Trixie Averill, who went from a self-described “little ol’ housewife” from Vinton to one of the most important political leaders in the western part of the state, died Saturday after an extended illness. She was in her mid-70s.
Averill never held elected office. Her highest office within the Republican Party was a brief stint at 6th Congressional District chair, but Averill’s influence could not be measured by a resume. Rather, Averill was part of a class of often little-known political activists who hold great power within their respective parties because of their ability to muster support for their favored candidates.
Here’s what I wrote about Averill in 1993 for The Roanoke Times when I tried to explain her influence: “Go to a reception packed with 50 Roanoke Valley Republicans (or Democrats, for that matter), and a candidate who didn’t know any better might think the most important people are the businessmen and other officeholders in gray suits who want to talk to him about the issues. But a smart campaign manager knows that an endorsem*nt from the housewife with a shoebox full of telephone numbers and time on her hands to call them all is worth more in a nomination fight than a roll call of names at the Shenandoah Club.”
Times changed — that shoebox later turned into an email account and Twitter account with the handle “gopgirl” — but Averill’s status as a Republican activist to be reckoned with did not.
After he heard of Averill’s passing, former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling posted on Facebook: “When I first started thinking about getting involved in statewide politics back in 2003, everyone told me that Trixie was the person in SWVA that you needed on your side. They were right!” He was among a parade of Republican luminaries who Saturday turned to social media to offer tributes to Averill.
Averill grew up in New Orleans — she was a proud fan of the New Orleans Saints — and moved to the Roanoke Valley in 1979. At the time, Roanoke Valley Republicans tended to be moderates from the old “mountain-valley Republican” tradition. Averill was part of a new, younger generation of more conservative activists who in time displaced the moderates, and then went on to become a new party establishment.
Tributes to Trixie Averill
“For four decades Trixie has been a political leader and inspiration to me and many others who sought and served in elected office in Southwest Virginia and across the state. Her spirit and tenacity and insight drew respect from Governors, Senators and other elected leaders and party activists. She served as Chair of the Roanoke County Republican Committee, Sixth Congressional District Republican Committee and helped lead many political campaigns for those seeking office at every level of government. She ran for office herself seeking election to the Virginia House of Delegates and while not elected her campaign was in the vanguard of the resurgence of the Republican Party in the Roanoke Valley.”
– Former Rep. Bob Goodlatte
“One of my favorite, but stressful memories of Trixie was when I was on our annual summer Listening Tours in a RV as a governor or senator. As governor I was able to persuade Volvo Heavy Truck to make a major, pivotal investment to expand operations at their Pulaski County site rather than their Ohio or North Carolina facilities.
Thus, as a senator, I took a plant tour for an update and wanted to shake as many hands as possible during the mid-afternoon shift change. It was a very hot, sunny day. Trixie had set up most of the logistics for this visit. In the midst of the flow of working men going into and out on the wide sidewalk, a bee or two got into Trixie’s blouse. Trixie starts yelling pulling at her blouse front, back and around her neck trying get the bee(s) out before stinging her. As she frantically unbuttoned her top button, flailing to get rid of the buzzing bee; everyone stopped, unable to do anything other than watch how this uncomfortable situation would transpire. Fortunately, Trixie was able to get the bees out without getting stung nor taking her shirt off.
“Later that day we had an evening reception at the Giesler home in Carroll County. As we departed in the RV, Trixie was sitting on the cement steps exhausted from a full day where she had given her all. She said she needed a day to recover from straight days of dawn to dark events from Lexington to Hillsville and was relieved that the tour was going off to the next days in further Southwest Virginia where she wasn’t the lead scout. That was Trixie! Giving it a 110% above and beyond.”
– Former Governor and Senator George Allen
“I’m so very saddened to learn of the passing of my incredible campaign staff leader and dear friend, Trixie Averill. Through about 10 years of campaigning for and serving in statewide office, Trixie was my planning and political director and fellow traveler for all my trips to Western and Southwest Virginia. Her energy, judgment, operations, knowledge, sense of humor, and beautiful warm heart made those long car rides between appointments very enjoyable. She had an uncanny ability to quickly understand people, and her warm relationships with people around the state translated into support for me. People simply trusted Trixie’s word. She was a person of great faith, through which she was inspired and motivated to do good. We spent much of our travel time talking about her husband, children, and love for Southwest Virginia. She and Dan truly became like family, allowing me to stay in their beautiful home during the numerous campaign and business stops I had in the Roanoke region. I will miss her greatly, and know the world will be a little less energized and friendly, and a little short on laughter as she has taken her journey to heaven. God bless you, Trixie.”
– Former Gov. Bob McDonnell
“I am incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of a wonderful friend and an even better person, Trixie Averill. Trixie was one of the first people I ever met in politics when I started volunteering for campaigns as a high schooler in Roanoke County. Trixie was a force of nature and an integral part of so many victories. Indeed I doubt I would have the opportunity to represent Roanoke County in the House of Delegates today if not for the tireless work that Trixie has put into building our Party over the years. Her love and passion for this community and her staunch commitment to our shared conservative principles will be a lasting legacy. She will be deeply missed.”
