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Celebrating the life of Wade Wallihan Massie.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2026
WHEREAS, Wade Wallihan Massie, a loving husband, father, and grandfather, esteemed attorney, and beloved member of the Abingdon and Bristol communities, died on February 21, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Wade Massie grew up in Washington in Rappahannock County and graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria before earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a juris doctor degree from the University of Richmond School of Law, where he was a member of the McNeill Society; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from law school in 1977, Wade Massie moved to Abingdon and joined the firm Penn, Stuart, Eskridge & Jones, later known as PennStuart, where he would remain for the entirety of his distinguished legal career; and
WHEREAS, through hard work and determination, Wade Massie built his sterling reputation in the Commonwealth's legal community as he tried hundreds of cases in federal court and in courts and appellate courts throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond; and
WHEREAS, Wade Massie advanced the legal profession through his active membership in several local and state bar organizations and his generous mentorship of younger attorneys and colleagues; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his accomplishments as an attorney, Wade Massie was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Trial Lawyers; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, Wade Massie supported the Mendota Trail Conservancy in its efforts to develop and open the Mendota Trail, a hiking and biking path in Bristol; and
WHEREAS, Wade Massie will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his devoted wife of 42 years, Meredith; his children, Gwen, Grace, and Wade, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Wade Wallihan Massie, a treasured member of the Abingdon and Bristol communities whose integrity, dedication, and service inspired all who knew him; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Wade Wallihan Massie as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for his memory.