Bill Text: VA SJR237 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of the Honorable Onzlee Ware.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ237ER) [SJR237 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR237-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Honorable Onzlee Ware, a highly admired former member of the House of Delegates who later served as a district and circuit court judge in Roanoke, died on February 10, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Onzlee Ware was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; and
WHEREAS, after an incident in which he was shot and severely wounded for being a police informant, