WHEREAS, the Honorable Charles Weldon Wampler, Jr., of Dayton, a poultry industry icon, former state legislator, and highly regarded Harrisonburg area philanthropist, died on January 15, 2017, at the age of 101; and

WHEREAS, one of nine children of the late Charles and Sadie Wampler, Charles "Charlie" Weldon Wampler, Jr., was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1915, at Sunny Slope Farm in Dayton, where his father gave birth to the modern turkey industry; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Wampler graduated from Dayton High School and attended Bridgewater College and Rutgers University in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, introduced to the poultry industry early, Charlie Wampler helped prepare turkey feed for the family business at age seven and began working full-time at Wampler Feed and Seed Company as a field man in 1937; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Wampler eventually became the company's general manager and president, overseeing its successful expansion and evolution into WLR Foods Inc., from which he retired as chairman emeritus in 1998; and

WHEREAS, a friend of the farmer and highly respected by his colleagues in agribusiness, Charlie Wampler played a pivotal role in establishing Rockingham County as the "Turkey Capital of the World," and putting the Shenandoah Valley on the map as the Commonwealth's leading poultry producer; and

WHEREAS, a lifelong Democrat, Charlie Wampler was elected to represent Harrisonburg and Rockingham County in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1954 to 1966, where he served on the Agriculture, Finance, and Labor Committees; and

WHEREAS, throughout his lifetime, Charlie Wampler's name was synonymous with the community and civic life of the Shenandoah Valley, where he championed many charitable organizations and institutions; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Wampler was president and general manager of the Rockingham County Fair Association for 25 years, and he and his wife, Dorothy, were cofounders of the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, and he worked on its fundraising campaigns for many years; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Wampler served as president and chairman of the board for Rockingham Memorial Hospital (now Sentara RMH Medical Center), was a Rector of the Board at James Madison University, served on the Board of Visitors at Virginia Tech, and was chairman of the Virginia State Board of Agriculture and Commerce; and

WHEREAS, the civic contribution of which Charlie Wampler was most proud was the 171 pints of blood he donated to the RMH Blood Bank and Virginia Blood Services over the years, benefiting over 500 people; and

WHEREAS, Charlie Wampler loved tennis and played until he was 96, and he enjoyed mowing his lawn and tending his flowers, which he did until he turned 100; and

WHEREAS, up until two weeks before his death, Charlie Wampler would "go to work" volunteering as a greeter in the dining room at Sentara RMH Medical Center, where he could be found clearing trays and visiting with many friends; and

WHEREAS, a longtime member of the Church of the Brethren in Harrisonburg, Charlie Wampler treated people with respect and affection; he was known as a kind, cheerful, loving, and generous spirit and for his quick and wry sense of humor; and

WHEREAS, preceded in death by his beloved wife of 75 years, Dorothy, Charlie Wampler will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his daughters, Libby, Barbara, and Margaret, and their families, and a host of other devoted family members, good friends, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; 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 the Honorable Charles Weldon Wampler, Jr., of Dayton, a poultry industry icon, former state legislator, and esteemed philanthropist; 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 the Honorable Charles Weldon Wampler, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.