THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406100860
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: 940610 LENGTH: VIENNA, VA.
Mrs. McDiarmid, 87, died Wednesday of a heart attack.
{REST} She represented her Fairfax County district for 26 years in the House of Delegates and capped her career in 1986 by becoming the first woman to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee. She retired in 1990.
``She was a strong woman, what you call steel within velvet,'' said Del. Gladys B. Keating, D-Fairfax. ``She had to go through the barriers for us and she did it in a very ladylike manner.''
When she took over the budget committee, ``people wondered if she was too nice to run a committee like that,'' said Carrington Williams, a Fairfax County lawyer who served with her in the assembly. ``She handled it beautifully. Her attitude was always, `Let's just do the right thing.'''
``She was a very intelligent person, very conscientious, wouldn't mislead you. I feel like I'm a better person by associating with her,'' said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Ball.
Mrs. McDiarmid was one of three women in the 100-member House after she was elected as a Democrat in 1959. Two years later, she lost a re-election bid. She returned to the House in 1964, lost again in 1969, came back two years later and served until her retirement.
She had been organizing her papers to donate to George Mason University, said former Fairfax Sen. Clive L. DuVal II, who had lunch with her Wednesday.
``She was one of the most effective legislators I've worked with as well as a dear, dear friend,'' DuVal said.
by CNB