[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 72 (Friday, April 28, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. GEORGE R. ``BOB'' SMITH, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 28, 2023

  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. 
George R. ``Bob'' Smith, Jr., of Shawsville, Virginia. A proud 
``country doctor'', Dr. Smith founded the Alleghany Clinic in 1955, 
where he worked tirelessly throughout a more than 40-year career as a 
family physician.
  Shortly after its founding, Dr. Smith convinced his friend Dr. 
Clarence Taylor to join him in Shawsville to also work at the clinic. 
Just down the road, they built their own homes next door to one another 
on a road now appropriately called Pair O'Docs Lane.
  In the mid-1960s, Dr. Smith opened the Meadowbrook Nursing Home and 
in 1982, he founded a nonprofit, the Mountain Valley Charitable 
Foundation, awarding scholarships to aspiring nurses so they could work 
at the nursing home.
  Once Meadowbrook Nursing Home closed in 2001, Dr. Smith oversaw its 
transformation into the Meadowbrook Center, which featured a library, 
wellness center, museum, galley, and community center.
  He also helped start the Shawsville Rescue Squad, was a consistent 
leader in the Shawsville Ruritan Club, served on regional and statewide 
medical boards, and dedicated his time to multiple volunteer and 
charitable causes.
  When not serving his patients, Dr. Smith spent time with his family 
and on the golf course with his golfing buddies.
  He is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years Mildred, and his 
children George R. Smith III (Melinda) and Julia Stewart (Barry) of 
Shawsville, Mary Beth Bode (John) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Linda 
Paulk of Portland, Oregon, together with his nine grandchildren and 
eight great-grandchildren, all of whom knew him affectionately as G-
daddy. I offer them my condolences on their loss.
  Dr. Smith leaves behind a lasting legacy in Southwest Virginia, 
having touched the lives of so many in Shawsville and the surrounding 
counties. His presence and generosity of spirit will be greatly missed.

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