– Del. Chris Obenshain
“Trixie Averill was a stalwart Virginia Republican. Roanoke County Republicans didn’t have an annual fundraiser before she arrived from New Orleans. For the next three decades, Trixie and Dan Averill served up Cajun shrimp to large crowds in Vinton every August at the Roanoke County GOP Shrimpfest to raise funds for the fall campaign. Her 1995 campaign against Democratic Majority Leader Dickie Cranwell earned her a reservoir of respect. Her candidacy and service as both Roanoke County Republican Chair and Sixth District Chair coincided with her helping five consecutive candidates secure contested Republican gubernatorial nominations. When her streak finally ended during a tense time in the local GOP, she was willing to step up and serve as Vice Chair to help restore party unity. She was truly a stalwart that always knew who to call to make a luncheon, rally, or demonstration at the Board of Supervisors one to remember. Whenever she would return to her native New Orleans she would always say, ‘Don’t y’all talk trash ’bout me while I’m gone.’ With all that she accomplished, she certainly doesn’t have to worry about that.”
– State Sen. David Suetterlein
“In life, you meet certain people whose personality lights up the room and leaves an indelible impression. Trixie was one of those people. There may never be another quite like her, and we will miss her.”
– Former Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling
Her influence began to be evident by the late 1980s when the Roanoke County Republican Party started holding an annual Shrimp Fest as a fundraiser. “Why do you have a Shrimp Fest in Roanoke County?” said state Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County. “That was because Trixie and Dan [her husband] were from Louisiana and they knew how to do it. They knew how to cook for hundreds and still make it flavorful.” Averill also figured out how to get the shrimp at cost, so the dishes could be sold cheaply but the party could still make money. “That was all Trixie,” Suetterlein said.
By 1993 Averill was so important in Republican politics that here’s what I wrote early that year in The Roanoke Times: “Maybe she’s not really the most powerful political boss in the Roanoke Valley, although she’s pretty close. This year, at least, she’s powerful enough that Republican gubernatorial candidate George Allen has made her his coordinator for the western part of the state. Averill’s Christmas party last year drew almost as many luminaries as the famous holiday power-parties hosted by Roanoke industrialist John Hanco*ck” — which at the time was considered a must-attend by whoever the governor at the time might be.
Here’s how Allen remembered Averill in an email to Cardinal News: “Good hearted LSU and Cajun food fan, Trixie was a truly unique, beloved key leader for our team operating out of the Roanoke Valley, helping organizing and advocating throughout Western and Southwest Virginia. We didn’t have much money, but we had indefatigable and loyal dynamo Trixie on our side. Heck, Dan and Trixie would let me bed down in young Marcus’s room because we couldn’t afford a motel in those days.” Marcus was her son; she also had a daughter, Amy. In the days before cellphones, both probably became accustomed to the house phone ringing and some Republican politician or aspiring politician being on the other end of the line.
“Trixie wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything she didn’t do herself,” Allen said. “She’d proudly point out to me the big 4 x 8 ALLEN for Governor or U.S. Senate signs that she’d put up in particularly visible roadside locations.”
In 1995, in the midterm elections during Allen’s tenure as governor, Averill did something unusual: She ran for office herself. She challenged then-House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Roanoke County. Political alignments were different then, so it was not unusual that a Democratic delegate was considered entrenched in communities that today are strongly Republican. Republicans, though, were determined to challenge Cranwell and the “feisty, fiery” Averill — that’s how one Republican back then described her — was a natural to take him on. Her campaign announcement drew prominent Republican figures from across the state. “The stature of the people who came from as far away as Richmond and Northern Virginia shows you how important Trixie Averill is and how important this race is,” said one Roanoke Valley Republican activist at the time.
Averill didn’t win, but she did take 46% of the vote, more than any other Cranwell challenger had polled. To say Averill ran a spirited campaign would be an understatement. That Cranwell-Averill contest became the most expensive House of Delegates race ever waged in Virginia at the time (although the dollars involved back then seem quite small today) and even drew the attention of The New York Times. Averill was, as we say in journalism, “a good quote.” She had a knack for a clever turn of phrase. She explained her challenge to Cranwell this way to The New York Times: “”If I win, I make state headlines as David beats Goliath. If I lose, I’m Saint Trixie of the G.O.P.”
She became Saint Trixie.
Looking back, though, former U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, sees her 1995 campaign as a key historical moment because it put her “in the vanguard of the resurgence of the Republican Party in the Roanoke Valley.” Today, Republicans hold every General Assembly seat in the Roanoke Valley except for one House seat that’s entirely in Democratic-leaning Roanoke.
For four decades, Averill worked regularly for Republican candidates for office and was rarely on the losing side in intraparty battles. One rare exception was the 2013 Republican contest for governor where she backed Lt. Gov. Bolling against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. When Cuccinelli prevailed, his forces took over many local party committees. Roanoke County was no different, except for this: The Cuccinelli side kept Averill on because they understood how important she was within Republican circles.
Those who didn’t know her well sometimes didn’t take Averill as seriously as they should have. When Allen was governor, he appointed her to the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority, which governs the Explore Park in Roanoke County. Averill quipped at the time: “My husband won’t let me have the checkbook. Now I’m given a million-dollar budget.” Like I said, she was always good for a quote.
The Averill I knew, though, was actually quite serious in her commitment to civic involvement. She felt that voting was “the bare minimum” an American should do. Here’s what she told me in 1993: “If you don’t get involved at the grass-roots level, you don’t have cause to complain. The major decisions are made before Election Day, when you choose candidates. I want to make sure that my candidates have a chance to get on the ballot. It all starts locally. So many people don’t understand that by the time you go to the polls on Election Day, all the major decisions have been made.”
For some four decades, Averill was among those making those decisions in the western part of Virginia.
As Allen, the former governor and U.S. senator, said in his email to Cardinal News: “If there was a Virginia Republican Hall of Fame, Trixie — the ‘GOPGirl’ (as in her email) — would surely be a first ballot inductee.”
Visitation will be held 1-3 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at Oakey’s Vinton, with a mass at noon Thursday at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke.
