WHEREAS, Mark Eugene Diehl, a retired City of Staunton Police Department officer whose commitment to the community and dedication to law enforcement touched the lives of countless individuals, died on February 11, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Mark Diehl earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and joined the City of Staunton Police Department in 1992; he later graduated from the National Criminal Justice Command College; and

WHEREAS, respected by his fellow officers and superiors for his professionalism, leadership, and devotion to duty, Mark Diehl was promoted to the rank of corporal in 2002 and sergeant in 2005; and

WHEREAS, Mark Diehl provided invaluable service to the City of Staunton Police Department as the commander of the Criminal Investigations Unit, patrol shift commander, and assistant team leader of the Critical Incident Response Team; and

WHEREAS, an outstanding officer, Mark Diehl received an Award for Valor from the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police; and

WHEREAS, Mark Diehl exemplified the integrity, bravery, selflessness, and dedication to duty displayed by law-enforcement professionals in the City of Staunton and throughout the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his mother, Nancy, Mark Diehl will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Lisa; father, Berlin; stepchildren, Elisabeth and Alexandra; numerous other family members and friends; and the members of the City of Staunton Police Department; 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 an admired law-enforcement professional, Mark Eugene Diehl; 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 Mark Eugene Diehl as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.