Friends & Family Remember Jimmy Hatcher

Written by Kaitlin Hill 

When reflecting on his life, there is a general consensus about James Linwood “Jimmy” Hatcher Jr., the Richmond native, Upperville resident, horseman, storyteller, artist, and friend to so many. As his niece Ashby Hatch puts it, “He was fun with a capital F.” 

Another common theme? When asked to share a story about Hatcher, most who knew him start with, “I just have too many,” as his goddaughter Sandra Bravo-Greenberg says. 

And when describing him as loyal, generous, welcoming, genuine, community-oriented, and someone with an undeniable joy for life, many agree with Hatcher’s neighbor and friend Pam Covington, who says, “That is just the type of friend he was.”

Born in Richmond, Hatcher moved to the Middleburg area in 1966. “He was drawn to horse country,” shares his nephew Jay Jennings. “He had been showing in horse shows since he was a teenager.” Hatch adds, “He had a love for horses … and he followed his heart.” 

Upon moving, Hatcher became completely integrated in the Hunt Country community, making lifelong friends, taking on meaningful causes, attending Trinity Episcopal Church regularly, and, of course, staying deeply involved in the equestrian scene. He was so enamored with the area and the friends he made here, he “even had a cat named Paul Mellon. In honor of his friend,” Jennings explains. 

Friends would be a major focus of Hatcher’s life. “Something I respected and marveled about him was the range of different kinds of friends he had — older, younger — and how he mentored them a lot of times with respect to [equestrian pursuits],” Hatch shares. 

Bravo-Greenberg remembers Hatcher as being supportive and generous with advice. Of their initial meeting in the mid-90s, she says, “We met at the Upperville Horse Show. I was wearing this little dress and he said, ‘My dear, you are as pretty as a peach.’ Ever since then, he has called me Peach.” She continues, “He actually helped me buy my first horse. He helped me become a first-time horse owner, and then was always there ringside to watch me.” She adds with a shaky laugh, “And he never said anything bad. I could pop chip every single jump and almost fall off my horse and he would say, ‘Well there you are.’ He was definitely good at finding the silver lining.”

Covington met Hatcher at the horse show, too. “I showed hunters and jumpers and he was a judge and a rider. That’s how we met, 35 years ago.” Like Bravo-Greenberg, Covington remembers, “We just became friends … and he was always there.” That applied to outside the arena, too. “He was the type of friend that was very loyal and caring. If I needed a ride somewhere or my car broke down, he is the one I would call.” She finishes, “He just had this joie de vivre, this zest for life, and for his friends. He loved his dogs, he loved his horses, and he loved his friends.” 

He loved storytelling, too. Hatcher shared many stories in Country Zest & Style in his column, “Carry Me Back,” and with friends over lunch or at parties. By all accounts his stories were prolific and his talent for telling them unmatched. “He was an unbelievable storyteller,” shares Hatch. “When he would tell a story, he had facial expressions that went along with it. The delivery just made the story really special.” She continues, “And he knew his audience and how to entertain his audience. There was a spontaneity in his storytelling, and he had volumes and volumes of tales.” 

That spontaneity extended to how he lived life, and often created memorable stories for his friends and family to tell about him. Hatch remembers, “He gave us a Jack Russell terrier when we were little.” She adds with a laugh, “Despite us not being in the market for a dog.” Hatcher went as far as breeding their dog with his dog and promising to “come and take our dog away to have the puppies off-site. Well, he missed the mark,” Hatch explains, “so we were the ones birthing his puppies and he eventually showed up. That was Uncle Jimmy.” 

She also remembers him bringing red beach towels to a family summer vacation and saying, “I’m going to photograph your Christmas card!” Hatch recalls, “This was probably one of the best Christmas cards we ever had. 

“He was a free spirit,” she concludes.

To say he was so much to so many doesn’t quite cover it. He was that and more to the many people who knew and loved him. “He was a genuine gentleman and an incredible horseman, an incredible person,” Covington says. Bravo-Greenberg adds, “He always had his arm out to guide you, always kisses on the cheek to greet you, and he just had this ability to make everyone feel special and that he knew them and he loved them.” 

Hatcher passed away on June 26, at age 89, in Richmond, Virginia. According to his niece, “He went on his own terms, which was very Uncle Jimmy.” ML

Published in the August 2024 issue of Middleburg Life.