Michael Flemming, 76, died on Monday, October 7, 2024, surrounded by his wife Carter and sons David and Will. The cause of death was complications from a stroke.
Mike was born in 1948 in New Orleans and grew up there with his sister Mary and brothers Jim and Paul. He graduated from Franklin High School, and attended Davidson College in North Carolina. He graduated with a BA in 1970, and was a proud alum for life. Mike then moved to Washington, DC where he worked full-time as a legislative assistant in the office of Senator Thomas Eagleton while also attending Georgetown Law School. In Eagleton’s office, he met Carter Dudley. The couple was married in 1972 and had two boys, David and Will. He and Carter made their home in Alexandria, Virginia, and raised their boys there, including Daymond Jackson, whom they happily consider their third son.
Mike served as a law clerk for Judge Albert V. Bryan, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In 1987, Mike became a partner in the Northern Virginia firm Boothe, Pritchard and Dudley, which is now McGuire Woods. He was a banking and corporate attorney, and served as the Managing Partner of the Tysons Corner office.
Mike joined Smithfield Foods in 2005 and served in a variety of leadership positions on its legal team over the years. He was named chief legal officer in 2019. Mike was described by his colleagues at Smithfield as a gentleman with a quick, dry wit and a no-nonsense approach to business. He cut to the chase, never minced words and served Smithfield Foods with a high level of integrity. One of Mike’s legacies at Smithfield will be the outstanding legal team he built.
In addition, from 2016-2023, he served on the Board of Visitors of Virginia State University, including three years as chair of the finance committee.
Mike also was an avid sports fan, and enjoyed many golf trips with friends and his sons to Scotland and Ireland.
But above all Mike loved his family. He was enormously proud of his wife Carter, especially her network of devoted friends and her extraordinary service to their Alexandria community. He relished his nights listening to Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants games, to hear his two sons, both baseball broadcasters. He adored his daughters-in-law, Jessica and Jennifer. And he was a devoted and wonderful Bub to his five grandchildren, Carter, Katie, David, Bailey and Charlie. His office walls were covered with pictures of them, and he never tired of telling others of their accomplishments.
Family will receive friends at the Parish Hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Old Town, Alexandria, at 228 S. Pitt Street, on Sunday, October 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. Funeral services for Mike will be held at St. Paul’s on Monday, October 14, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mike’s honor to the Campagna Center in Alexandria, or Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA, or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria.