Bill Text: VA HJR62 | 2020 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Clarene Helen Vickery.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-01-16 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ62ER) [HJR62 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR62-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Clarene Helen Vickery, a pioneer of early childhood education in the Commonwealth and an enterprising leader of her community, died on June 26, 2019; and
WHEREAS, a member of the "Greatest Generation," Clarene Vickery was raised on a farm near Collins, Mississippi, and supported her family while her husband served in Europe during World War II and then later in the military government of Germany; and
WHEREAS, Clarene Vickery founded Parkwood School in Vienna in 1956 in response to a lack of public kindergarten and limited options for early childhood education; under her leadership, Parkwood School has since educated more than 10,000 young children; and
WHEREAS, Clarene Vickery, beyond her work at Parkwood School, made immeasurable contributions to youth education as a founder of the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education, now known as the Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children, for which she served as a member of the executive board for 45 years, and as an active member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children; and
WHEREAS, Clarene Vickery received multiple accolades for her efforts to improve the lives of young people in the Commonwealth, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education; a certificate of recognition from the Fairfax County Health Department in 2017, particularly for her continuous support of immunizations for young children; and resolutions by both the Virginia General Assembly and the Town of Vienna in 2018 on the occasion of her 100th birthday; and
WHEREAS, Clarene Vickery impacted her community in meaningful ways outside of education; among her many other accomplishments, she was President and Honorary Lifetime Member of the Ayr Hill Garden Club in Vienna and the Grand Marshall of the 2006 Vienna Halloween Parade; and
WHEREAS, a devout Christian who lived her faith through her actions, Clarene Vickery was a founding member of Providence Baptist Church in Tysons Corner as well as an active member of Vienna Baptist Church for 65 years, where she taught Sunday school and assisted in other leadership roles; and
WHEREAS, Clarene Vickery was most of all dedicated to her sons, Raymond, Jr., Donald, Kenneth, and Steven, whose accomplishments as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, medical doctor and author, history professor, and screenwriter, respectively, serve as a testament to her abilities as an educator and mother; and
WHEREAS, preceded in death by her husband, Raymond, and her son, Donald; Clarene Vickery will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, Raymond, Jr., Kenneth, and Steven, 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 Clarene Helen Vickery, leader in early childhood education in the Commonwealth and inspirational member of the Vienna community; 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 Clarene Helen Vickery as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.
