| George Lovelace | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | In office January 1, 1997 – January 14, 1998 | ||
| Preceded by | Richard L. Fisher | ||
| Succeeded by | Jeannemarie Devolites | ||
| Personal details | |||
| Born | September 18, 1936[1] Evansville, Indiana[1] | ||
| Died | March 22, 2020 (aged 83) Locust Grove, VA | ||
| Political party | Democratic[1] | ||
| Alma mater | Lincoln University George Washington University | ||
George Earl Lovelace (September 18, 1936 – March 22, 2020) was a United States Army officer and politician. He was a member of the town council of Vienna, Virginia for 21 years, and a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for 1 year. He was the first African American member of the Virginia General Assembly elected in Northern Virginia since Reconstruction.
Education and military career[]
Lovelace graduated from Lincoln University in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in physics.[1] He then served in the US Army's Signal Corps until his retirement in 1979 at the rank of Lieutenant colonel.[2] Additionally, Lovelace received a master's degree from George Washington University.[3]
Political career[]
Lovelace was first elected to the Vienna, Virginia town council in 1982, serving until 1996. In November 1996, incumbent state delegate Richard L. Fisher resigned mid-term, triggering a December special election.[4] Lovelace was the Democratic nominee for the remainder of the term, facing Republican Mike Polychrones, a former legislative aide to Fisher. Lovelace prevailed by a 51% to 45% margin.[5] In the 1997 Virginia House of Delegates election|1997 general election, Lovelace was defeated by Republican candidate Jeannemarie Devolites by a 51% to 47% margin.[6] Lovelace ran for the seat again in the 1999 election and was defeated again.[7]
From 2003 to 2010 Lovelace again served on the Vienna town council. Lovelace was also an at large board member of the Fairfax County Park Authority from 2004 onwards.[8] In 2006 Lovelace unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Vienna mayor M. Jane Seeman.[8] The race centered largely on stylistic issues over policy concerns, with both candidates agreeing to enforce Vienna's zoning rules and monitor new housing developments around the town.[9]
Lovelace retired from the Vienna town council in 2010,[10] and was honored by a Virginia General Assembly Joint Resolution in 2011.[3] He died from lung cancer in Locust Grove, Virginia on March 22, 2020.[2]
Personal life[]
Lovelace was Catholic, and in retirement was a cantor at his church.[11]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Trompeter, Brian (March 25, 2020). "Former legislator, Vienna Town Council member Lovelace dies at 83". InsideNoVa.com. https://www.insidenova.com/news/people/former-legislator-vienna-town-council-member-lovelace-dies-at-83/article_932096c8-6df7-11ea-97ed-07e8b759ce66.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Community deaths". The Washington Post. April 25, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/community-deaths/2020/04/25/f8f97776-8553-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Commending George E. Lovelace, March 7, 2011
- ↑ "VA. DELEGATE RESIGNS". The Washington Post. November 20, 1996. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/11/20/va-delegate-resigns/3c668277-4784-4ed3-94d6-0ac570f7c083/.
- ↑ "1996 House of Delegates Special General Election District 35". https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/84123/.
- ↑ "1997 House of Delegates General Election District 35". https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/43242/.
- ↑ "1999 House of Delegates General Election District 35". https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/63727/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Lovelace Runs for Mayor". Connection Newspapers. February 6, 2006. http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2006/feb/06/lovelace-runs-for-mayor/.
- ↑ Trompeter, Brian (April 20, 2006). "Fresh Air, Unfiltered Views Mark Vienna Campaign Stops". InsideNoVa.com. https://www.insidenova.com/news/fairfax/fresh-air-unfiltered-views-mark-vienna-campaign-stops/article_5e6e3b66-7989-582f-a84f-ebc5928c3e4a.html.
- ↑ Hendry, Erica (November 17, 2010). "After 25 Years, Town Manager Announces Retirement". Patch. https://patch.com/virginia/vienna/after-25-years-town-manager-announces-retirement.
- ↑ Trompeter, Brian (2020-05-25). "Former legislator, Vienna Town Council member Lovelace dies at 83" (in en). https://www.insidenova.com/news/people/former-legislator-vienna-town-council-member-lovelace-dies-at-83/article_932096c8-6df7-11ea-97ed-07e8b759ce66.html.
The original article can be found at George Lovelace and the edit history here.