[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF JAMES MARTIN KIDWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 29, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
Leesburg Virginia's longest serving Police Chief, James Martin Kidwell, 
who passed away on June 19, 2017, at the age of seventy-seven. A 
lifelong resident of Leesburg, Chief Kidwell was renowned for his 
public service and longstanding community involvement, as he dedicated 
his career to protecting the people of his hometown. Throughout his 
life, he was a revered leader in the Leesburg community who brought 
honor and integrity to his profession and will be remembered as one of 
the town's finest and most devoted policemen.
  Chief Kidwell was born and reared in Leesburg and graduated from 
Loudoun County High School. After graduation, Chief Kidwell initially 
intended to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and work as a plumber. 
However, only after a few days in this occupation, when he came across 
a nest of snakes, Chief Kidwell realized that he wanted to pursue a 
different line of work. Then in 1961, at the age of twenty, he became a 
police officer in Leesburg, marking the commencement of his thirty-four 
year career with Leesburg's Police Department. In 1972, he assumed the 
position of Chief of the Leesburg Police Department and held that post 
until his retirement in 1995.
  Mr. Kidwell's remarkable career spanned multiple decades, and as 
Chief, he oversaw Leesburg's Police Department during a period of 
unprecedented development in the town. As the town expanded and 
confronted new complex challenges, Chief Kidwell ensured that the 
police department was equipped to handle the city's massive population 
surge and transformed the department from a meager force of only four 
police officers, one patrol car, and no radio system into a modern 
police department. During his tenure, the department burgeoned into a 
thirty-five person force that was able to effectively combat the 
increasingly serious crimes stemming from Leesburg's rapid growth. But 
despite the town's enlargement, Chief Kidwell always remained engaged 
with Leesburg's residents and maintained a small-town approach to law 
enforcement.
  After retirement, Chief Kidwell spent much of his time playing golf, 
watching sports, especially his beloved Washington Redskins, and caring 
for his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Knox 
Kidwell, his daughters, Kelly Bradley, Kerri Spinks, and Kristi 
Kidwell, his sisters Catherine Howard and Page Kidwell, his brother 
Bradley Kidwell, seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and 
many nieces and nephews.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me and countless others as we 
recognize the innumerable contributions of Chief Kidwell. Chief 
Kidwell's steadfast commitment and selfless dedication to keeping the 
residents of Leesburg safe will be greatly missed, and the services he 
provided to the Town of Leesburg and Virginia's Tenth Congressional 
District will never be forgotten. He was an exemplary officer and the 
true embodiment of a public servant, and today we honor him for his 
legacy of a lifetime of service.

                          ____________________