[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 119 (Tuesday, September 28, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1717-E1718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN MEMORY OF W. HARRINGTON SMITH, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2004

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the attention of the 
House the passing of W. Harrington Smith, Jr. A longtime public 
servant, Mr. Smith spent 18 years on the Frederick County Board of 
Supervisors. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Smith during this 
time as he represented the Shawnee district.
  It was an honor to have known Harrington Smith, who worked hard and 
impacted many lives during his service in Frederick County, Virginia. 
My condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues as they 
mourn the loss of this great man. I would also like to share a recent 
article from The Winchester Star which commemorates his life and work.

               [From The Winchester Star, Aug. 10, 2004]

           Frederick County Supervisor Harrington Smith Dies

                         (By Laura Arenschield)

       One of Frederick County's ``old buddies'' died on Monday 
     afternoon, leaving a trail of jokes, doting friends, and 
     ``Bone-a-lopes'' behind him.
       W. Harrington Smith Jr.. 78, who spent 18 years on the 
     Frederick County Board of Supervisors, died in Winchester 
     Medical Center two weeks after undergoing surgery for a 
     stomach aneurysm.
       Smith served on the board from 1988 until his death, 
     representing the Shawnee District. He was known for his 
     ``Bone-a-lopes''--trips around the area to talk with the 
     people he represented.
       He went to find their problems, and to fix them, and to 
     make people feel comfortable with a grin, a pat on the back, 
     and a ``hey, old buddy, hey old friend'' for a greeting,

[[Page E1718]]

       To hear his friends and family tell it, Smith was a 
     friendly, outgoing man who never ran out of time for the 
     people who voted him into office.
       ``If somebody needed help with a traffic light or a pothole 
     or barking dogs, he would go out and visit them,'' his son, 
     Harry Smith, said on Monday afternoon. ``He would be able to 
     get things done for people.''
       Harry said his father died ``just peacefully, and calmly, 
     and in his own way.''
       With a nostalgic laugh, he told of his father's intricate 
     jokes:
       ``They are so long and complex that I--unfortunately, one 
     of the things I had intended to do and never was able to do 
     was to memorize those jokes. And I wish that I had.''
       In addition to a list of complex jokes only Harrington 
     could remember, the veteran supervisor left a family that 
     included his wife, Barbara Armistead Smith; sons Harry and 
     Michael Smith and Drury Armistead; daughter Beth; and nine 
     grandchildren ranging in age from 5 to 23.
       ``He had a phenomenal memory for jokes,'' Dick Kern, an old 
     friend and Harrington's former employer, said on Monday. 
     ``His favorite saying was `God love you.' And he said that 
     all the time.''
       Kern stifled a chuckle before describing a man fond of 
     parties and a good time.
       ``He loved a good rum drink,'' Kern said. ``He enjoyed 
     drinking and relaxing and I did, too. So we were great 
     partners.''
       Party animal or not, Harrington ``Smitty'' Smith took care 
     of his constituents, Kern said.
       ``If anybody called him on a road or a fence or any kind of 
     problem, he made it a point to go out and check it himself 
     and take care of the problem,'' said Kern, a former 
     Winchester City Council member. ``And I guess that was 
     another thing I liked about him . . . he was honest and you 
     could rely on him, and you knew he would be there.
       ``He was a heck of a guy.''
       Harrington's wife, Barbara, said her husband would do just 
     about anything for just about anybody.
       In fact, that's how they met.
       ``Harrington was part of a 1ocal rescue squad bringing a 
     psychiatric patient to the old Cork Street hospital emergency 
     room,'' she said. ``And the patient jumped out the back 
     towards these two women and Harrington tackled him, and the 
     guy wound around and kicked him in the neck.''
       Barbara had just come to the hospital as a physical 
     therapist. Harrington became her patient.
       ``Yeah, I cured him, so he married me,'' she said with a 
     laugh. ``At the time, he was just so outstandingly good-
     looking. And everybody liked him because he was such a good 
     listener and he really, really, really loved people. He 
     really did.''
       Harry, who served on the Winchester City Council, said he 
     always was amazed at how long his father stayed in public 
     service.
       ``I wonder what impact he might have had if he had started 
     in elected office, say in his 30s or 40s instead of his 
     60s,'' he said. ``I think it was always centered around and 
     based around his love of this community.''
       Harrington Smith the supervisor had a persona most people 
     couldn't figure out.
       During his time in office, he switched from Republican to 
     Democrat before becoming an independent.
       ``I was always surprised by his votes,'' former Supervisor 
     Sidney ``Sid'' Reyes said. ``I never knew which way he was 
     going to come.''
       ``But he was a gentleman. The ultimate gentleman, I don't 
     think Harrington Smith had an enemy or anyone who spoke ill 
     of him.''
       The man the public didn't get to see was a little less of 
     an enigma, Harry said.
       ``If he wasn't out helping constituents, he was probably 
     watching television, sitting on a couch, eating a grilled-
     cheese sandwich, with his feet propped up, his arm propped up 
     on a pillow, and the cat in his lap,'' Harry said. ``He was a 
     channel flicker. Anywhere from a sports to movies to the 
     History Channel. And it had to be turned up very loud.''
       Like the volume on him TV set, whenever Harrington had an 
     idea, he put it out with force--especially when it came to 
     state government controlling local decisions.
       ``You could always count on Harrington with a speech any 
     time the subject came up,'' Board of Supervisors Chairman 
     Richard C. Shickle said. ``He just stated his opinion and 
     didn't pull any punches. . . . You didn't have any trouble 
     understanding Harrington or his positions. He was just 
     blunt.''
       Frederick County Commonwealth's Attorney Lawrence R. 
     Ambrogi called Harrington Smith ``outgoing,'' ``personable,'' 
     and ``unique.''
       ``He was one-of-a-kind, Ambrogi said. ``He was 78, he 
     probably put in 200 years of life in that time.''
       ``He sang the national anthem at different political 
     functions, he was an announcer at the (stock car) racetrack.
       ``It's just sad because he'll never be replaced.''
       Still, Shawnee residents can't go without representation on 
     the Board of Supervisors.
       Ambrogi said the board has 45 days to appoint Harrington's 
     replacement because the next election is less than 120 days 
     away.
       Shickle and Ambrogi said the county needs time to grieve 
     before worrying about that, though.
       ``I lost a friend,'' Shickle said. ``And I think we'll 
     mourn first.''

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