Bill Text: VA HJR361 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of the Honorable William T. Stone.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 27-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-03-06 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ361ER) [HJR361 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HJR361-Introduced.html
Patrons-- Bourne, Adams, D.M., Aird, Ayala, Delaney, Gooditis, Guzman, Heretick, Hope, Hurst, Krizek, Lindsey, Lopez, McQuinn, Mullin, Plum, Price, Rasoul, Rodman, Simon, Torian, Turpin and Tyler; Senators: Dance, Howell, McClellan and Spruill
WHEREAS, the Honorable William T. Stone, Sr., a highly admired attorney and a former judge of the 9th Judicial District of Virginia, who touched the lives of countless families in the Williamsburg area as a funeral home director, died on January 18, 2018; and
WHEREAS, born in Washington, D.C., William Stone graduated from Bruton Heights School in Williamsburg and learned the value of community service at a young age while working at his family's business, Whiting's Funeral Home, the oldest, active African American-owned business in Williamsburg; and
WHEREAS, William Stone earned a bachelor's degree from Central State College in Ohio, then served the nation as a military policeman in the United States Army; he trained as an embalmer during his time in the military and later attended the New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science, and Embalming in Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, William Stone worked as a member of the United States Secret Service, the Supreme Court Police, and the Veteran's Administration, then earned a law degree from The American University in 1962; and
WHEREAS, William Stone opened Stone & Associates in 1964 and later moved the practice to Williamsburg, becoming the first African American attorney to open a firm and practice law in the city; Stone & Associates was also the first integrated law firm in the city; and
WHEREAS, in 1968, William Stone was appointed as a judge of the Williamsburg/James City County General District Court of the 9th Judicial District of Virginia; he was the first African American judge in Williamsburg and thought to be the first in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, William Stone earned the respect and admiration of his peers in the legal profession for his work ethic and cordial demeanor; he served as a trusted mentor and friend to countless African American attorneys and judges; and
WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement as a judge and attorney, William Stone continued to serve the community at Whiting's Funeral Home, providing professional, compassionate care to families in their time of need and ensuring that everyone received a dignified burial regardless of a family's ability to pay; and
WHEREAS, William Stone traveled extensively and worked with international business and organizations to enhance the lives of people in other countries while enriching local culture in Williamsburg; and
WHEREAS, William Stone offered his leadership and expertise to many professional and peer organizations, and he was a founding member of the Zeta Mu Mu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and a member of the Improved, Benevolent, Protective Order of the Elks of the World, Old Capital Lodge No. 629; and
WHEREAS, William Stone will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his loving wife, Sara; his children, Tommy, Jackie, Michael, and Christopher, and their families; 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 the Honorable William T. Stone, Sr., a trailblazing attorney, judge, and business owner in Williamsburg; 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 William T. Stone, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
