25 in '25: Bob Argabright made it his mission to fix up a South Richmond park

As Sandra Curry gathered a bouquet of zinnias from the community garden at Bellemeade Park, she saw someone she recognized.

“Mr. Bob!” she called as Robert Argabright walked her way after crossing a small bridge named in his honor. “I’ve wanted to meet you. I’m always in your garden.”

At 83 years old, Argabright still has something close to celebrity status in the park he’s spent countless hours improving for the benefit of a working-class South Richmond neighborhood and local students, particularly those who attend nearby Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School.

Two decades ago when Argabright started his work in the park, it was mostly an underwhelming athletic field surrounded by overgrown natural fields. Today, it’s an amenity-packed public space with a bike shed, walking trails, newly planted trees, numerous outdoor learning features and the garden.

Flower-cutting is encouraged, Argabright said, especially for the kids.

“I say you cut as many flowers as you want,” he said. “And then when you go up to school, you give them to the receptionist, you give them to the custodian, you give them to anybody you want to. But don't go up there without flowers.”

A long-retired businessman, Argabright’s interest in the park grew out of the Micah Initiative, a faith-based effort to address educational disparities in city schools. He first paired up with two second-graders as a mentor of sorts who could help with reading skills.

“It doesn't take you long to realize, wait a minute, this is a whole lot bigger than these two boys in front of me,” Argabright said.

His volunteerism grew from there, focusing on ways to get young people out of their typical routines and gain more exposure to nature and the world beyond their neighborhoods.

“It’s not fair for a child’s future to be defined by a damn zip code,” he said.

In addition to being a place Richmond Public Schools can use for field trips, Argabright and other volunteers have started a Saturday literacy and outdoors club, creating an opportunity for the neighborhood’s growing population of Hispanic kids to both brush up on foundational skills and spend time away from screens.

“I grew up in a play-based childhood,” Argabright said. “And these kids that I work with are growing up in a phone-based childhood.”

One point of pride for Argabright is the notable absence of trash in the park. The nicer the space has become, he said, the more conscious visitors have become about keeping it that way.

“They respect the park,” he said. “It’s good to see everybody in here.”

One park regular is Elton Anderson, who was working in the garden on a recent summer morning. He said he and his young daughter frequently take walks in the park together, and it means a lot to have a “peaceful” place to share with her.

“I teach her landscaping, the stuff I learned from Bob,” Anderson said. “Got her own little garden at the house and everything.”

Anderson called Argabright “a great guy.”

“I’m with it. He’s trying to leave a positive influence for the next generations,” Anderson said. “I love that.”

Argabright is quick to point out he’s not the only one responsible for the park turnaround. Many of the projects have come about via partnerships with other local organizations and sponsorships/donations from businesses.

 “I've been the conductor,” he said. “But a conductor can't fill out a full orchestra.”

 Though he’s largely avoided asking for public funds, he said the city’s Parks and Recreation Department has closely coordinated with him on many projects.

Parks Director Chris Frelke said Bellemeade is an example of how regular citizens can sometimes rally partners behind a vision in a way that “might be a little more challenging for a government organization to do.”

“He has been phenomenal at transforming that space,” Frelke said of Argabright. “There’s definitely community ownership in that park.”

After volunteering in the area for 21 years, Argabright says he keeps up with some of the kids he’s met and gratified to know many of them have gone on to attend college, join the military or find other successful paths in life. He’s continued working in the same spot for so long, he said, because it’s a chance to put his beliefs into practice at “the church of Bellemeade.”

“It just gives me an opportunity to live my faith,” he said.

After giving Curry some tips on planting and harvesting okra, Argabright gave her some eggs from the park’s chicken coop to take home along with her flowers.

“You don’t see this everywhere, “Curry said. “It’s just special.”

Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org