Bill Text: VA SJR233 | 2023 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of John Tilghman Hazel, Jr.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2023-01-16 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ233ER) [SJR233 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2023-SJR233-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, John Tilghman Hazel, Jr., a beloved member of the Fauquier County community who made an indelible impact on Northern Virginia as an attorney and developer, died on March 15, 2022; and
WHEREAS, John "Til" Hazel graduated from the former Washington-Lee High School in Arlington in 1947 before earning a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1951 and a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1954; and
WHEREAS, after graduation, Til Hazel served with the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army for three years before leaving for the Northern Virginia law firm of Jesse, Phillips, Klinge, and Kendrick in 1957, where he started as a general practicing attorney but soon honed a specialty in real estate and zoning law; and
WHEREAS, after a brief tenure as a general district court judge in Fairfax County from 1961 to 1963, Til Hazel returned to private practice, forming the firm Hazel, Beckhorn & Hanes in 1966, which was headquartered in Fairfax County and specialized in all aspects of real estate law; and
WHEREAS, under Til Hazel's leadership, Hazel, Beckhorn & Hanes grew to employ 65 lawyers by 1987, the same year that the firm merged with Thomas & Fiske of Alexandria to form the firm Hazel, Thomas, Fiske, Beckhorn & Hanes, which was later shortened to Hazel & Thomas PC in 1990; and
WHEREAS, Til Hazel facilitated the merger of Hazel & Thomas PC with the Pittsburgh-based Reed Smith Shaw & McClay LLP in 1999, forming what is now known as Reed Smith, an international law firm that employs more than 1,000 attorneys worldwide; and
WHEREAS, recognized during his career as one of the preeminent zoning lawyers in the Commonwealth, Til Hazel represented developers responsible for the creation of the Capital Beltway, Tysons Corner Center, and other regional landmarks; and
WHEREAS, becoming a developer in his own right in the 1970s with the founding of the real estate development firm Hazel/Peterson Companies, Til Hazel helped to transform Northern Virginia into one of the strongest regional economies in the nation by building highways, shopping centers, and suburban subdivisions such as Burke Centre, Franklin Farm, and Fair Lakes; and
WHEREAS, Til Hazel was the first Virginian to serve as the president of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the founder and chairman of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, and a board member for various organizations, including the University of Virginia's Miller Center Foundation, the National Air and Space Museum, the Corcoran Gallery, and the Washington Airports Task Force; and
WHEREAS, Til Hazel was a tireless education advocate whose philanthropic efforts included supporting George Mason University as it grew into the world-class institution that it is today and guiding elite secondary schools such as Flint Hill School in Oakton, St. Stephen's School in Alexandria, Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology in Alexandria, and Fredericksburg Academy in Spotsylvania County; and
WHEREAS, Til Hazel's accomplishments have been recognized by myriad honors over the years, including the 1987 Community Leadership Award from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, induction into the Washington Business Hall of Fame, and honorary degrees from The College of William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, and the Virginia Community College System; and
WHEREAS, preceded in death by his first wife, Marion, and his second wife, Anne, Til Hazel will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his children, Leigh Ann, John III, James, Richard, Randolph, and William, and their families; and by numerous other family members and friends; 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 John Tilghman Hazel, Jr., a pillar of the Northern Virginia community whose tireless dedication shaped the region for years to come; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Tilghman Hazel, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
