Bill Text: VA HJR328 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Robert Wesley Harrell, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2016-03-03 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ328ER) [HJR328 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2016-HJR328-Introduced.html
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16103727D WHEREAS, Robert Wesley Harrell, Jr., of Suffolk, an outstanding community leader, a successful business person who served with distinction on many boards and commissions, a man of great faith, an author, and a devoted husband and father, died on April 17, 2015; and WHEREAS, Robert "Bobby" Harrell earned a high school diploma from Whaleyville High School; he attended The College of William and Mary, from which he received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, and he also earned a graduate degree from Old Dominion University; and WHEREAS, early in his career, Bobby Harrell worked for his family's Virginia ham business, Joel E. Harrell and Son Inc., and he and his wife were the authors of The Ham Book and Delilah and the Christmas Ham; and WHEREAS, Bobby Harrell's career included teaching in the community college system for seven years; he also made many valuable contributions to the Commonwealth as a member of the State Board for Community Colleges; and WHEREAS, Bobby Harrell also served on the Governor's Industrial Development Advisory Board for eight years; when he retired, he was vice president of regional operations for the Center for Innovative Technology; and WHEREAS, working to improve education was one of Bobby Harrell's lifelong missions; he was a member of a national association of community college trustees and served on the board of The College of William and Mary's Technology & Business Center; and WHEREAS, additionally, Bobby Harrell was a member of the Development Board of the School of Education of The College of William and Mary, was chair of the college's alumni president's council, and served as president of the William & Mary South of the James Alumni Chapter; and WHEREAS, many organizations benefited from Bobby Harrell's involvement, including the Elizabeth River Project, the Children's Museum of Virginia, the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center and the Rural Virginia Initiative; he was also the founder and a charter member of the Suffolk Ruritan Club; and WHEREAS, Bobby Harrell served for 30 years on the board of the Suffolk Salvation Army and recently had worked to raise funds to expand the facility; he also was involved with the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and was a longtime chair of the Suffolk Democratic Committee; and WHEREAS, among the many recognitions that Bobby Harrell received were Suffolk's Outstanding Young Man Award in 1974, and in 2014, he was named First Citizen of Suffolk by the Suffolk and North Suffolk Rotary Clubs; and WHEREAS, a man of great faith, Bobby Harrell enjoyed fellowship and worship at Main Street United Methodist Church; and WHEREAS, Bobby Harrell will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his wife, Monette; daughters, Robyn and Cheri, and their families; and many 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 Robert Wesley Harrell, Jr., of Suffolk, an esteemed and distinguished business person, teacher, and community leader who gave generously of his time and talents to many organizations in Suffolk and the Commonwealth; 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 Robert Wesley Harrell, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory. |
