ABINGDON, Va. – After more than 500 meetings of the Abingdon Town Council, French Moore banged the gavel for the last time Monday.
After 42 years on the council, including six of them as mayor, Moore was honored with his retirement at Monday’s council meeting, which was his last after his defeat in this year’s election.
Abingdon town officials gave a teary-eyed sendoff to Moore and Lois Humphreys, who did not seek re-election and announced her retirement this year after 22 years on the council, including 10 as mayor.
“There has been nobody since [Barter Theatre Founder] Robert Porterfield that has made a greater contribution than Dr. Moore has to the town of Abingdon,” Mayor Ed Morgan said. “It’s an awful fine thing to have served with you, sir.”
Moore counts among his achievements a key role in establishment of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a rail-to-trail project that, like the Barter, has become a jewel of Abingdon’s tourism economy and the town’s efforts at building a good quality of life.
Like Moore, Humphreys has presided over a long list of capital improvements and other measures of progress in Abingdon’s recent decades.
Town Clerk Cecile Rosenbaum broke down and had to hand off the resolution as she was reading Monday, recognizing Humphreys as “a faithful servant and volunteer, a friend, a confidant, a mentor, a leader, and most important, a role model.”
Moore, first elected in 1968, rambled and reminisced about the progress he’s seen in 42 years.
“After doing it for 504 Monday nights, it’s going to be interesting,” he said. “My wife always gets to go out to dinner with her friends on Monday night; now she’ll get to go out with her friend that lives with her.”
Humphreys, first elected in 1988, started to tear up as she rattled off a list of thank-yous.
“It’s been my pleasure, and you’ve been great to deal with and to work with and to enjoy 22 years with very much,” she said, “and I thank you very much.”
The new council members, Rick Humphreys and Bob Howard, will take their seats at the council’s July meeting. Howard has previously served 24 years on the council and Rick Humphreys is the son of Lois Humphreys.
dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701
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