James W. “Jim” Severt, a longtime Martinsville business and civic leader whose influence stretched from corporate boardrooms to transportation policy and local government, died Friday, Sept. 25. He was 94.
Severt, a former president and chief executive officer of Nationwide Homes, spent decades involved in businesses, civic organizations and public service in Martinsville and Henry County.
City of Martinsville Vice Mayor Kathy Lawson said Severt was a successful businessman who also invested his time and resources in the community.
“He was a super nice man,” she said.
Through his work, Lawson said, Severt helped Martinsville grow and develop.
“He invested his time and money in the community creating jobs and opportunities for folks. He very much was a contributor to the growth of this community,” Lawson said.
Severt was employed by the Bank of Marion until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950. After being honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1954, he enrolled at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he earned a degree in accounting.
Severt and his family moved to Martinsville in 1958 and joined First United Methodist Church of Martinsville.
He also joined the Jaycees, where he served as president, and served on the local Transportation Safety Board.
In 1970, Severt joined Nationwide Homes, where he eventually became president and chief executive officer. He worked to have the company’s stock listed on the American Stock Exchange.
Severt also was involved with First National Bank of Martinsville and Henry County as a member of its board of directors; Cooper Wood Products; Graves Supply Company, where he was co-owner and president; and Martinsville Travel, where he was president and owner.
When Bill Franck was founding the King’s Grant retirement community, he asked Severt to oversee the construction of the cottages for residents.
His civic involvement included serving as a longtime member and chairman of the Martinsville-Henry County YMCA board, a Piedmont Arts trustee and a board member of the United Way and Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.
Severt also was appointed to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, where he served for eight years and chaired the board.
Former Martinsville City Council member Gene Teague said Severt and his wife were deeply concerned about Martinsville and Henry County and worked to help the localities grow.
“They helped make sure that local government was responsive to citizens,” Teague said.
Jim Frith, co-owner and chairman of the board of Frith Construction, said he thought the world of Severt.
“When I graduated from college in 1981, I got to know him in the next two decades pretty darn well in two different ways. In one way he was a teacher and in the other way he was a mentor,” Frith said.
Frith said Severt became a teacher to him in the corporate boardroom after Frith bought stock in a company in which Severt was the main shareholder.
“He asked me to serve on the board, so I did. We met in private situations a whole lot and I got to learn so much about so many things” from Severt. “I thought he was a very fair man, an honorable guy, and he just always seemed interested in me. That means a lot to a young adult that’s trying to find his way in his parents’ hometown,” he said.
Frith said Severt also became a mentor in local politics.
Noting the Severts had a keen interest in politics, particularly at the local level, Frith said Severt was always looking for people who might make good Martinsville City Council candidates.
“He asked my father to ask me to attend a meeting, which I did, and they both were there, and I just saw how the political world worked behind closed doors to try to find good, suitable city council candidates long ago. He taught me a whole lot about that, he was always a person that I could go talk to,” he said.
Frith said he and Severt would take on projects together and work to find suitable candidates for local office.
“Every single last one was elected, and they did really good jobs. He had a huge, huge love of Martinsville. We all as individuals try to continue his legacy behind the scenes to help our community in so many ways – both he and his wife have shown us the way,” Frith said.
Retired Martinsville City Manager Leon Towarnicki said he met Severt after he began working for the city in 1982, when Severt was serving on the Transportation Safety Commission.
“What I remember of Jim is he was very smart, well-spoken, very deliberate in his comments. He listened well, he was an excellent member of the Transportation Safety Commission and always had good ideas and suggestions,” Towarnicki said.
Towarnicki recalled that Severt became involved to prevent aircraft from being filled with the wrong type of fuel after a friend died in a small airplane crash.
“Jim got involved with that, and I believe was instrumental in pushing through some changes that I think ended up being applied perhaps statewide or even had some national implications. It was in regard to the fuel nozzle or the inlet on the tank, so that you could only put a certain inlet on the tank in the airplane so you would not mix up fuels when putting them into an airplane,” Towarnicki said, noting it’s similar to diesel and gasoline dispensers being different sizes to help prevent motorists from putting the wrong fuel in a vehicle.
Looking back on the history of Martinsville and Henry County, Towarnicki said he believes Severt will be remembered as one of the business leaders who left his fingerprints on the community and helped shape what it is today.
An avid Virginia Tech supporter, Severt and his wife, Eliza, funded a scholarship and were members of Ut Prosim and Golden Hokies. Severt also was appointed to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, serving for eight years. As a member of the board’s Building Committee, he helped spearhead construction of a new visitors center.
Severt is survived by his wife of 69 years, Eliza Hubble Severt; two sons, James W. Severt II and W. Lawrence Severt; a sister, Betty Severt Rouse; and numerous nieces and nephews.
