Former Virginia congressman Stan Parris dies
Stan Parris, 80, who served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from Northern Virginia, died Saturday of heart disease at his home in Mathews County.
Parris, a Republican, served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and in the Virginia House of Delegates, was secretary of the commonwealth and ran for governor twice.
Read today's full obituary by Post reporter Matt Schudel.
In a statement, Gov. Bob McDonnell said Parris's contributions to the state can best be seen in his home region of Northern Virginia.
"He played major leadership roles in the creation of the HOV lanes on I-395, the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria and the Four-Mile Run Flood Control Project,'' McDonnell said. "He was an original member of the Board of Trustees of George Mason University. He led the way in the effort to close Lorton prison. His legislation ended blackouts of sold-out NFL games, ensuring the Redskins would be on the television screens of grateful Virginians on Sunday afternoons."
Pat Mullins, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, called Parris a "close personal friend."
"I came to know Stan during his first run for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and I was immediately struck by his sense of humor and optimism, summed up in his first campaign slogan -- 'Parris in the Springtime,' " he said. "His dedication to public service was matched only by his tenacity. Most freshman members of Congress would walk away from public life after suffering an electoral setback as serious as the one that befell Congressman Parris in 1974. But Stan came back, fought hard, and retook the 8th District, and held it for the GOP for another decade."
By
Anita Kumar
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March 28, 2010; 1:15 PM ET
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Anita Kumar
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Robert F. McDonnell
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Posted by: rmg4369 | March 29, 2010 2:09 AM | Report abuse
Speaking as a liberal Democrat, I didn't agree with Stan Parris about much and probably would not have voted for him if I had the opportunity (I did not live in his district when he lost his House seat back in 1990), but he was an honorable public servant, a veteran who served his country, and from all accounts a gentleman. I would urge folks on here to show the man, and more importantly the family he left behind, some respect. There is too much vitriol out there - and it is just as bad coming from the Left as the Right.
Posted by: da55 | March 29, 2010 4:00 PM | Report abuse
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I'm glad he's finally dead and can't terrorize us as an office holder again. He did much to cause suffering for Virginians as part of the Republican delegation in Congress.