With the passing of Mr. Coit Washington, the Fairfield County community lost a fine community leader and businessman. Many people remember the dapper gentleman who was not shy about sharing his experiences, especially with young people, and a man who was not shy about serving the community in which he lived.

Washington started his own business, Washington’s Trucking and Paving, and employed many people within the county, and he also took an active hand in community leadership, having served several years on Fairfield County Council.

Councilmember Mary Lynn Kinley remembers “Mr. Coit” this way: “Mr. Coit was a self-made businessman. He made Washington's Trucking and Paving a most successful company and even worked with the business up until several years ago.

“He was a well-respected member of our community and he also had high regard for his fellow man.

“I served on County Council with him for five years and found him to be a fair and dedicated elected official.

“I loved his sense of humor; he always had a smile to share and funny story to tell. He enjoyed life!

“He loved his family and was proud of them.

“Mr. Coit was a classy dresser! He always looked the part of a true southern gentleman! I will miss his kind words and his visits. We have lost a good friend to Fairfield County,” Kinley said.

Council chairman David Ferguson also had some thoughts on Coit Washington: “I considered Mr. Coit a good friend. When I was first elected to Council I would call him and discuss his views on a lot of issues.

“I deeply respected the manner in which he conducted himself when he served on Council.

“The second time I ran for Council Mr. Coit went door to door with me in his community and introduced me to his friends and neighbors.

“Fairfield County has suffered a great loss in the death of our good friend and community leader,” Ferguson said.

County councilman David Brown also served with Mr. Washington. He remembers him as a a very fair man, “very pro-active when it came to economic development.”

Brown remembers that washington was on council when Fairfield County began courting Mack Truck and Rite-Aid..

“Mr. Washington helped lay some of the groundwork for getting those businesses here,” said Brown.

“He had a great dedication to bringing jobs into Fairfield County, and he always looked after his constituents.

“He was just a great guy. He believed in people working and earning a living, and he had a strong work ethic himself.

We served together on council, and we got some stuff done. Mr. Coit looked out for Fairfield County.”

Josie Gaston remembers that Coit Washington started high school in Jenkinsville and that they rode the same bus, he in high school and she in elementary school.

‘(Coit) believed in education,’ she wrote in a remembrance of Washington.

‘He also believed in the young people and many, many times he encouraged them to remain in schools and get a good education.

‘He was a community person, he helped many people secure employment.

‘He served on the Fairfield County Council for many years--while there he encouraged many people to prepare themselves for the future.

‘He served his community and county by helping to secure employment for many citizens in the county.

‘Coit was also a churchman; he helped the churches in his community. And he served his Alma Mater-Allen University, by assisting many students financially.

‘He will be missed by many.’