WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., a native son, was born on October 23, 1923, and departed this life on March 5, 2014, in Durham, North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, a longtime Danville resident, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., graduated from George Washington High School, and within a few months of starting college in the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, he enlisted in the United States Naval Air Corps, in which he trained as a pilot and served as a gunnery and marksman instructor during World War II; and

WHEREAS, in the 1930s as a teenager, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., played and marched in the Danville Drum and Bugle Corps; and

WHEREAS, during a three-day leave from the United States Navy in 1944, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., borrowed a car, obtained donated gasoline ration coupons, and married his childhood sweetheart, Alice Roark; he and his beloved wife were inseparable life partners for 59 years until her death in 2003; and

WHEREAS, after the war in 1946, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., was one of 12 students to enter the inaugural class of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Danville, located on the campus of Danville Technical Institute, which was later renamed Danville Community College; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., returned to the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1948, where he graduated in 1950 with a degree in industrial engineering; and

WHEREAS, after graduation, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., was employed briefly as a plant engineer with DuPont in Delaware before returning with his growing family to Danville, where he purchased a small ESSO (Exxon) oil distributorship with two trucks, setting out on a 35-year career in oil and propane sales, which included the conversion to Gulf Oil and later to Marathon Oil; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., loved technological innovations, and in 1977 he became one of the first distributors in Virginia to offer solar heating systems and products; when he retired in 1985, Grogan Oil Company, Inc., had expanded to provide oil, gas, and propane products to farms, homes, retail gasoline outlets, and industry throughout southern Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., gave his time and resources generously to community and civic activities throughout his lifetime; in the 1960s, he joined others to establish the board of trustees to provide financial support for the development of Grove Park Recreation, Inc., to build the Grove Park Swimming Pool; in 1973, he joined the Danville Rotary Club, from which he received the Paul Harris Service to Mankind Award; he was presented the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Danville Community College Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., was a founding member and generous benefactor of the Danville Science Center; he was a major supporter of the arts, especially music, in Danville and donated pianos to Mount Vernon Church and was the primary donor for a Steinway piano that was part of the renewal and repurposing of the North Theater; for more than 70 years, he was an active and devoted member of the Mount Vernon Church, where he served faithfully on the church's governing board and many committees; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., an avid member of the Danville German Club, where he was recognized as the pacesetter on the dance floor, often required multiple dance partners before taking a break; he loved traveling, visiting and exploring new and remote places, and seeking adventure; and due to his lifelong love of the water and boats, which was nurtured during his time in the United States Navy, he was inspired to take two around-the-world cruises and was aboard ship for more than 100 days on each trip; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., traveled abroad to many places, but he always looked forward to returning to his beloved Danville and red Ford Mustang; and

WHEREAS, Frank T. Grogan, Jr., a remarkable man, will be missed by his family and friends, as will his many travel stories and photos, and his memory will be treasured by everyone whose life he touched; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Frank T. Grogan, Jr.; 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 Frank T. Grogan, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory and his many contributions to the Danville community and the Commonwealth.