Bill Text: VA SJR21 | 2022 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of the Honorable William Tayloe Murphy, Jr.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-6)
Status: (Passed) 2022-01-24 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ21ER) [SJR21 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2022-SJR21-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Honorable William Tayloe Murphy, Jr., a champion for environmental conservation who served as a member of the House of Delegates and as Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources, died on September 15, 2021; and
WHEREAS, a native of Emmerton, Tayloe Murphy attended Warsaw High School and graduated from Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg; he earned a bachelor's degree from Hampden-Sydney College and continued his education at the United States Navy Officer Candidate School; and
WHEREAS, during his time with the United States Navy, Tayloe Murphy was stationed aboard the USS Newport News and served on the staff of the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and
WHEREAS, after his honorable discharge, Tayloe Murphy pursued a law degree from the University of Virginia, then joined the firm Hunton & Williams in Richmond; he subsequently returned home to the Northern Neck, where he settled at King Copsico Farm in Westmoreland County and focused his legal practice on real estate, tax law, and trust and estate planning; and
WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the community, Tayloe Murphy ran for and was elected to the House of Delegates and represented the residents of the Northern Neck in the 99th District from 1982 to 2000; and
WHEREAS, Tayloe Murphy introduced and supported many important pieces of legislation to benefit all Virginians; a devoted conservationist, he was instrumental in the passage of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund, which has provided millions of dollars to state agencies, local governments, and farmers in support of efforts to reduce water pollution; and
WHEREAS, Tayloe Murphy served as chair of the Committee on Commerce and Labor and as a member of the Committee for Courts of Justice, the Committee on Corporations, Insurance and Banking, and the Committee on Chesapeake and Its Tributaries; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of Tayloe Murphy's experience and considerable expertise, he was also appointed to serve as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the Virginia Code Commission, as well as the chair of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission during its two-year review of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; and
WHEREAS, in 2002, Tayloe Murphy was appointed by Governor Mark Warner as Secretary of Natural Resources and proudly served the Commonwealth in that capacity until 2006; and
WHEREAS, throughout his career, Tayloe Murphy served on numerous other local and state civic and professional organizations, including as chair of the Westmoreland County Planning Commission and Westmoreland County Board of Zoning Appeals, president of the Westmoreland Ruritan Club, a director of the Northern Neck State Bank, and a member of the Southern Growth Policies Board, the Northern Neck Historical Society, the Menokin Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Northern Neck Bar Association, the Council of the Virginia State Bar, and the American Bar Association; and
WHEREAS, in all his endeavors, Tayloe Murphy served the Commonwealth with the utmost integrity and dedication; among many awards and accolades, he received the Gerald L. Baliles Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia Bar Association and the 2019 Outstanding Virginian Award from the General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Helen, Tayloe Murphy will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his daughter, Anne, and her family; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable William Tayloe Murphy, Jr., a passionate advocate for the preservation of the Commonwealth's natural resources and a true Virginia gentleman; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable William Tayloe Murphy, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
