Jesse Wade Fleeman

Jesse Wade Fleeman, 77, of Powhatan, VA, made the journey to his heavenly home on September 13, 2026. In his final days, Jesse was surrounded by his loving family, including his wife of 50+ years, Lorraine Fleeman; his two daughters, Sarah Oden and Arin Reeder; and his son, Jesse D. Fleeman. Jesse took delight in and was loved by his 11 grandchildren: Naomi, Noah, Isaac, Ellie, Miriam, Rachel, Layton, Levi, Lawson, Austin and Tori. He was proud to welcome Travis Oden, Jamie Fleeman and Albert Reeder into the family as sons- and daughter-in-law.

Jesse was born in Giles County, VA, to Lorene Ida Purdue and Clarence Edward Fleeman. Jesse moved to Richmond, VA, eventually meeting and marrying Lorraine. They raised their family in Chesterfield County, VA before moving to Powhatan, VA in retirement. Jesse designed and built their Powhatan home with his own hands, having no formal training or education in construction, architecture, etc. Throughout his life, he built furniture, fixed cars, and completed home repairs, all with knowledge and skills he learned along the way. He continually amazed his family and friends by designing solutions to complex problems, demonstrating an innate intelligence and gift for problem-solving.

Jesse was hard-working and humble, faithfully providing for his family throughout his life. He had a wry sense of humor, sharing many inside jokes and quips with his family and friends. Although he was mostly a homebody, he and Lorraine shared many adventures in their retirement, taking their RV all over the country to national and state parks, camping, exploring, and enjoying the majesty of God's creation. One of their favorite local places was Shenandoah National Park.

Jesse came to faith in Christ later in life. In his final days, he told his family how Jesus had saved him and how he wanted to live with Jesus forever. Despite their sorrow, Jesse's family is rejoicing that he has gone home with his Savior, healed and whole, waiting for the time when they will each join him there. He is deeply loved and will be greatly missed.

Jesse's immediate family celebrated his life and homegoing privately. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Massey Cancer Center at VCU (masseycancercenter.org), in Jesse's memory.