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 A man and his vision were honored Tuesday at
a dedication ceremony at Leesburg Regional Airport. The city paid
tribute to Henry Pringle and the Pringle family, long-time residents of
Leesburg, by renaming the airport to reflect Pringle's role in shaping
the community.
Bagpipes - Pringle's favorite instrument -
sounded as about 50 people, including many city and county officials,
joined in the event to celebrate the man behind the airport.
"Today we're gathered here to rededicate
Leesburg Regional Airport,” said Charlie Weller, airport manager. “If it
hall not been for one man who had vision and foresight, we would not be
here today. That one person who had better vision than we did was Henry
Pringle.”
In 1948, Pringle donated land to the city to
be used for an airport. Before that, it had been used by the military.
Since then, the airport has grown to include 11 corporate hangars and
longer runways to provide better safety In addition, a new line service
building is slated for construction, as well as a new fire station and
air traffic control tower.
“Henry Pringle knew that his gift was a gift
of growth,” said Rick Reed, curator for the city.
George Pringle, son of the now deceased
Henry, said he felt “proud and gratified” by the event. “It's a very
nice gesture,” said his wife Elizabeth.
As Commissioner David Knowles and City
Manager Ron Stock, with the help of two others, unveiled the new
entrance sign, proclaiming that the rededicated airport was now Leesburg
Regional Airport at Henry Pringle Field, applause broke out among the
crowd.
Stock said he had met with Pringle's
daughter Rosemary Purdum about a year ago. According to Stock, some
people felt that the city had never properly honored Mr. Pringle for his
gift.
“I hope, after today, they can say we've
done that,” Stock said.
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