COMMENTARY: Sen. John Warner was a champion of Chesapeake Bay

Sen. Warner was determined to help save this special place, and his commitment never wavered. His daughter, Virginia, joined him in that endeavor when she funded the purchase of one acre of land near Fones Cliffs, which Chesapeake Conservancy then donated to the Rappahannock Tribe.

For the tribe, this modest acquisition marked their return to the river that bears their name after an absence of over 350 years. At a celebration of that event in 2017, featured guests of the tribe were John and Virginia Warner.

We were honored that Sen. Warner agreed to serve on the Chesapeake Conservancy’s Board of Directors for many years, and he remained an honorary board member until his death.

In 2016, he was presented with the Conservancy’s Champions of the Chesapeake Award.