Martin Hassinger

Martin Hassinger, whose family founded and ran the Hassinger Lumber Company in Konnarock, has died. His obituary appears in today's Bristol Herald-Courier. The Virginia Creeper Trail today lies partially on the rail bed built by the company to haul cut timber. The family has asked that memorial gifts in lieu of flowers be made to the Virginia Creeper Trail Club. We are grateful for their generosity and offer our condolences for their loss.

Martin Hassinger
Martin Asa Hassinger, philanthropist, civic leader and businessman, died peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007, at Bristol Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Hassinger enjoyed robust good health and died after a brief illness. His life spanned a period of 100 years, during which he gave of himself and his resources in a never-ending effort to improve his community and the lives of the people around him.
Mr. Hassinger was born on June 3, 1907, in the community of Konnarock, Va., a village which his father carved from the virgin wilderness of Southwest Virginia. There he grew up surrounded by a warm and loving family and the sturdy and resourceful people of that region. The Hassinger Lumber Co. built a community church, a school and a store, provided health care for its employees and built a railroad, which is now part of the Virginia Creeper Trail. The company cut more than 400 million feet of timber and became the chief supplier of lumber for the European shipping industry.
Upon completion of his early education in Konnarock, Mr. Hassinger attended Emory & Henry College. At age 18, while at Syracuse University, he was called home to direct the family logging operation and sawmill. He left Syracuse so quickly, he never returned to his room for his books and coat! He ran the business the rest of his life. Even in later years, retirement was never an option.
In 1927, Mr. Hassinger married Caroline Marshall of Johnson City and they made their home in Konnarock. In 1929, as the Depression loomed, he came with his father, Luther Hassinger, and his brother, Bill Hassinger, to Bristol Virginia, where they purchased Bristol Builder's Supply Co., a retail lumber business. He joined the Kiwanis Club of Bristol and served actively for 78 years. In 2005, Kiwanis honored him as the member with the longest period of continuous service in the United States. These were years of remarkable challenge and growth for Mr. Hassinger, as the business flourished and children, Caroline and Ann, were born.
In 1940, Mr. Hassinger entered public service as a member of the Bristol Virginia School Board. During the next 30 years, under his visionary leadership, the City of Bristol enjoyed remarkable growth. When building materials were difficult to obtain after World War II, he often contributed his company's allotment of lumber, making possible the construction of Stonewall Jackson Elementary School and a high school gymnasium, the first of its kind in Southwest Virginia.
In 1948, Mr. Hassinger became a member of the Bristol Virginia City Council and served for 13 years, both as mayor and as a member of the council. His priorities included flood control dams, improving the city's water system and cleaning up Beaver Creek by creating a new sewer system. He acquired the land for the new high school, for Randolph Field, for VanPelt School, for Washington and Lee School and for Sugar Hollow Park. During the 1960s, as other cities experienced turmoil during the integration of schools and other facilities, Mr. Hassinger led other civic leaders in integrating Bristol peacefully and without tension. He served on the Bristol Virginia Welfare Board for 18 years. Through his leadership, Bristol became the first food stamp distributor in Southwest Virginia.
Soon after World War II, Mr. Hassinger expanded the Hassinger Organization, opening Central Warehouse in Bristol, one of the first wholesale building supply businesses in the nation. This was followed in subsequent years by the opening of Dealers Warehouse in Knoxville, Reserve Warehouse in Chattanooga and Hassinger Wholesale in Greensboro. Mr. Hassinger created one of the first employee profit sharing plans in the South. The development of this plan reveals his philosophy of generosity toward employees. A half century later, the profit sharing plan continues to benefit the employees of the company.
One of Mr. Hassinger's most compelling passions was his commitment to State Street United Methodist Church in Bristol. He was instrumental in the construction of the congregation's current building. He created and personally managed the ministers' pension fund for the Holston Methodist Conference. Mr. Hassinger was especially concerned with the needs of young people who could not afford a college education. He gave jobs to dozens of young people who needed an income for college purposes. He provided funds for scholarships for more than 250 young people.
He enjoyed a quality of life seldom experienced at his age. This was in large part due to his caregiver and friend, Robert Roberts. Mr. Roberts made it possible for him to travel, attend business meetings, visit his companies and to never miss a family event. Recently, he traveled to North Carolina to celebrate his 100th birthday, surrounded by his entire family. The family is deeply grateful to Mr. Roberts and his staff, Charles West and Renee Scott, for their excellent care.
Mr. Hassinger was predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Caroline, and his brothers, Glen, William and Robert.
He reserved his warmest and kindest moments for his children and grandchildren, and they devoted themselves to him in return.
Survivors include his two daughters, Caroline Lindsey and her husband Paul of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Ann Smith and her husband Wade of Raleigh, N.C.; six grandchildren, Mari Lindsay, Stephen Lindsay, Timothy Lindsay, Susan Lindsay, Karen Smith Linehan and Robyn Yigit Smith; nine great-grandchildren, Holly Lindsay-Miller, Nicholas Lindsay, Harper Lindsay, Carter Lindsay, Ella Lindsay, Kelsey Linehan, Dylan Linehan, Kenan Yigit and Aslan Yigit; one great-great-granddaughter, Adah Miller; a nephew, William Hassinger of Greensboro; a cousin, Margaret Louise Brown of Gate City; and a brother-in-law, Harrison Marshall of Cary, N.C.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 o'clock Tuesday evening, Oct. 23, 2007, at Oakley-Cook Funeral Home. The memorial service will be at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 24, 2007, at State Street United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Reed Shell officiating. The committal service and burial in Glenwood Cemetery will be private. Employees of the Hassinger Corp. will serve as honorary pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Virginia Creeper Trail Club, P.O. Box 2382, Abingdon, VA 24212; or to the Konnarock Community Center, c/o Lucy Huffman, 1028 Laurel Valley Road, Troutdale, VA 34378. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family and viewed by visiting www.oakley-cook.com or faxed to (423) 764-3770.
Mr. Hassinger and his family are in the care of Oakley-Cook Funeral Home, 2223 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, Tenn.; (423) 764-7123.

Published in the Bristol Herald Courier from 10/22/2007 - 10/23/2007.