Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 8, 1993 TAG: 9308080074
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B5 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: LEIGH ALLEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"He was the most civic-minded person I believe I've ever met," said Jim Murphy, a colleague of Radford's on the Smith Mountain Lake Association. "He gave freely of his time and never sought any recognition. He was a true Southern gentleman."
Lacey Putney, a one-time political opponent of Radford's who practiced law with him for two years in Bedford County, said Saturday that Radford was "one of the most outstanding community leaders this county has ever had."
"Having begun my law practice with him was perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to me professionally," Putney said. "He was respected by all of us in the legal profession and will be deeply missed."
A native of Forest, Radford graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1930 and earned his law degree from George Washington University in 1937.
After service in World War II, where he participated in the invasion of France, he continued his law practice and was elected to the House of Delegates in 1948. He served for six years.
Radford was named 6th District Democratic chairman in 1956 and served until 1968.
The Radford name goes back several generations in Forest. Radford's Forest home was purchased from Thomas Jefferson by Radford's great-grandfather and is a Virginia historic landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Radford was a charter member of the Smith Mountain Lake Association and donated much of his time to that organization. After retiring from the law firm of Radford and Wandrei in 1990, he began spending much of his time on Smith Mountain Lake.
He and his wife, Katherine, had a cabin on the lake that dated back to the early 1800s. They remodeled the inside, but left the exterior just as it was, friends said.
"My wife and I would sit on the porch just about sundown and say `DuVal ought to be coming out pretty soon,' " said Murphy, who owns a nearby lake house. "Then we'd look up, and he'd go driving by on his Boston Whaler on his way to the dam to fish."
Chuck Hoover, who owns a dock and boathouse-building company on the lake, said Radford was generous with his time and legal advice.
"He helped me start my business and never charged me for it," Hoover said. "He should have, but he didn't. That's the kind of guy he was."
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.