Goochland Icon Charles Nuckols Dies at 81; Dameron's Owner, Softball Legend

Charles D. "Nuck" Nuckols, the familiar face behind Dameron's and a driving force in Goochland softball, died Jan. 24, 2026. He was 81. For decades, Charlie Nuckols blended small-business stewardship with community leadership, and his passing removes one of the county's steady anchors.

Dameron's was more than a store under Nuckols's care; it was an informal gathering place where customers became friends and conversations tracked the town's rhythms. Charlie's presence behind the counter, his stories and his steady work ethic, made Dameron's a node of social connection in Goochland. Local shoppers, weekend athletes and families turned to Dameron's not only for goods but for company and continuity.

Charlie forged an equally large presence on the local diamond. Inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame in Richmond, Virginia, Nuckols was known for his skill as a player and for organizing softball tournaments that brought people together through competition, camaraderie and his unmistakable enthusiasm. Those tournaments helped sustain recreational life across Goochland, providing physical activity for adults and youth and creating informal networks of mutual support that public health experts link to better mental health and resilience.

Outside of shop and sport, Charlie loved bird hunting with his bird dogs and spent decades traveling to estate sales and antiquing with his wife, Jane. The couple shared 38 years of marriage. Charlie also delighted in family life; after retiring from active play, Charlie took particular joy in following his granddaughter's games up and down the East Coast.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Adalaide Nuckols, his daughter Barbara Nuckols and his stepson Michael Jennings. Survivors include his wife Jane Nuckols; daughter Anne Nuckols Smith and her husband Patrick; stepdaughters Lisa Fair (Bert) and Terry Jennings; stepson Ronald Jennings (April); granddaughter Brandi Tester Sims (Tyler); step-grandchildren Wanda Somers (Robbie), Derek Fair, Kyle Jennings (Melyna), Tyler Jennings and Lyndsey Jennings; great-grandson Wyatt Sims; and great step-granddaughters Cameron Somers and Stella Jennings.

Services were scheduled for early February 2026 at Goochland Baptist Church. As Goochland mourns, neighbors and local leaders are likely to confront a familiar challenge after the loss of a community pillar: how to preserve the social ties and recreational programs that supported wellbeing. Dameron's served as a practical space for informal caregiving and conversation, while Charlie's tournaments fostered active lifestyles that benefit physical and mental health.

The county now faces the work of honoring Charles Nuckols's legacy by sustaining the community touchpoints he nourished. Attending memorial services, supporting local small businesses and keeping recreational programs funded are immediate ways Goochland residents can translate grief into action that protects social connection and community health.