H. Selwyn Smith, Retired Prince William County Circuit Court Judge, Dies at 91

By Mary Stachyra-Lopez , editor
H. Selwyn Smith, a retired Prince William County Circuit Court judge and former Commonwealth's Attorney, died Saturday at the age of 91, according to a death notice published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
 
Smith, who retired from the bench after 13 years of service in 1993, was the father of former Manassas City Council member and current Prince William County General District Court Presiding Judge Steven S. Smith. He is survived by two sons, two daughters, nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a large extended family. 

H. Selwyn Smith was born in Manassas on July 19, 2922, and raised on his family's longtime farm in Nokesville, Va. He went on to become a decorated Army Captain during World War II, and was wounded in the line of duty, according to the obituary. He was married for 64 years to Virginia Margaret "Jenny" Busk and raised four children. 

Smith graduated from the University of Virginia and set up a law practice in Manassas, "becoming one of only eight attorneys in the area at that time," the obituary states. He was elected as Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney in 1960, and went on to serve in the Virginia Senate and later, as Secretary of Public Safety. 

After Smith retired from the Circuit Court, he served as a substitute judge for another 10 years. 

To read the complete obituary, click here.