Bill Text: VA HR183 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of James Samuel Gillespie, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-26 - Bill text as passed House (HR183ER) [HR183 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HR183-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, James Samuel Gillespie, Jr., an honorable veteran, esteemed educator, distinguished coach, accomplished farmer, and beloved member of the Pounding Mill community, died on July 17, 2022; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from Richland High School, James Samuel "Jim Sam" Gillespie earned a degree in civil engineering in 1959 from the Virginia Military Institute, where he also played football and ran track; and
WHEREAS, Jim Sam Gillespie served his country with honor and distinction as a member of the United States Army, attaining the rank of captain and also coaching base football teams; and
WHEREAS, following his service, Jim Sam Gillespie taught mathematics and coached at both Clifton Forge High School and South Hampton High School, contributing greatly to his students' success both in and out of the classroom; and
WHEREAS, Jim Sam Gillespie took his talents as a coach to the collegiate level, supporting the programs at Virginia Military Institute, West Virginia University, and Duke University, and ultimately returned home to Pounding Mill, where he farmed for the rest of his life; and
WHEREAS, Jim Sam Gillespie gave generously to his community through his lifelong involvement with the Tazewell County Fair and service with his local 4-H, Virginia Farm Bureau, and various other organizations; and
WHEREAS, guided throughout his life by his faith, Jim Sam Gillespie grew up in the Pounding Mill Christian Church and later enjoyed worship and fellowship with his community at Richlands Presbyterian Church; and
WHEREAS, Jim Sam Gillespie was a devoted family man who found his greatest joy in spending time with this wife, children, and the many close friends he had made along his way; and
WHEREAS, preceded in death by his loving wife, Lucy, and his son James III, Jim Sam Gillespie will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his children, Elizabeth and Ann Brett, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of James Samuel Gillespie, Jr., a cherished member of the Pounding Mill community whose integrity and kind and generous spirit endeared him to all who knew him; 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 James Samuel Gillespie, Jr., as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory.
