WEST virginia legislature

2016 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Concurrent Resolution 55

(By Senators Maynard, Stollings and Plymale)

[Originating in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; reported on March 8 2016]

Requesting portion of Sweetwater Road on U. S. Route 35 near Dunlow, Wayne County, West Virginia, beginning at longitude, latitude: 37.980503, -82.359323 and ending at longitude, latitude: 38.010280, -82.306155, be named “The Dewey ‘Duke’ Maynard Memorial Road”.

Whereas, Dewey “Duke” Maynard was born January 18, 1941, at Holden in Logan County, West Virginia, the youngest son of the late Hardin and Genevie McNeeley Maynard.  He was married to Icie Moore Maynard for 47 years.  On January 14, 2010, Dewey “Duke” Maynard died at the age of 69 after suffering from a debilitating neurological disease that robbed him of his pride and mobility.  Duke was survived by his wife, daughter and son-in-law, Robin Lee and J. T. Spaulding; a son and daughter-in-law, Dewey Lee Maynard, Jr.; and Sueann Maynard, all of Dunlow, West Virginia; and  

Whereas, He was a retiree of the Laborers’ Local 543 and from his own business, Maynard Logging; a member of the Masonic Blue Lodge in Crum, WV; and was a 32nd Degree Master Mason; and

Whereas, Duke was well loved throughout his community, especially by those he visited each Christmas Eve for 21 years, providing gifts and playing Santa Claus for the school children; and

Whereas, Dewey “Duke” Maynard lived in the area near this roadway his entire life and was a kind and generous man who donated personal time and money to local youth and high school sports programs; and 

Whereas, He served as a Republican Committeeman for several years, promoting community involvement in the democratic process and personally ensuring that the elderly had transportation to polling places; and

Whereas, In 1991, “Duke” created and gathered signatures on a petition to request that the Department of Highways place guardrails on Sweet Water Road for the sole purpose of protecting the school buses that traveled the road; and

Whereas, He was widely known to help those who had lost their jobs by hiring them for odd jobs and aiding them to obtain membership in the Laborers’ Local 543.  He helped many neighbors purchase groceries at his own great financial burden and gathered clothes and food for neighbors who had lost their homes to fire or natural disasters.  He was named an Honorary Wayne County Deputy Sheriff by Sheriff Toby Shy and was called upon to locate burned vehicles and stolen property and to assist deputies in carrying out their duties by helping them find remote areas and people they were not familiar with; and

Whereas, Naming a portion of Sweetwater Road on U. S. Route 35 near Dunlow, Wayne County, West Virginia, beginning at longitude, latitude: 37.980503, -82.359323 and ending at longitude, latitude: 38.010280, -82.306155, “The Dewey ‘Duke’ Maynard Memorial Road” would be a fitting tribute and honor to the memory of Dewey “Duke” Maynard who was a loving husband and father and a valuable asset to his community, county and state; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name a portion of Sweetwater Road on U. S. Route 35 near Dunlow, Wayne County, West Virginia, beginning at longitude, latitude: 37.980503, -82.359323 and ending at longitude, latitude: 38.010280, -82.306155, “The Dewey ‘Duke’ Maynard Memorial Road”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the road as the  “The Dewey ‘Duke’ Maynard Memorial Road”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways and the surviving relatives of Dewey ‘Duke’ Maynard.