Phyllis Jean Gatson, a former magistrate, the first female Kanawha County assessor and one of the county's longest-serving elected officials, died Tuesday.
Gatson, 87, had been in hospice care.
"She inspired me," said current Kanawha County Assessor Sallie Robinson. "I just hope I can inspire others like she inspired me."
Gatson served 35 years in elected office, starting when she ran for magistrate court in 1976. She served as chief magistrate for 11 years and also served as the president of the West Virginia Magistrate's Association from 1983-1987.
"Our mother was a loving, generous, compassionate and understanding," said Gatson's daughter Cathy, the current Kanawha County Circuit Clerk, in a written statement.
Gatson's compassion showed while she was magistrate. Once, after sentencing a man to jail, she fed his family while he was incarcerated, according to a newspaper article written at the time of her retirement.
"I couldn't stand to think that a child was going hungry because their dad was in jail," Gatson told the Charleston Gazette in 2012. "I've always liked helping people. I didn't think it was all about putting people in jail. I liked to try to keep them out of jail."
After serving as magistrate, Gatson was appointed Kanawha County Assessor in 1995 on a 2-1 vote in the county commission. She was elected to the office a year later, and served until 2012.
While assessor, Gatson was a mentor to many of her employees, including Robinson.
Gatson was awarded the Assessor of the Year by the West Virginia Tax Department and oversaw many changes in the assessors office.
Gatson loved looking through county tax records and liked to learn about taxpayers and their families, according to newspaper archives.
"I like to help people when I can," she said in an interview in 2012. "I can't always give them money, but I can point them in the right direction."
Robinson described Gatson as having a strong wit and a zest for life and said that she had many good memories with her.
"She was like my mother figure," Robinson said. "She was a mother figure to anyone who was close to her."
"She was a giant among county public servants, giving of herself to others," Kanawha Circuit Court Judge Tod Kaufman said. "She broke many barriers and records in elected office through the example she set in a culture dominated by men and improved greatly by her involvement."
Gatson served as a role model for many women in elected office, including her daughter, who Kaufman said carries on her mother's legacy.
Hafer Funeral Home in Elkview is in charge of the arrangements.
Reach Daniel Desrochers at dan.desrochers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886 or follow @drdesrochers on Twitter.
