HJ519: Celebrating the life of Frederick Barger, Jr.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 519

Offered January 13, 2021
Prefiled December 28, 2020
Celebrating the life of Frederick Barger, Jr.
Patrons-- Kilgore and Morefield; Senator: Pillion

WHEREAS, Frederick Barger, Jr., an active community leader and a hardworking restaurateur who served outstanding meals to generations of local residents of and visitors to Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, died on October 29, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Frederick “Pal” Barger grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, and graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School; he subsequently served his country as a member of the United States Air Force, then graduated from East Tennessee State University; and

WHEREAS, Pal Barger began his 70-year career in the food service industry at his parents’ business, Skoby’s Drive-In barbecue restaurant; and

WHEREAS, Pal Barger opened the first Pal’s Sudden Service fast-food restaurant in 1956; the business quickly developed a loyal following and grew from its original location in downtown Kingsport to become a regional powerhouse; and

WHEREAS, Pal’s Sudden Service received two Excellence Awards from the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence and was the first restaurant chain to earn the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Pal Barger also created and operated Sharon’s BBQ and the Olde West Dinner Theatre, and after his father’s death in 1971, transformed Skoby’s Drive-In into an acclaimed dining destination, known for its themed rooms and beloved menu items; and

WHEREAS, Pal Barger helped support his alma mater as a member of the East Tennessee State University Foundation and the university’s Roan Scholars Leadership Program Committee; he was named as the institution’s Alumnus of the Year in 2001 and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Pal Barger donated a building to house an automotive program at Northeast State Community College and was recognized for his contributions to Tennessee’s college system with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence from the Tennessee Board of Regents in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Pal Barger played a significant role in the establishment of the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center, donated the region’s largest jumbotron scoreboard to Dobyns-Bennett High School, and supported the preservation of an antique carousel in downtown Kingsport; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his first wife, Carolyn, and his second wife, Sharon, Pal Barger will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Rick, Christine, and Christy, and their families, and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Frederick Barger, Jr., a respected entrepreneur and community leader; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Frederick Barger, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.