Bill Text: VA SJR221 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Hugh John Morris Jones III.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ221ER) [SJR221 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR221-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Hugh John Morris Jones III, an esteemed attorney who strengthened the Lynchburg community through his commitment to servant-leadership, died on January 21, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones was born on June 8, 1944, just two days after his father landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, during the D-Day invasion; and
WHEREAS, growing up in Montpelier, Vermont, Hugh Jones made countless memories in the snowy New England winters and often harvested maple sugar in the spring; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones graduated from Virginia Military Institute, where he was a member of the football team, and earned a law degree from Washington and Lee University, where he began to develop a lifelong passion for rugby; and
WHEREAS, from 1969 to 1974, Hugh Jones followed in his father's footsteps and joined the military; he served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps with postings in Germany and Tacoma, Washington; and
WHEREAS, after his honorable discharge, Hugh Jones settled in Lynchburg and served the community as a general legal practitioner for more than four decades; he later served as a founding partner in the firm Jones, Johnston & White, P.C., from which he retired in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones was well known for his vast expertise in real estate law, earning the nickname "the Godfather of Real Estate," and he was consistently voted as the Top Real Estate Lawyer in Lynchburg by his peers; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones was a proud patriot who believed in the importance of the rule of law and the Constitution of the United States; he inspired young people by participating in Law Day events at local middle schools and was a trusted mentor to students at Central Virginia Community College; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones volunteered with legal aid programs throughout his career and always took the time to meet with a client in need of advice; his friends and family could always count on his honesty and sound judgment; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones offered his wise leadership to many local organizations, including as a board member of Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg, as president of the board of the Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, and as an active participant in Big Brothers Big Sisters; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones enjoyed fellowship and worship with the Lynchburg community as a member of First Presbyterian Church; and
WHEREAS, Hugh Jones will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 54 years, Betsy; his daughters, Brandom and Caroline, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; 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 Hugh John Morris Jones III, a highly admired attorney in Lynchburg; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Hugh John Morris Jones III as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
