William W. Redding, Jr., affectionately known as “Red”, transitioned peacefully at home on Saturday, April 22, 2023, surrounded by his loving wife and two children. William was born on November 2, 1940, in Norfolk, Virginia to the late William W. Redding, Sr. and Virginia E. Redding. His brother, Lorenzo R. Redding, also preceded him in death. 

He graduated from Norfolk Public Schools in 1958 and earned a diploma from Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1959. After returning to Norfolk in 1960, he met and married Joyce L. Watkins and to this union a son and daughter were born.  

From 1960 to 1964, he worked at Capp’s Shoe Store in Norfolk and the Hampton Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center. He then began a successful career with the United States Postal Service as a postal clerk until his retirement in 1992. 

“Red” was a jack-of-many-trades, mastering numerous talents and skills throughout his lifetime. Some of his favorite hobbies were reupholstering furniture and constructing drapes for his home. In the 1970s, he ventured into home remodeling and room additions, building his own 16’ X 20’ family room and detached garage. This later sparked his interest in flipping and selling old homes. His greatest passion, however, was refurbishing old Volkswagen Beetles to which he affectionately inherited the name, “The Bug Man”. On many Saturdays, “Red’s Garage” was often teeming with men, young and old, who would stop by to have their cars fixed, to seek mechanical advice, or to just chat. 

William also enjoyed fishing off the Chesapeake Bay on his boat, watching his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and above all, traveling with his family. His family looked forward to their summer vacations to Philadelphia or Orlando. In later years, he enjoyed spending summers in Sandbridge with his cousins from Philly. Between visits to see his brother in North Carolina, they spoke every single night on the phone. William truly treasured his time with his family, and his devotion to them was unmeasurable. He will be remembered and most deeply missed as a generous, easygoing, and humorous man.

William leaves to cherish his memory his beautiful wife of 62 years, Joyce L. Redding of Norfolk; his two children, William W. Redding, III of Norfolk and Dionne L. Redding of Hampton; his brother, David A. Redding, Sr. of Jacksonville, NC; his niece, Lorraine D. Redding of Lake Worth, FL and his nephew, David A. Redding, Jr. of Spring, TX; a great niece who was like a daughter, Michaela X. Francis of Norfolk; along with a host of other nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends, including his “adopted” daughter, Lisa Cofield (Leonard) of Chesapeake and her sons, Jaylen Cofield of Chesapeake and Cameron Cofield of Lexington, SC;  and special friends, Oswald Woodies of Virginia Beach, Glen Lee of Norfolk, and the Howell Family.

“Love, like the ocean continues beyond the horizon” ~Author Unknown