serving both in Virginia and North Carolina, Dr. Cherry was active in Baptist affairs. In Virginia, he served on the General Board of Baptist General Association and taught for the University of Richmond School of Christian Education. In North Carolina, he served as trustee of both Chowan and Campbell Universities, and served on Campbell\\chr(39)s Presidential Board of Advisors. In November, 1969, he preached the convention sermon at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Dr. Cherry was also active in the Baptist World Alliance, serving on the Mission and Evangelism Committee and the Church Leadership Commission.

In 1994, Dr. Cherry established the Russell T. Cherry Chair of Old Testament Studies at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA. Dr. Cherry chose to defer his salary from Bladenboro First Baptist to fund this chair. Others have honored Dr. Cherry by generously contributing through the years.

He is survived by a daughter, Jeannie Cherry May and her husband, the Rev. C. L. (Tripp) May, III of Winston-Salem; a daughter, Judith Cherry Smith and her husband, Scott Smith (Collegiate Minister at Lander University) of Greenwood, SC; a son, Russell T. Cherry, III (Vice President of Dehoney Travel) and his wife, Betsy Dean Cherry of Louisville, KY.

He is also survived by a step-son, Harry Allan Paul of Raleigh and a step-daughter, Mary Kimberly Paul Zimmerman and her husband, Tom Zimmerman of Bedford, NY; as well as, nine grandchildren.

Visitation will be at First Baptist Church Cherry Fellowship Hall, 7th and Walnut Street, Lumberton, NC from 3:00-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 4, 2011.

The funeral service will be at First Baptist Church, Lumberton on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Gardens of Faith Cemetery, Lumberton, NC.

Memorial gifts may be made to the First Baptist Church, PO Box 938, Lumberton, NC 28359 or
First Baptist Church, PO Box 176, Bladenboro, NC 28360.