Jack Leffel was a man for all seasons
Jack Leffel was my friend. Over the years, I went to church with him for a period of time, covered him on the school board, my son Zach helped him campaign for the Board of Supervisors where once he was elected, I would once again cover him but in a different aspect of service.
When we had a really difficult time with school, it was Jack who stepped in to make a bad situation right without the aid of a somewhat unpredictable administrator. Jack Leffel will always be one of my heroes because he was not afraid to take action whether it was on the school side where he wanted the best for the students or on the county side where he wanted the best for its citizens.
The most remarkable thing I noted in Jack was that he possessed an air of a man from another time period. Jack could easily have lived in the 18th century. He liked to hunt, work on the farm and innovate in the outdoor world. He was like no other person I have known in that regard. He was a champion of agriculture as well.
But my favorite thing about him was to ponder the great questions of the universe on his front porch. Those questions included politics, politicians, agriculture, life with farms, the curiosity of people . Oh how we discussed human behavior. He love nature best. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he pointed out an Eagle that flew toward the river. ” Look at that Cathy Benson!” he said excitedly. I responded “It’s a sign!” and ever Jack , he said “Yes it is. A sign that Eagles are making a comeback.” I had more of the spiritual message from God on my mind. Jack was much more practical.
You can thank Jack Leffel for those Eagles making a comeback. He fought very hard to get the James River cleaned up north of Buchanan and establish a scenic river status.
Again. Jack Leffel was a man of action. He believed in improving education and better pay for teachers and not just because he was married to one.
We chatted on that porch about wind energy, the closure of the Truck Stop and how to improve the business climate without ruining life for the average citizen. His concern was real for those families that lived in the smaller home and had less income. Particularly in his district. Jack never turned his head when he walked past the struggle that many had trying to live in the rural less affluent part of the county.
He worked hard for Eagle Rock Elementary School to have improvements and also for James River High School to get an update.
In his life he was a husband, father and friend. Even if you did not know all of the things he has done on both the school and county level as an elected representative, he worked for you and me often tirelessly and sometimes to a thankless response. He was a man for all seasons in his life. One who as the poet said, “Lived in his house by the side of the road and was a friend to man.”
The past couple of years when I changed venues to real estate and only lately to news here again, I did not get the promised porch runs. Last Tuesday in our chat at his last Board of Supervisors meeting we promised to try on the next warm sunny day. Twill be in another world the next time we meet on a porch.
God bless the Leffel family for sharing this public servant with us. Thanks to Jack Leffel who often said, “I could have just stayed on this side of the cattle guard.” Jack ventured out to make a difference because he was a man for all seasons. A man for all of Botetourt County.
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