WHEREAS, the Honorable Walther Balderson Fidler, a retired chief judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of the 15th Judicial District of Virginia who represented the residents of the Northern Neck in the Virginia House of Delegates for seven terms, died on November 28, 2013; and

WHEREAS, a native of Sharps, Walther Fidler served as a page in the Senate of Virginia during the 1938, 1940, and 1942 sessions, gaining a passion for law and government; and

WHEREAS, Walther Fidler earned a bachelor's degree from Randolph Macon College in 1944 and went on to bravely serve his country as a lieutenant junior grade in the United States Navy during World War II; and

WHEREAS, after his honorable discharge in 1946, Walther Fidler earned a law degree from the University of Richmond and began his legal practice in the Town of Warsaw; and

WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the Commonwealth, Walther Fidler ran for and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1960, where he ably represented the residents of the Northern Neck for 14 years; and

WHEREAS, Walther Fidler worked to enact important legislation, including the creation of a statewide system of community colleges, and served on several committees, including Game and Inland Fisheries, Chesapeake and Its Tributaries, and Privileges and Elections; and

WHEREAS, Walther Fidler was the director of public affairs for the Virginia Manufacturers Association for eight years and on the State Board of Corrections, where he served as chair for two years; and

WHEREAS, in 1982, Walther Fidler was elected as a judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of the 15th Judicial District of Virginia, where he served with great wisdom and fairness until his retirement as chief judge in 1995; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fidler worked to better the community as a charter member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2937 in Warsaw and the Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society, an organizing director of Richmond County Little League baseball, and a member of the Richmond County Ruritan Club; and

WHEREAS, Judge Fidler enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community as a lifelong member of Milden Presbyterian Church in Sharps, where he served as an elder for more than 50 years and was an active member of the Presbytery of the James in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, a man of great character and vision, Judge Fidler served the community, the Commonwealth, and the nation with distinction; and

WHEREAS, Walther Fidler will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his beloved wife of 63 years, Martha; his children, Kathleen, Frances, Jane, James, and Nancy, and their families; many other family members and friends; and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; 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 and highly regarded public servant, the Honorable Walther Balderson Fidler; 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 Walther Balderson Fidler as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.