Story and photos
by Carol Pappas
The name, Lyman Lovejoy, is well known around these parts. But it reached a lot further than Alabama’s borders when he hit his 50 years in business milestone.
Lovejoy’s feat of five decades of business caught the eye of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who presented him with a resolution he read into the Congressional Record in the U.S. House of Representatives.
To celebrate back home, the congressman hosted a luncheon in Moody to honor the longtime Realtor, businessman and community leader, describing him as “an advocate for the county and his community” in the framed, official resolution he presented to Lovejoy.
Read into the Congressional Record in August, Rogers cited Lovejoy’s extensive involvement in the community – St. Clair Association of Realtors, Ascension of St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital Board, Alabama Real Estate Commission and past chairman of the St. Clair Economic Development Council.
A member of First Baptist Church in Ashville, he also finds time to entertain local nursing homes and in senior centers with his musical group, the resolution noted.
In accepting the honor, Lovejoy recognized his family and staff first, talking of their unyielding support over the years. Turning to Rogers, he said, “This is the highest honor I’ve ever had, Congressman. I enjoy people. I would come to work even if they didn’t pay me.”
As for the motivation behind his civic activism, as well as his business acumen, he said, “I love my county. I love my community. I love meeting people. Thank you for letting me do what I love to do for 50 years,” he told the crowd in attendance.
Lovejoy, owner of Lovejoy Realty in Odenville, began his career in a building just across the highway from his present-day office. With only a high school diploma and no experience in real estate, he embarked on a career that not only lasted 50 years but is still going strong.
At 80, he still goes to work every day, and he still employs the same relationship-building skills he honed in those early years.
In the resolution, Congressman Rogers included a reference to Lovejoy’s moniker – “Mayor of St. Clair County” – giving a nod to the ambassadorial spirit for which he is known throughout the county. Rogers took it a step further, calling him “one of the treasures of St. Clair County.”
