Doug Irvin, Sr. – A life of service to the Dublin community

If you ask his family, friends and community leaders about Doug Irvin, Sr., they all seem to agree – he has always been very active in serving the citizens of Dublin.

“He is one of the true public servants.  It has never been about him personally, but all about being a public servant,” comments Ty Kirkner, Dublin Town Manager.

doug irvin sr
At last Thursday’s Dublin Town Council meeting, Doug Irvin, Sr. was honored and presented a plaque thanking him for his 20 years of service on the Council.  Irvin has served as council member, Vice-Mayor, on the town’s Recreation, Streets and Lights Committee, Water Committee and Finance Committee.  He also served as a representative for the Town of Dublin on Virginia’s First Regional Industrial Facilities Authority.  Presenting the plaque is Town of Dublin Mayor Benny Skeens. (Town of Dublin photo)

Although Kirkner has been affiliated with Irvin for only two-and-a-half years on the Council, he and the Dublin Town Council members have relied on Irvin for his expertise in budgeting, auditing and administration for many years and through several important projects.

Irvin served as Vice-Mayor of Dublin for two years and has been a council member for 20 years.  He had a major responsibility in the development of the New River Valley Airport Commission which manages the local airport and the Virginia’s First Regional Commission, among other projects.

“The biggest project was the water project in 2010 to improve the quality of the water system in Dublin,” recalls Irvin.  “It was quite an extensive project, costing a couple of million dollars and it improved the water pressure for the Town of Dublin.”

Irvin and his wife Lucy have been married for 53 years and raised three sons, Doug, Jr., Daniel and John while living in Dublin.

“I love the town of Dublin and the community.  We’ve lived here in town for over 50 years and want to see it do well.  Maybe one day it will grow in size and pick up some more businesses that will support the town.  We’ve got a lot of little small businesses in our community… our son John has a business in town called John’s Stuff.  He’s almost 40 now.  Our oldest will be 50 in December.  We often wonder how kids can be that old and we’re still young,” he quips.

Working with the Town of Dublin is only one of Irvin’s many civic activities.

“I have always been very active in the community.  Years ago, before I was on the town council, I was the Cub Scout Master when our boys were younger.  It was time consuming with about 100 boys in Scouts in Dublin, but we enjoyed it.  We worked with it for most of the time the two oldest boys were in it.  Then they drafted me again when our younger son John became of age.  The Cub Scouts had a lot of interest in it and they won a lot of awards.  It helped them to gain confidence.  We tried to emphasize good values that were important, and they all seemed to carry on with it. One former Cub Scout is now a commercial airline pilot.”

Additionally, Irvin has coached Little League Baseball, taught Sunday School from kindergarten through adult classes, served as a Decon and Treasurer for the Dublin Baptist Church and been a charter member of the Dublin Jaycees which is known for their fundraising and donatations to local projects.

In his spare time, he volunteered with the Dublin Fire Department for close to 40 years and served as their Treasurer for 15 years.  His two older sons also volunteered and both of them are still serving in their communities.

Lucy remembers a particular Christmas dinner that was interrupted when the fire alarms went off.

Insurance Center of Dublin 10 4 copy“There were boys going in all directions because one son was on the rescue squad, while Doug and our other son were on the fire department squad.  You just learn to accept it,” she said.

The family is an integral part when members are actively volunteering.  “People don’t realize that it isn’t just going to the fires.  There are hours and hours of training; learning how to be safe; and how to handle different types of fires,” she recalls.

When asked why it is important to serve your community, Irvin responded, “I’ve enjoyed it – its been a fun thing.  Everybody needs to serve.  It is fulfilling, makes you feel like you are accomplishing something, you get to know people and gain the trust of the people.  You learn to trust and be trusted.  I liked to work with people in the community and get their opinions and satisfy their needs.”

At a Dublin Town Council meeting last Thursday, Irvin was honored and received a plaque that thanked him for 20 years of service to the town as a council member.

According to Deanna Marshall, Clerk of Council, Irvin has served as Vice-Mayor, on the town’s Recreation, Street and Lights Committee, the Water Committee and the Finance Committee.  He has served as a representative for the town on Virginia’s First Regional Industrial Facilities Authority as well.

Irvin says the Dublin Fire Department gave him his helmet and a beautiful plaque with a firefighter shield, hose and ladder which is mounted in their family room.

“I still attend the board meetings of the fire department – Christmas dinner and summer picnic – and  told them I’d stay a retired member as long as they feed me,” jokes Irvin.

After an injury caused by a fall, Irvin retired from the town council, but his service to the Dublin community will not be forgotten.

“Irvin has done it right, like a lot of our council members, and made decisions to do what’s best for the town of Dublin,” says Kirkner.

By DANIELLE REID, The Patriot