Roanoke City Public Schools joins the community in mourning the loss of former Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, long-time educator Dr. Billy Cannady who died at age 75.
RCPS officials issued the following statement on Dr. Cannady’s passing:
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction and long-time educator Dr. Billy Cannaday, who was a native of Roanoke and graduate of William Fleming High School.”
While Dr. Cannaday did not work in RCPS, he grew up in Roanoke, graduated from William Fleming High School, and attributed his success in the education field to the many teachers who supported him. In fact, he once told a reporter that it was his high school counselor who encouraged him to become a teacher and helped him receive a full ride to Virginia Tech.
His first job out of college was as a sales representative for Norfolk and Western Railway Co., but he did not forget what his counselor told him. Two years later, he became a teacher in Newport News. He went on to serve in a variety of school and division-level administrator roles in Newport News and Hampton before being named superintendent of Hampton City Schools in 1994 and superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools in 2000.
In 2006, former Gov. Tim Kaine appointed Dr. Cannaday as Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction, where he focused his efforts on expanding preschool opportunities for Virginia’s youngest learners and raising the bar for career and technical education. Later, Dr. Cannaday served as dean of the University of Virginia’s Dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and vice provost for academic outreach
Cannaday was recognized with William Fleming’s “Cannaday Foyer,” which was dedicated in Dr. Cannaday’s honor in 2012 for his achievements in education.
RCPS official statement: “We are immensely proud that Dr. Cannaday is an RCPS graduate, and deeply grateful to his contributions to public education. Dr. Cannaday positively impacted tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of students, educators and families across the Commonwealth of Virginia throughout his entire career.”
A public viewing will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 20 at Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home & Crematory. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 21 at First Baptist Church-Gainsboro.
