James T. Vaughn

James T. Vaughn, 82

CLAYTON - Delaware state Sen. James Townsend Vaughn passed away peacefully Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Bayhealth–Kent General Hospital, Dover, surrounded by his family. He was 82.

Jim was born at the old Vaughn farm east of Cheswold in Kent County on April 12, 1925. He was the third of six children of the late Charles Townsend Vaughn and his wife, the former Ada Van Pelt.

He grew up on the family farm and was educated in the public schools of Cheswold and Dover. He completed his schooling in Smyrna, where he graduated from John Bassett Moore High School as a member of the Class of 1943.

Just after his 18th birthday in April of that year, he went to Philadelphia with several of his classmates and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, going on active duty soon after his graduation in June. He served in the South Pacific and in China during and after World War II, earning the rank of corporal.

On his return to civilian life in 1946, Jim joined the Delaware State Police, serving that organization honorably until his retirement in 1966. At the time of his retirement, he was a staff captain and served as the director of the state police criminal division.

From 1966 to 1976, he worked for the Dover law firm of his younger brother, William H. Vaughn, as a title searcher. His son, Superior Court President Judge James T. Vaughn Jr., recalls that while he was there, Jim set up a whole new title searching system and noted, "he was the best non-law-trained title examiner I've ever seen."

In 1976, Jim was appointed Delaware Commissioner of Correction by Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt, and served in that capacity until 1979, under Gov. Tribbitt and his successor, Gov. Pierre S. du Pont IV.

After leaving the position of commissioner, he served briefly as interim chief of police for the town of Smyrna. His family remembers that while serving as chief, he often carried out foot patrols around the town himself.

While still a member of the state police, Jim was elected to the Smyrna Board of Education and served as a board member and board president for the next 15 years, from 1965 to 1980. During his tenure, he also chaired the building committee and led the effort to acquire land for a new Smyrna High School. He convinced the board to buy substantial additional land adjoining the school site with the idea that it could be used immediately for agricultural education and could later be used for an additional school building. It is now the site of Smyrna Middle School. Though criticized at the time by some citizens, the board's wise foresight is now generally recognized.

Jim was a member of many community service, civic and professional organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8801, FBI National Academy Associates, Harvard Associates of Police Science, American Legion Post 14, Smyrna-Clayton Moose Lodge and Harmony Lodge 13, AF&AM, of which he was a past master.

No organization meant more to him, however, than the Smyrna-Clayton Little League, which he served as a volunteer for more than 40 years, after first becoming involved in 1957 when his eldest son, Jimmy, was old enough to play. He served thereafter as a director, treasurer, equipment manager, grass-cutter, laborer and anything else that needed doing. For decades, he coached the Smyrna-Clayton Rotary team.

When he first became involved, the Little League had no grounds of its own and played on any open space it could find around town. He was a leader in efforts to get a permanent site and ultimately found land for a Little League complex at a former borrow pit owned by his friend, "Reds" Wheatley, on Duck Creek Road across from the present-day Smyrna Middle School. He worked with other volunteers to prepare the site, laid out and seeded the playing fields and helped to build the sheds and other buildings. For years, he regularly cut the grass - his wife joked that he loved to cut the grass there, but not at the family home in Clayton.

Jim ran for the Delaware State Senate in 1980 and was elected to the first of many terms. He quickly became a powerful voice there and served for many years as chairman of the Senate Committee on Adult and Juvenile Corrections.

He also became a mainstay of the Joint Finance Committee and was renowned for his vast knowledge of state financial matters.

At the time of his resignation for health reasons on Sept. 28, 2007, he served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and as member of numerous other committees.

Among Jim's many accomplishments in the Senate were his leadership in efforts to establish Delaware's two veterans' cemeteries and the newly-opened state veterans' home at Milford.

While there were many large and significant achievements during his years in the Senate, the thing that best typifies his career was the excellence of his constituent service. He never asked what party a person belonged to, or even whether they lived in his district. He helped anyone and everyone if he could and he was one legislator to whom state officials found it difficult to say "no." As his friend, Ronny Burris, once said of him, "You don't run around Jim Vaughn."

He was revered not only by his colleagues in the Senate but also by staff members. One lady who is a member of the Legislative Hall custodial staff recalled of him after hearing the news of his passing, "He always had a smile and a joke for me."

Jim is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Sylvia (Harris) Vaughn. Mrs. Vaughn recalls that they met when she was 15 and he was 17, and she accompanied him to his junior class prom.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Frances Hahn; and his brother, C. Richard Vaughn.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sister, Mary Longenecker and her husband Donovan of Wilmington; his brother, Robert V. and his wife Jimmie of Wilmington; his brother, William H. Vaughn and his wife Sherie of Dover; his sister-in-law, Catherine K. Vaughn; three children and their spouses, the Honorable James T. Vaughn Jr. and his wife Marjorie of Smyrna, Robert G. Vaughn and his wife Deborah of Camden and Judith V. Wright and her husband Bryan of Smyrna; six grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, James T. Vaughn III, Mary E. Vaughn, Holly O. Vaughn, Matthew R. Vaughn and his wife Michelle, Justin B. Wright, Candace M. Wright, Jeffrey Ahers and Nichole W. Keiper; and a great-granddaughter, Julia Vaughn.

Funeral services will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Asbury United Methodist Church, 20-24 W. Mount Vernon St., Smyrna, where friends may call at 10 a.m. and also on Monday from 6 to 9 p.m.

A Masonic service honoring Jim's life will be held during the Monday evening viewing at 7:30 p.m.

Burial will be at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Smyrna.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Smyrna-Clayton Little League, P.O. Box 114, Clayton, DE 19938.

Arrangements are by Faries Funeral Directors, 29 S. Main St., Smyrna.