A longtime volunteer for the Prince William Public Library System was honored for her service during a dedication ceremony for the terrace at the Montclair Community Library.
The Montclair Community Library, located at 5049 Waterway Drive in Montclair, opened late last year.
The volunteer, Fran Chavez, served on the library board for 26 years, and oversaw the opening of six community library locations and two regional libraries in her tenure, according to a release. Chavez passed away in 2015.
“Fran was an integral part of our expanding library system, as she participated in the ongoing… aspects of an expanding library system,” stated chairman of the Prince William Public Library System Board of Trustees Burk Andrews in a release.
According to release, Chavez was appointed to the board by Supervisor John Jenkins in 1983, when there were only two community libraries in Prince William. Chavez attended 286 library board meetings and acted as a mentor to many trustees, stated a release.
According to Chavez’s grandson Nicholas Chaves, a student at Forest Park High School, his grandmother has been a big part of the community.
“She knew no strangers. Everyone who met her loved her,” stated Nicholas Chavez in a release.
The terrace naming at the new library was a way to honor her memory, and commemorate her service to the library system for so many years.
“Fran was strong and resolute. She served on the library board as we dealt with many difficult and contentious issues over the years,” stated former director of the Prince William Public Library System Dick Murphy, in a release.
