September 18th, 2017 by WCBC Radio
Arthur T. Bond Eulogy by John Kirby, Frostburg City Administrator
I know I am getting old. It says so on my driver’s license. These days I feel the age more and more, not just from aches and pains, but in number of dear friends I’ve been losing. Today it is Arthur T. Bond. He was my employer off and on beginning in October 1985 when I joined the County Department of Economic Development under Director David Edgerley.
Then through a number of terms, I worked for and with him on important projects and political campaigns. Most of what I know of politics I learned from him. I could tell you Arthur stories for hours, but actually he was the best at telling the stories. When he retired from public service, it was my privilege to be there to help him through the transition.
His greatest wish was that everyone who wanted to work would be able to have a good job. His involvement as a key leader in County economic development is legendary. He had a vision of the development of industrial parks, shell buildings, housing projects, nursing homes and the water and sewer systems to support them going back to his first terms as Mayor in the mid 1970’s. He worked with the CETA Program and HRDC to direct assistance to those residents who needed a little help with job training or making it through a tough winter or getting regular hot meals.
I also knew him as someone who loved his family, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and sisters. He was genuinely proud of his children. Tom, Tammy, Billy, and their families. His numerous business ventures were his way to provide a future for his family as well as their employees. There was one special great-grand daughter that had a way of climbing up in his lap and wrapping him around her little finger. It was special to watch.
For those of us who worked for Arthur in County or City government, we knew him as both a leader and a partner. We knew that as long as we worked hard and took pride in our work, he would support us and take pride in us. While he loved politics, and he surely did, he was far more concerned about the welfare of individual people and his home town, Frostburg.
In recent years as his memory of us slowly faded, he has remained a vivid fond memory for hundreds, maybe even thousands of us. I owe him a great deal, but he would say the accounts were paid in full, and so I have tried to pass on to the next generation of employees the expectation he had for me of hard work driven by a love for this special community.
To say I will miss him is a gross understatement. And in the end, he was my friend.
Thank you.
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