THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996 TAG: 9604170153
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
He was sick, running a temperature, but his wife kept after him to get ready for his monthly Lions Club meeting.
When he got there, he sat in a corner, by himself, ``so nobody else will catch what I got.'' Except for some coughing, you wouldn't have known he was there.
After supper, former Mayor James ``Jim'' F. Hope found out why his wife had been so insistent.
He was presented with the highest form of recognition conferred by the Lions Club International Foundation. He was named a Melvin Jones Fellow, honoring his outstanding service as a club member and a community leader.
``Your name has been added to our listing of all individuals in the program,'' wrote Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Grimaldi of Enna, Italy, chairman of the Foundation's Board of Directors. ``These names are electronically shown in continuous rotation in the LCIF Recognition Room at International headquarters (Oak Brook, Ill.) This exhibit stands as a tribute to a growing network of individuals who are committed to the humanitarian objectives of LCIF.''
Hope is only the second Suffolk Lion to be thus recognized since the local chapter was chartered in 1923, the seventh club in the state.
The late R. Eley Duke was recognized posthumously in 1993 by the Melvin Jones Fellowship, which was named in honor of the founder of Lions Club International.
``We are the world's largest service organization,'' said Harry Lee Self of Callao, District 24-D Governor, one of several Lions officials attending the ceremony honoring Hope. ``Jim has been active since 1947, and was president in 1961-62.''
He has been actively serving Suffolk for years. He was elected to City Council in 1963. He was mayor in 1966, serving three terms until 1978, which meant that he was the first mayor of the newly consolidated city of Suffolk in 1974.
Hope was re-elected to City Council in 1990, once again serving as mayor until 1992.
The current mayor, S. Chris Jones, wrote a letter of tribute to his predecessor, read at the meeting by John Berryman, president of the Suffolk Lions Club.
``On behalf of myself and the City Council, I would like to offer you our most sincere congratulations,'' he wrote ``Having worked with you during your last term as mayor, I had the opportunity to witness, first hand, your tireless commitment to the citizens of Suffolk.''
Jones, unable to attend the meeting because of a prior commitment, wrote, ``with your nearly fifty years of service to the Lions Club, as well as your numerous other philanthropic endeavors, ranging from the Boy Scouts to the Salvation Army, I cannot imagine a more deserving recipient of an award based on community service.''
Hope, president of Reid & Hope Inc., a contracting and engineering firm, was involved in such building projects as the Virginia State Library in Richmond, Chesapeake Civic Center, Rotunda Office Building in Norfolk, four major buildings at Old Dominion University and an Obici Hospital addition.
The recognition honored the volunteer time spent working with such groups and organizations as Southeastern Tidewater Manpower Authority, Southeastern Water Authority of Virginia, the Community Chest and the Tri-County Suffolk Health Center.
``Looking at his list of accomplishments, this guy has done it all,'' Self said. Then, turning to Hope, he added ``I wish you many more years of service.''
Another Lion paying tribute to the honoree was Ronald H. Williams, city treasurer: ``I'm usually not seen in public at tax deadline time,'' he said. ``I came here out of respect to Jim Hope.''
It was a mutual admiration society - fellow Lions paying tribute to Hope and Hope paying tribute to the organization: ``Of all the clubs I belonged to, I've had more satisfaction with being a member of the Lions Club. It performs unique tasks and does them with vigor for the betterment of the people of the world.''
Hope thanked everyone. Then, accompanied by his wife, Virginia, and daughter, Virginia, returned to his sick bed.
He took with him a plaque of high recognition and a smile of appreciation. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Lions official Harry L. Self, left, gives former Mayor James F. Hope
a plaque making him a Melvin Jones Fellow.
by CNB