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HONORING AUGUSTUS BENTON ``BEN'' CHAFIN, JR.
______
HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of Virginia state Senator Augustus Benton ``Ben'' Chafin, Jr. of Lebanon, Virginia, who died on January 1, 2021 at the age of 60. Ben was a dedicated and effective state legislator and a kind and decent man.
Ben was a true son of Southwest Virginia. He was born on May 18, 1960 in Abingdon, Virginia. He earned a bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University and a law degree from the University of Richmond. Ben practiced law in Lebanon as a principal of the Chafin Law Firm. He also served as a board member of the First Bank and Trust, which his father had helped to found, and ran a beef cattle farm.
In 2013, Ben won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. A year later, he won a special election to represent the 38th District in the Virginia Senate. The 38th District includes all of the Counties of Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Tazewell, and Pulaski, parts of the Counties of Smyth, Wise, and Montgomery, and the Cities of Norton and Radford. He was a great representative for the citizens of these jurisdictions, focused on listening to their concerns and addressing them with compassion and integrity. He was a voice in Richmond for the region he had long called home and the people he had known as his friends and neighbors.
Ben was my friend and a good friend to all of us in Southwest Virginia. He and I knew each other well as we often campaigned together across our region. The wide respect and affection Ben earned is indicated by the statement of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam: ``With the passing of Senator Ben Chafin, Southwest Virginia has lost a strong advocate--and we have all lost a good man.'' A similar sentiment was expressed by Virginia Delegate Terry Kilgore, a close friend of Ben:
``Ben was a fighter, both in the Virginia Senate and in the courtroom as an attorney. I am honored to have been able to know and work with him. Ben is one of the most honorable and genuine individuals I have ever known, and his passing is a tremendous loss for our region.''
Ben is survived by his wife Lora and his children Audra, Sophie, and Gus. I offer my condolences on the loss of this good man and great legislator.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 4
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