currents
King William Loses a Good Man
e was a good
man.” That’s the phrase Leroy T. McAllister Sr.
used to describe a former member of the King William County Board of Supervisors.
Terri Hale, assistant county administrator
for King William County, said that is the perfect way to
describe Mr. McAllister.
Mr. McAllister, a long time resident of
King William County, was made to serve others. Whether he was
serving his family, his church, his alma mater, his community
or his country, he always gave his best.
The community suffered a huge loss when
Mr. McAllister passed away at his home on July 20. He leaves
behind his wife of 59 years, Elizabeth Gwathmey McAllister; two
sons, Leroy Jr. and
In 1948, Mr. McAllister began working at
McGuire Veterans Hospital in Richmond as a certified corrective
therapist, the first black professional employee at the
hospital. He developed many devices and programs to speed
rehabilitation of veterans.
He retired in September 1975 as the supervisor of corrective therapy.
He retired in September 1975 as the supervisor of corrective therapy.
But Mr. McAllister’s public service
went well beyond his job as a therapist. In 1971 he was elected
to the King William County Board of Supervisors where he served
for 28 years. During on his time on the board, Mr. McAllister
supported the construction of the county administration
building, Acquinton Elementary School, the renovation at
Hamilton-Holmes Middle School, and the community development
block grant that funded construction of what is now Nestle
Purina Pet Care. Other accomplishments included hiring the
first county administrator, acquiring the park and creating the
parks and recreation department, creating the public
information department, and computerizing the financial and
administrative operations like tax assessments and billings and
the general ledger.
“He was a mentor to the staff as
well as other board members,” said Teri Hale, who worked
nearly 12 years with Mr. McAllister while he served on the
board. “His accomplishments are what government is
supposed to do—provide services to a multitude of people
who can’t provide services for themselves. He was a very
caring individual.”
First District Supervisor C. Thomas Redd
served the board with Mr. McAllister from 1988–1999.
“I am very honored and proud to have had our friendship
for almost 18 years,” he said. “‘Mr.
Mac’ was a doer. He knew how to get things done. He always
compared himself to the Energizer Bunny who ‘keeps going
and going and going.’”
Teri Hale has many personal fond memories
of Mr. McAllister. She re
The author is the public information
officer for King William County and a past contributor to the
Virginia Review.
Ernest; two daughters in law, Marie and
Kim; three proclaimed daughters, Saundra Taylor, Sedora
Deleaver (Doug) of Silver Spring, MD, and Dr. Judith Gwathmey
of Boston, MA; two grandsons, Leroy III of Richmond and Vincent
of Houston, TX; one granddaughter Kenya Bailey (James) of
Wilmington, DE; one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Baker of Silver
Spring; six sisters in law, Ruth McAllister, Jennett Branic, Essie,
Burnett, LaVerne and Frances Gwathmey; two brothers in law,
Ginter and Kermitt Gwathmey; and a host of nieces, nephews,
cousins and devoted friends.
Mr. McAllister was born on Sept. 1, 1918,
in Hamlet, NC and was the fourth child of the late William H.
and Sallie Council McAllister.
His early education began in Hamlet and
continued in Florida and Virginia. He graduated from Armstrong
High School in Richmond in 1940 and continued his education at
Virginia State College (now Virginia State University in
Chesterfield County) that fall. After one year, he was drafted
into the United States Army where he served from 1941-1944. In
January 1945, he reentered Virginia State College and graduated
with a degree in physical education. He also studied at the
University of Virginia.