Charles J. Colgan

Charles J. Colgan
President pro tempore
of the Senate of Virginia
In office
January 28, 2014 – June 12, 2014
Preceded by Walter Stosch
Succeeded by Walter Stosch
In office
January 9, 2008 – January 11, 2012
Preceded by John Chichester
Succeeded by Walter Stosch
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 29th district
In office
January 14, 1976 – January 13, 2016
Preceded by H. Selwyn Smith
Succeeded by Jeremy McPike
Personal details
Born Charles Joseph Colgan
(1926-09-25)September 25, 1926
Frostburg, Maryland, U.S.
Died January 3, 2017(2017-01-03) (aged 90)
Aldie, Virginia, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Agnes Loretto Footen
(m. 1948; d. 2001)
Carmen Alicia Bernal
(m. 2008)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Army Air Forces
United States Air Force
Years of service 1945–1950
Rank Sergeant

Charles Joseph Colgan (September 25, 1926 – January 3, 2017) was an American politician and businessman. He served for forty years in the Senate of Virginia, with a brief period as the President pro tempore.

Background

Orphaned at the age of 5, Colgan was raised by his grandparents on a farm in Garrett County, Maryland.[1]

Upon his graduation from high school Colgan enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was called to active duty in February 1945. After graduation from basic training Colgan was stationed in Italy as part of a maintenance flight crew on a C-47. After completing his military service Colgan returned to Maryland where he met and married his wife Agnes. In 1948, Colgan and his wife moved to Washington, D.C. He trained as an airplane mechanic working for Capital Airlines and then obtained his commercial pilots license.

Colgan Air Livery, Saab 340B

After flying as a corporate pilot, Colgan moved to Manassas, Virginia in 1964 and formed Colgan Air operating as a flight school and fixed-base operation. In 1968, Colgan expanded his business to include a regional airline which he sold to Presidential Airways in 1986. After the bankruptcy of Presidential, around 1991, Senator Colgan and his son Mike restarted air service under the new name Colgan Air with one aircraft. Colgan and his family sold the airline in 2007 to Pinnacle Airlines.[2]

At the time of the sale, Colgan Air had grown from a few employees and one aircraft to 1,100 employees, 50 aircraft, and 350 flights daily to 53 cities in the North East and Texas.[2]

Awards

Political career

Colgan’s public service began in 1972 when he was elected to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, where he served as chairman for one year. In 1975, Colgan was elected to the Virginia State Senate with 61% of the vote,[8] representing Prince William County, and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

Colgan was the only senator from Prince William County to ever serve as the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and president pro tempore of the Senate. As a result of his seniority, from 2005 to 2011 Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park received more transportation funds than any other jurisdiction in the commonwealth.

As a moderate Democrat, Colgan was well known for working on both sides of the aisle. His bipartisan leadership was well known and respected throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia; one of his greatest friends was Harry J. Parrish, a Republican delegate from Manassas.[9] As a devout Catholic, he was pro-life and voted with Republicans on abortion-related issues.[10]

On January 11, 2012, after being sworn in for the 10th consecutive term of the Virginia State Senate, Senator Colgan became the longest-serving senator in Virginia history. He was also the last remaining World War II veteran to serve in the chamber.

Colgan faced a number of close elections in the 1990s and early 2000s as his district trended Republican at the national level. However, it became somewhat more secure with Northern Virginia's overall Democratic trend in the mid-2000s.

In June 2014, Colgan announced that he would retire rather than seek re-election. He left office at the age of 89, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat Jeremy McPike.

Personal life

Charles and his wife Agnes (deceased 2001)[11] have eight children, twenty-four grandchildren, seventeen great grandchildren and counting. Colgan's descendants are well known throughout the community and operate several small businesses.

Colgan died in hospice care, in Aldie, Virginia, on January 3, 2017 from a vascular ailment. He was 90.[10][12]

Political accomplishments

The Gainesville Interchange (2011) in Progress, 435 million plus in state funds

General:

Transportation:

Education:

Veterans:

References

  1. 1 2 3 Charles Colgan - Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus Archived October 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 Colgan Air Sold to Memphis-Based Carrier, washingtonpost.com; accessed January 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Sen. Charles J. Colgan | Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society Archived March 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Potomac News May 29, 2003
  5. ↑ Archived January 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ http://www.insidenova.com/headlines/colgan-statue-to-be-unveiled-on-the-senator-s-th/article_742540f4-7b6e-11e6-bb70-abf9b4c0503b.html
  8. ↑ Candidate Data for 1975RVASS29
  9. ↑ Rein, Lisa (2 April 2006). "Hundreds Mourn Parrish, Dean of N.Va. Politics". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 Langer, Emily (January 3, 2017). "Charles J. Colgan, longest-serving member of the Virginia Senate, dies at 90". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  11. ↑ "SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 496". Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Sen. Charles J. Colgan dies at age 90". Fauquier Times. January 3, 2017. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  13. ↑ Charles J. Colgan, Sr., Currently Elected Senate Of Virginia 29th District, Virginia
  14. ↑ Topic Galleries - dailypress.com
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