City manager remembered by family, friends

Police officers in dress uniforms waved cars into Averett University’s North Campus Sunday for the memorial service remembering City Manager Lyle Lacy, who died March 3.

Just past the entrance, firefighters stood next to a fire engine, lights flashing.

Inside the Grant Center, favorite songs from Lacy’s iPod played while a slideshow of photos of Lacy with his family and friends were displayed on two screens as about 500 people arrived to remember their friend.

The Rev. Doug Barber led the service, but most of the talking was done by more than a dozen family members, friends and coworkers, who talked about their memories of Lacy.

His son, Matthew “Matt” Lyle Lacy IV, said the family had been “blown away” by hearing from so many people following Lacy’s death and learning “how many people were touched by Dad’s life.”

Lacy’s two younger brothers, John and Bruce Lacy, talked about growing up with big brother Lyle, some of the mischief they’d get into (“innovative plans,” according to Bruce) and how Lyle Lacy never let anything get in the way of doing what he felt was right.

“I never remember him making excuses,” John Lacy said.

His brother-in-law, Steve Doyle, talked about how important Lacy’s family was to him, how loyal he was to family and friends and how much fun they all had during family get-togethers.

“If you worked with Lyle, you have been given a gift,” Doyle said. “He never let anything get in his way or made excuses.”

Lyle Lacy liked to laugh and make others laugh, according to friends who came in from all over the country for the memorial — friends from his boyhood in South Hill, friends from college, friends he made while working for city governments in Nebraska, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.

B.B. Lewis, Spencer Crowder, Totch Hartge, Kemp Mathews, David Ammons, Bo Harris, Mike Dafney and Bill Paulette talked about their best friend, some of them admitting they hadn’t realized just how many best friends Lacy had before coming to Danville for this memorial.

Hartge said he now realized he might not be the only best friend “but I’m in the top 1,000,” making everyone in the room chuckle.

They all had tales to tell, of hunting or fishing or waterskiing or barbecuing or boating — Lacy enjoyed all those things and more with his family and friends, they said. Often the stories ended around a camp fire, with Lacy smoking a cigar and sipping on some peppermint schnapps while commenting, “It don’t get no better than this.”

“He was not a spectator, he was a participant,” Crowder said. “He did not think life was a spectator sport.”

Another trait Lacy had that all his friends commented on was his complete “lack of ego,” a quality that meant he credited his staff with all the accomplishments made in his various positions.

Number one in his life was family, according to all who spoke — his wife, Mary Ann; his son, Matt; his daughter, Laura, and his three grandchildren. He once told Mayor Sherman Saunders, “I am belly-busting-buttons proud of my family,” Saunders said.

Saunders related thoughts expressed by all Danville City Council members, noting that, “Because of Lyle, for a long time the city of Danville will be fine.”

Saunders said Lacy called him the city’s “captain,” and Saunders in turn called him “coach,” saying he pictures Lacy looking down on Danville and saying “That’s my team!” when things go right and “That’s not what we practiced!” if things aren’t going well.

“Thanks, Coach,” Saunders said as he left the podium.

• Thibodeau is a staff writer for the Danville Register & Bee.