VCDL Has Lost A Good Friend in Jim Kadison
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 at 11:43 AMVCDL Has Lost A Good Friend in Jim Kadison
Virginia Citizens Defense League
Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- It is with a very heavy heart that I must report the passing of Jim Kadison, a wonderful friend and previous VCDL Board of Directors member.
Jim was diagnosed with a serious illness in late 2008 and stepped down from the Board of Directors in April of 2009 so that he could concentrate on his health.
Jim was a quiet, private, religious, moral, and very humble man who was passionate about protecting ALL of our rights. His small stature belied his giant spirit, a spirit that was unyielding when it came to speaking and defending the truth.
I’m sure that most VCDL members don’t know all the important contributions Jim has made over the years in protecting the right to keep and bear arms in Virginia, so I’ll share a few items with you.
A retired lawyer, Jim provided important legal advice and sage counsel to VCDL, keeping the organization on track and focused. Board member Bruce Jackson said this about Jim in an email to VCDL’s Executive members today, “Jim was a huge voice of reason on the Board. He could be counted on to completely change the outcome of a vote with insight and logic that, while obvious to him, could be elusive for the rest of us at times.”
Indeed, I turned to Jim more times than I can count to get clarity and guidance on one issue or another. Jim always stood ready and happy to help.
And it wasn’t just words of advice that Jim offered. Whenever anything came up that might require funds to achieve, be it a court battle or some miscellaneous VCDL project, Jim was right there offering financial support. Jim’s generous donations to pro-gun politicians kept many doors open for VCDL.
Board member Dennis O’Connor, in a list of things he emailed me about Jim, noted this:
“Jim was always the consummate gentleman. In most board meetings, and especially when debate became contentious, all of us at one time or another would speak out of turn or interject our points randomly. Never Jim – I can still see him sitting there for minutes at a time patiently waiting to speak while bursting at the seams to do so. He would hold up his hand up and wait to be acknowledged. He would never, ever interrupt even the interrupters.”
Finally, one of Jim’s major rolls in VCDL was being my right-hand man during the General Assembly session from January to March each year. He was often at the General Assembly Building when I couldn’t be because of my job. He would keep his eyes and ears open and notify me immediately should anything significant arise. Jim provided critical and timely legal guidance to me when bills were being modified on the fly in a subcommittee. (Often when that happens I have only a minute or two to decide on VCDL’s position on the modified bill – Jim sure made that job a whole lot easier!)
Jim’s funeral will be at 11 AM Wednesday at:
Judaic Gardens16225 Batchellors Forest Road
Olney, Maryland 20832
Jim was a kind soul and he will be greatly missed by all that got to know him. Rest in Peace my friend.
About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org
