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Celebrating the life of George Baskerville Lancaster, Jr.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, George Baskerville Lancaster, Jr., a legend of Virginia high school basketball and beloved member of the Mecklenburg County and Henrico County communities, died on August 23, 2025; and
WHEREAS, George Lancaster graduated in 1962 from the former West End High School in Mecklenburg County before earning a bachelor's degree in health and physical education at what is today Virginia State University, where he excelled at point guard on the basketball team, garnering Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association all-tournament honors in 1966; and
WHEREAS, George Lancaster began his illustrious teaching and coaching career at middle schools and a high school in Mecklenburg County and in the early 1970s joined the faculty at Huguenot High School in Richmond; and
WHEREAS, George Lancaster broke down barriers as the first Black head coach of Huguenot High School, and he took the program from two wins in his first year to an undefeated season in his third year; and
WHEREAS, in 1979, George Lancaster began a 37-year tenure as a coach and teacher at Highland Springs High School, where he would amass 549 wins as coach of the boys' basketball team, including state championships in 2003 and 2007 and several district and regional titles; and
WHEREAS, following his retirement in 2016, George Lancaster returned to his hometown of Chase City, where he was soon called back to coaching girls' and boys' basketball and golf at the former Bluestone High School in Mecklenburg County; and
WHEREAS, over his storied career, George Lancaster tallied a total of 726 wins, making him the fifth winningest coach in Virginia high school basketball history; and
WHEREAS, George Lancaster's legacy as a coach, teacher, and mentor includes the untold number of young people he motivated and guided over the years who went on to achieve success in basketball at the collegiate or professional level or to become coaches in their own right; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his accomplishments, George Lancaster was inducted into five different halls of fame, including the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame, while basketball courts at Highland Springs High School and in Chase City were named in his honor; and
WHEREAS, George Lancaster was baptized in his youth at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Chase City and was inspired to live a life of purpose in service to others by his deep and abiding faith; and
WHEREAS, George Lancaster will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving children, Kara, Jerrell, George, and Audra, and their families; and by numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of George Baskerville Lancaster, Jr., a revered member of the Mecklenburg County and Henrico County communities whose generosity, dedication, and service made a profound and lasting impact on countless lives; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of George Baskerville Lancaster, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.