Eugene E. Threadgill

THREADGILL EUGENE E. THREADGILL "Gene" Of Silver Spring, MD, died on June 14, 2009. He was born in Miami, FL in 1918. He attended the University of Florida and moved to Washington, DC in 1940, where he studied law at Georgetown Law School. He had a long, distinguished career in both government and private practice, including 16 years with Connole & O''Connell. Over the years, his law practice allowed him to combine his passions for economics and administrative law, and his representation before the Federal Power Commission (later the FERC) and the Postal Rate Commission frequently involved complex and often arcane rate-setting matters, ranging from tariffs for the Alaskan Pipeline to postal rates for post cards and pre-sorted mail. In 1954, he married Esther-Anne (Eve) Ruthe and moved to McLean, VA, where they lived together until Eve passed away in 2006. Gene and Eve were longtime supporters of the arts in Washington, DC and New York. Gene also gave generously to the University of Florida, including the creation of an endowment with his brothers Robert and Samuel. Over the years, Gene was active in the local citizens'' association and the local Republican committee. However, in 1989, he was serving as General Counsel for the Fairfax County Republican Committee, and resigned his position in order to support Douglas Wilder in his successful campaign for Governor of Virginia. Gene was always a champion of the underdog. Perhaps the most notable example was his representation of the West Langley Civic Association-his intrepid advocacy for the construction of a sound barrier along a stretch of the Capitol Beltway, pitting the Association against such Goliaths as the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, among others, finally resulted in the construction of the sound barrier after 17 years of litigation. He was a selflessly dedicated husband, a loving and proud father and grandfather, and was deeply generous to family, friends and countless charities. Gene is survived by brother, Robert of Maitland, FL; son, Peter, Millersville, MD; daughter, Margaret Symington, Morristown, NJ; son, William, Harrison, NY; daughter, Maria Stevens, Albuquerque, NM; and four grandchildren, Alison and Zachary Stevens, Natalie and Sophie Threadgill. A Memorial Service will be held at Riderwood Village Chapel, Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. We will miss him dearly.A Memorial Service will be held at Riderwood Village Chapel, Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. We will miss him dearly.