Bo White was a tireless advocate for our parks

Annandale has lost a tireless community and parks advocate, with the recent death of Bo White. As a long-time representative of Mason District on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, White played a lead role in establishing the garden plot program and the farmers’ market at Mason District Park, saving and renovating the historic Clark House on Barcroft Mews off Columbia Pike, and making sure the reconstruction of the horticulture center at Green Spring Gardens was carried out correctly.

After serving a couple of terms as president of the Broyhill Crest Civic Association in the 1970s, White, a former colonel in the Marines, got more involved in county affairs, particularly with the parks, neighbors recall. He was the first “volunteer master” at the farmers market, where he was responsible for overseeing the venders, and was a strong promoter of the summer concert series at Mason District Park.

The garden plots at Pine Ridge Park on Woodburn Road in Annandale have been dedicated to Bo White, as well as a garden at Green Springs and a bench at the garden plots off Larchmont Drive in Broyhill Crest.