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Celebrating the life of George Otis Mead III.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 2, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, February 5, 2026
WHEREAS, George Otis Mead III, a respected real estate professional and a devoted champion for his fellow community members in the Lexington and Rockbridge County area, died on June 21, 2025; and
WHEREAS, born in West Virginia, Otis Mead moved to the Commonwealth at a young age and grew up in the village of Low Moor in Alleghany County; he spent much of his early life sharing a 23-room house with three generations of his family and local boarders, learning valuable life lessons and cultivating his senses of adventure and creativity; and
WHEREAS, through great determination, Otis Mead overcame dyslexia at a time when the disorder was not commonly diagnosed; he graduated from Central High School, then attended Hampden-Sydney College, where he played football, sang in the glee club, and was a proud member of Chi Phi Fraternity; and
WHEREAS, in 1956, Otis Mead relocated to Lexington, where he worked in a clothing store and began serving as a member of the Virginia National Guard; a few years later, he joined a real estate firm that ultimately became known as Mead Associates; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his distinguished career in real estate, Otis Mead negotiated sales and purchases of property throughout the Shenandoah Valley and served as a vital resource for local officials and civic leaders on property issues and community growth; and
WHEREAS, Otis Mead was active with the Virginia Association of Realtors, serving as president in 1972, and held prominent roles in the governing body of the National Association of Realtors, earning the admiration of his peers for his breadth of expertise and visionary leadership; and
WHEREAS, Otis Mead strove to enhance the local economy by advocating for tourism growth, and he proudly guided Rockbridge County's bid to become the home of the Virginia Horse Center in 1985; and
WHEREAS, when Governor Chuck Robb traveled to the region for a ceremonial signing of that legislation, Otis Mead worked with schools in Lexington and Rockbridge County to ensure students had the opportunity to witness the historic occasion; and
WHEREAS, Otis Mead and his late wife, Sue Ann, supported a wide range of local and state civic organizations and worthy causes, including the Jaycees, several chambers of commerce, Southern Seminary College, the Lexington School Board, and the local Lions Club; and
WHEREAS, Otis Mead was also well known as a natural storyteller and an unofficial local historian, who maintained an encyclopedic knowledge of the people, places, and events that shaped Lexington and Rockbridge County dating back to his arrival in the 1950s; he brought joy to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him through his sense of humor, compassion, sentimentality, and genuine love for the community; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his beloved wife, Sue Ann, Otis Mead will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his daughters, Susan and Mary, and their families, and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of George Otis Mead III, a paragon of the community in the Lexington and Rockbridge County area who touched countless lives through his dedication to servant leadership; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of George Otis Mead III as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.