WE WELCOME
at Westlake On Rt. 122
THURSDAYS 10-6, FRIDAYS 10-6, SATURDAYS 10-6 AND SUNDAYS 12-5
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE
Rt. 122 at Westlake Village
(540) 721-2227
Thurs. 10-6, Fri. 10-6,
Sat. 10-6, and Sun. 12-5
SAVE up
to 80%
Sofas
•
Recliner Sofas
Sectionals
•
Recliners
Leather
•
Master Bedroom
Children’s Bedroom
Casual Dining
•
Formal Dining
Mattress Sets
Occasional Furniture
Mountain Eagle during the summer.
He was recognized by his peers as
a “driving force” in the community.
His boundless enthusiasm helped to
promote many lake area initiatives,
including the SML Water Quality
Task Force, the Tri-County
Chamber Alliance, andThe Franklin
County Tourism Advisory Council.
Soon, the SMLBA
saw the need to raise
funds as a means
of realizing a lot of
its goals, and once
again, Tom Maynard
stepped up to the
plate. His brainchild,
the annual Poker
Run, brought in
thousands of dollars
in funding for their
various efforts to
preserve and promote
boating safety and
the quality of life at
the lake. This would
eventually
include
the SML Marine Fire and Rescue
Company, which is a critical first
responder. SML Fire and Rescue
is often able to reach lake residents
faster than any other entity, which
often means the fastest response
times for medical emergencies, even
on dry land.
Tom never seemed to be too
busy or too tired to take on a new
challenge, or to enjoy time with
friends.Susan recalls,“His nickname
was ‘Captain Easy’, because when
people would pour him drinks he
would say, ‘Easy, easy, not too much
liquor in there!’… so I had a little
hat made for him that said ‘Captain
Easy’, because that’s what people
started calling him.” Ergo, his
boating safety column was billed as
Captain Easy’s Boating Safety Tips.
One might get the impression
that such a busy fellow would
tend to overlook details, but Tom’s
reputation says otherwise. He
was well regarded by his peers as
someone who never spoke on a
subject until after he had researched
it thoroughly. “Most everyone
respected him, for his strong opinion
and willingness to learn everything
about a subject before he voiced his
opinion,” his friend Carl Whitman
recalled in a speech, as he presented
Tom with the Norma Jean Tess
Award posthumously.
Another
friend,
Marshall
Prillaman, remembers, “Once he
had an idea, he wouldn’t let it go
until he had finished what he had
started.”
Several months following the
second year’s Poker Run, Tom
suffered a stroke during surgery to
correct an aneurism, and died at the
relatively young age of 56. To his
many friends, it was as if a speeding
train had been brought to a sudden
halt. Through those friends, and his
legacy, Tom Maynard lives on.
Prillaman is certain of it. “We
were having a lot
of accidents on the
lake. People would
rent boats for a day,
and go out there, and
have an accident…
we actually produced
DVDs that people
who rented boats
had to watch… I
think Tom would be
extremely pleased…
a lot of boaters
have been educated
because of a vision
that he had so many
years ago.”
A popular story
that invokes hismemory involves one
friend who invited someone to the
lake one day for a party. This friend
recalls people splashing and playing
in the lake, having a generally good
time, and then seeing a preacher
appear and begin speaking. The
guest began to feel awkward as he
realized that this was no ordinary
party. It was a memorial service for
Tom Maynard.This preacher set the
assembly at ease when he remarked
that this was precisely the right way
to celebrate Tom’s life: a crowd of
people enjoying themselves safely in
the lake.
Tom Maynard served two
terms as president of the Boating
Association, and was VP of the
SML Chamber when he passed
away. Small wonder that today, the
SML Poker Run proudly bears his
name.
Today, the Tom Maynard
Memorial Poker Run continues
to serve as a vital force in our
community. It provides participants
with a great waterborne event, and
funding for essential services that
keep the lake safe and clean. Yet,
even today, as the SMLBA prepares
for the 16th annual running,
the Poker Run remains at least
somewhat misunderstood.
Although it tends to attract a
number of large, loud, and flashy
boats, the emphasis on safety is
paramount.The nature of the event
is such that a pontoon boat or even
a sailboat has the same chance of
winning a prize as the faster boats
do, because it isn’t about speed;
it’s about having a winning hand.
Players must navigate to card stops,
collecting a card at each, until they
have a full hand. The order in
which they finish is not a
factor. Thus, the luck of the
draw is all that matters.
In the end, scores
of people have an
exciting,
fun-filled
weekend, out-of-state
participants bring their
tourist dollars to the
lake, and thousands
of dollars are raised
for water quality and
boating safety. Well
played, Captain Easy.
Maynard Continued...
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Discover Smith Mountain Lake | Spring 2013
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