Tom Fletcher, whose recruiting prowess was invaluable to football staffs at Virginia, North Carolina and Virginia Tech, died Monday morning in the Russell County community of St. Paul.

"He wore all the hats," Fletcher's wife, Betsy, said.

Fletcher, 69, had been fighting pancreatic cancer for the past 13 months but continued to serve as principal at St. Paul High School, where he served as principal for the past four years. In fact, his retirement didn't go into effect until July 1.

"He was a mighty sick man for the past year," Betsy Fletcher said, "but he kept a really brave front. The last two weeks had been very difficult. By the grace of God, it went quickly and did not linger."

Fletcher returned to his hometown after a long career in coaching and administration. His first college job was at Virginia, where he was instrumental in recruiting the first Cavalier football class to include African-Americans.

Fletcher left UVa to join Bill Dooley's staff at North Carolina and later followed Dooley to Virginia Tech. Fletcher subsequently went into administration, first at Tech and later as athletic director at Longwood and Catawba.

"When I was starting out, he did more for me than anybody I met in coaching," said Virginia Tech associate head coach and running backs coach Billy Hite, a former North Carolina running back who was a member of Dooley's inaugural Tech staff, with Fletcher, in 1978. "They say he never met a stranger."

When Dooley recently took ill, Fletcher tried to update a reporter on the details, only mentioning his own illness in passing. When contacted Monday, Dooley was unaware that Fletcher had been in ill health.

"Son of a gun," Dooley said of Fletcher's passing. "Damn, I hate that."

Fletcher began his career as St. Paul football coach and returned to that position for four years in the late 1990s, when he also served as assistant athletic director.

"He had come full circle," Betsy Fletcher said.

In lieu of flowers, the Fletcher family has asked for contributions to the Thomas Hines Fletcher Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded annually to a college-bound St. Paul High School student. The visitation will be 7-9 p.m., Wednesday at the Fletchers' home in St. Paul, and there will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. Thursday at the St. Paul High School auditorium.

"We're not having a funeral," his wife said. "I hope no one is offended, but this is going to be a celebration of life."