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By Katy Lloyd and Frances Hubbard

King William Supervisor Remembered

Ms. Hubbard is a reporter with the Tidewater Review, a newspaper that covers West Point, and the counties of New Kent, King William, and King and Queen since 1889

Ms. Lloyd is the King William County Public Information Officer and a past contributor to the Virginia Review

The King William County flag few at half mast at the public safety building after the death of Supervisor Gene Byrum on January 27 this year.

The Honorable L. Eugene “Gene” Byrum Jr. was a passionate man. He was passionate about his family, his county, its school system, his entire community. That is how C. Thomas Redd III, 1st District Supervisor, described Gene Byrum.

Gene Byrum of Aylett, passed away on Friday, January 27, 2006, his 48th birthday. Born in Suffolk, he had been a King William County resident for 24 years. Elected to the King William County Board of Supervisors in 1999, he was recently elected chairman of the board for 2006. He also served as chairman in 2003.

“This is a huge loss to the county and its citizens,” Supervisor Redd said. “Everything he ever did was in the best interest of the schools, his constituents and the county as a whole.”

County Administrator Frank Pleva agreed. “Mr. Byrum was very attentive to constituent service
and tried hard to make decisions that were in the best long-term interests of the county and its citizens,” he said.

“He was without doubt one of the most diligent, conscientious and dedicated county supervisors that I have worked for over the past 21 years. He was well respected by the county government staff because of his effective leadership, support of the staff, and his ability be involved in management of the county government without micro-managing the staff. His experience, knowledge and leadership on