Dear Editor:
This is to add another accolade for Bob Bloxom on the event of his passing.
I knew Bob through his work in the General Assembly in my ten years as Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System. I saw Bob in many legislative circumstances. He was always kind, concerned, and highly respected by delegates from both sides of the aisle. His counsel was sought on many issues and in his role as a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. He was accessible and always insightful.
Bob has many legacies. I emphasize his legacy in support of community colleges. He was an early believer in community colleges, a critical supporter as an early board member in the formation of Eastern Shore Community College. As the decades passed, he became a champion of community colleges and their value to hundreds of thousands of citizens in our great Commonwealth. He was a strong advocate of low tuition for community college students to create unprecedented access to higher education.
For the many contributions you made to Virginia and its Eastern Shore, I thank you, Bob. Also, thank you for the many good deeds you accomplished in your long and significant lifetime, and thank you for doing all this with thoughtfulness, grace, style, and an ever-present smile; you were always a true Virginia gentleman.
Arnold Oliver, Harborton
Chancellor Emeritus
Virginia Community College System
