Portion of Lafayette Street renamed in honor of former sheriff

By MIKE WILLIAMS

The Patriot

A portion of Lafayette Street that runs past the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office to the town’s brush site has been renamed in honor of former Sheriff Frank Conner.

Pulaski Town Council made the name change Tuesday night during its July meeting when it unanimously voted to pass a resolution naming a portion of the street from East Main to the brush site, Sheriff F.R. Conner Drive.

The change was first suggested a couple of months ago by councilman Jamie Radcliffe as a way to honor the former sheriff for his service to the town and county.

Naming that stretch of roadway is fitting as it passes the sheriff’s office and leads to the brush site. Conner served as sheriff from 1978 until his retirement in 1991. He was also a member of the county’s Public Service Authority’s Board of Directors.

Conner passed away April 1, 2021 at the age of 86.

Conner’s entire adult life involved working in public service, starting first in the U.S. Army before he went to work for the state’s Department of Corrections in 1959.

He joined the sheriff’s office in 1962.

After his retirement, Conner became the first Cougar Assistance Security Guard at Pulaski County High School and was elected to the county’s Board of Supervisors representing the Massie District where he served for 16 years.

Along with his PSA board duties, Conner also served as a member of the New River Valley Regional Jail Authority Board of Directors and on the Peppers Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority board.

Conner is survived by his wife of 65 years, Glorina Fisher Conner of Dublin, two sons and one daughter.