Darrell Holmes, known for his humor and affable manner during a 24-year tenure as Senate clerk, died Friday. He was 81.
Holmes was elected clerk in 1989 and served until his retirement in January 2013, overseeing a Senate staff of about 40 full-time and 120 part-time employees through a transition from a mostly paper operation into the electronic age.
For many years, Holmes' office off of Senate chambers provided sanctuary for senators, who could grab a cup of coffee, enjoy a moment of quiet, catch up on the latest jokes, and - until members of the teen anti-smoking group Raze called him on it in 2010 - sneak a cigarette break.
Holmes was a familiar face in the Capitol for decades, having served eight years in the House of Delegates and eight years in the Senate, as a Democrat from Kanawha County, before being elected Senate clerk.
In a 2013 interview after his retirement, Holmes talked about the demands of being Senate clerk, noting, "Even when they're not in session, you get a lot of contacts from senators needing this or that. In session, if they had meetings at 7 in the morning and some meetings until 8 or 9 that night, I would still be here. I was here all the time they were here."
A lifelong resident of Sissonville, Holmes graduated from Sissonville High School in 1953. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he attended Glenville State, Morris Harvey, and West Virginia State colleges.
He retired from Union Carbide in 1989, and for many years, operated a small machine shop in Sissonville.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who served as Senate Finance Committee chairman and later as Senate president during Holmes' tenure as clerk, said of his passing, "Darrell Holmes was a true West Virginia treasure and a dear friend of mine for more than 40 years as he served as a delegate, senator and then Senate clerk. We all will miss his wonderful sense of humor, spirit and most of all, his true friendship. Joanne and I send our heartfelt condolences to his family and will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers."
Current Senate President Bill Cole, R-Mercer, also issued a statement:
"The Senate is saddened to hear of the loss of our former senator and clerk and our friend, Darrell Holmes. Darrell was truly dedicated to serving the people of West Virginia, and his love of the state Senate will always be remembered. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."
Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com, 304 348-1220, or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.