Bill Text: VA HJR227 | 2020 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Elizabeth Leonard Ryan, DVM.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-02-20 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ227ER) [HJR227 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR227-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Leonard Ryan, DVM, a respected veterinarian and a beloved member of the Yorktown community, died on December 29, 2019; and
WHEREAS, from a young age, Elizabeth Ryan cultivated a lifelong love of animals, and she volunteered her time and leadership to Animal Aid as a teenager; and
WHEREAS, a gifted mathematician, Elizabeth Ryan was the valedictorian of her senior class at Cave Spring High School and her senior class at Roanoke College, where she earned a bachelor's degree; and
WHEREAS, after a successful career as an actuary with Shenandoah Life Insurance Company, Elizabeth Ryan followed her passion to care for animals and continued her education at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Ryan worked at Deer Park Animal Hospital in Newport News; she then established Seaford Veterinary Medical Center in Yorktown in 1995; under her leadership, the center provided exceptional medical, dental, and surgical services to countless patients; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Ryan earned a reputation for treating each animal with the utmost compassion and strove to build strong, personal relationships with their owners; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Ryan served on the boards of the Peninsula Veterinary Association and Mutts with a Mission, Inc., which provides service dogs to wounded or disabled veterans, law-enforcement officers, and first responders; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Ryan worked to promote autism awareness on the Special Education Advisory Committee for the York County School Division and enjoyed fellowship and worship with the congregation of Ivy Memorial Baptist Church, where she was involved with the Women's Missionary Union; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Ryan moved to York County with the intention to help others, and the community will be forever grateful for her service, her dedication, and her love; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Ryan will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her husband of more than 30 years, Patrick; her children, Sean and Dana, and their families; her parents, Dan and Virginia Leonard; and numerous other family members and friends; 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 Elizabeth Leonard Ryan, DVM, a trusted veterinarian in Yorktown; 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 Elizabeth Leonard Ryan, DVM, as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.
