Sadie Irene Friend

Sadie Irene Shelton Friend, 95, of Richmond, Virginia, peacefully departed this life on Monday, February 9, 2026. She was born on July 13, 1930, in Richmond, Virginia to the late Alexander and Irene Holmes Shelton. She lived a life defined by faith, service, and devotion to family. She graduated from Maggie L. Walker High School on January 31, 1948. She later pursued her calling in healthcare at the School of Practical Nursing at Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, graduating in 1960. As a dedicated nurse at MCV for nineteen years, Sadie devoted her professional life to caring for others with compassion, patience, and skill. Nursing was not simply her career — it was her calling and an extension of her generous spirit. She was later united in marriage in 1955 to her beloved husband, James H. Friend Sr., who she affectionately called “Jim”. Sadie and Jim were truly inseparable. Wherever one appeared, the other was sure to be close by, working side by side, or simply sharing quiet moments that spoke louder than words...you rarely saw Sadie without Jim, or Jim without Sadie. Their presence together became so natural that it was impossible to imagine one without the other. Sadie took care of her beloved Jim until his passing in 2003. She was a faithful member of Sharon Baptist Church, where she was a Deaconess and served on the Usher Board. Sadie’s faith was a cornerstone of her life. She will be remembered for her nurturing heart, quiet strength, steadfast devotion to God, and the wisdom she shared so freely. She came from a family of amazing cooks. Through the years, sitting at her dinner table was always quite a treat. You could always see her preparing one of Jim’s favorites — BBQ, her canning specialties like pickled watermelon rind, fried chicken (fried in ham fat), cornbread with whole kernel corn, corn fritters, or blackberry cobbler just to name a few. She loved traveling to Yorktown to go crabbing with Jim and the family. She was also always known to have a jar of her famous homemade wine on hand — peach, watermelon, dandelion, pear — any flavor, she could master them all. She always cooked everything with so much love. She was preceded in death by two children, son, Maurice Gaines and daughter, Rosalyn Brown; her grandson, Robert Jr.; and a daughter-in-law, Deborah. Sadie was one of nine siblings, all of whom she shared a very close bond with and who also preceded her in death: Lillie, Willie, Alexander, Herman, Edith, Fred, Eddie, and Lonnie. She leaves to cherish her memory her loving children, Janice West (Charles), James Jr., Robert Sr., and Noel (Gisele); her surviving grandchildren, James III, Melissa, Dominique, Dawn, Steven Diggs Jr., Toya, and Monique Lam; her 13 great-grandchildren; her 2 great-great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, and many other family members and dear friends whose lives she touched with kindness and grace.

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Sadie Irene Friend

July 13, 1930 - February 9, 2026