Wills Hancock

Vance-Granville Community College students with a passion for music will receive scholarships bearing the name of the late Dale Weatherington Ramsey of Henderson, who died in May.

Ramsey worked for many years as the office manager at Century 21 Hancock Properties in Oxford. The firm’s owner, Wills Hancock of Oxford, and other friends of Ramsey have established the new VGCC scholarship in her memory, called the Dale W. Ramsey Music Scholars Memorial Presidential Merit Award. This is the first fully endowed scholarship as part of the VGCC Music Scholars program.
Music Scholars must meet certain academic requirements and are selected through a competitive audition process. Recipients of the scholarship perform, individually or as a group, for community functions and college activities, under the direction of VGCC’s music instructor. They also assist the instructor in preparing for Vance-Granville Community Band concerts and other events.

“Dale had a lifelong appreciation for all types of music,” Hancock said. Her son, Brian Ramsey, is one of the owners of The Konnection Band, which is well-known throughout the region, and her family includes several musicians.

Both Hancock and Ramsey have special connections not only to music but also to the community college. Hancock’s daughter, Marsha, is a professional musician, while another daughter, Peyton Hancock Grissom, is a graduate of the VGCC Associate Degree Nursing program. Meanwhile, Ramsey’s daughter, Lisa, is a graduate of the Medical Assisting program at VGCC.

“We appreciate the leadership of Wills Hancock in establishing this beautiful tribute to Dale Ramsey,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “Her legacy will live on, in the form of a scholarship that supports our creative, talented students. We look forward to helping our Music Scholars develop as performers, as they enrich our communities with their artistry.”