WHEREAS, William David Wampler, a local and national leader in the poultry and beef cattle industries and a deeply respected member of the Rockingham County community, died on March 14, 2014; and

WHEREAS, William Wampler learned the value of hard work at an early age from his father, a pioneer of the modern poultry industry; he graduated from Dayton High School in 1946, where he was an active member of 4-H and the Future Farmers of America (FFA), serving as the president of 4-H at the state level and FFA at the local level; and

WHEREAS, William Wampler attended Bridgewater College and earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in 1950; he has remained a proud and loyal alumnus of both schools, serving on the Bridgewater College Board of Trustees and as a member of two advisory committees at Virginia Tech; and

WHEREAS, a respected businessman throughout his life, William Wampler was a stockholder and a partner in several family businesses, and he served as the president and treasurer of May Meadows Farms, Inc., and as managing partner of Charles W. Wampler and Sons farm; and

WHEREAS, William Wampler developed the Wamplers' Big White Turkeys, a breed of bronze turkeys with white feathers, and introduced Charolais cattle, a French breed of beef cattle, to the Shenandoah Valley; and

WHEREAS, William Wampler served as the president of the Rockingham County Sheep and Wool Producers Association, the Virginia Angus Association, the Virginia Poultry Federation, and the National Turkey Federation; and

WHEREAS, William Wampler received countless awards and accolades for his contributions to the community and the Commonwealth; also earning national recognition, he served as an advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was later appointed by President James Earl Carter, Jr., to the Federal Farm Credit Board, becoming the chair in 1986; and

WHEREAS, working tirelessly to better the lives of his fellow Rockingham County residents, William Wampler generously donated his time and wise leadership to many civic and service organizations, and he enjoyed fellowship and worship as an active, longtime member of Dayton Church of the Brethren and, later, Bridgewater Church of the Brethren; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by two children, William, Jr., and Suzanne, William Wampler will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Bonnie; children, Melinda and Charles II 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 William David Wampler, a local and national leader in the agricultural industry and a great Virginian; 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 William David Wampler as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.