Gil McCutcheon, 95, passed away on Wednesday night.

McCutcheon served as the Mount Vernon commissioner on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board for 18 years and was an instrumental part of many local projects, including the acquisition and planning of Laurel Hill.

Born in Alton, Illinois, McCutcheon studied engineering at the Virginia Military Institute. He received a degree in public administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and also studied personnel administration and labor relations at Columbia University. He has been a resident of Fairfax County for almost 60 years.

He worked as a collective bargaining agent for the State of New Jersey and went on to work for the Commission for Conciliation at the U.S. Department of Labor; Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, where he was a part of the passage of the Labor-Management Relations Act. He retired from the federal government in 1982 after 40 years of service.

McCutcheon was appointed to the Fairfax County Park Authority Board in 1992 and served as the vice chairman of the board from 2000 until 2005. During his tenure on the Park Authority Board, McCutcheon was a key player in many local Park Authority projects. He was a key player in the acquisition of Lamond Community Park and ensured the preservation of the home on that park site. He presided over the renovations of the Mount Vernon RECenter and helped develop the Mount Vernon Nights concert series at Grist Mill Park. He was also an instrumental part in developing the parkland that was formerly a part of the Lorton Reformatory, now known as Laurel Hill. He retired from the Fairfax County Park Authority Board in 2010.

In 2008, McCutcheon was honored with the Distinguished Volunteer Service Award from the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society and the Lawrence V. Fowler Award from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

McCutcheon was a dedicated volunteer who served as the Market Master for the Mount Vernon Farmers Market and as president of the Frying Pan Park Governing Board.

Fairfax County Park Authority Chairman Bill Bouie lauded McCutcheon for his work in acquiring hundreds of acres of land dedicated to recreation and adding more green space in the Mount Vernon District.

“Gil will be sorely missed by his friends on the board, but even more so by the citizens of Fairfax County who he was a champion for the many years that he served,” said Bouie. “He was my friend.”

McCutcheon is survived by his wife, Frances, and daughter, Bonnie.

A memorial service is currently being planned. Be sure to check Patch for future updates.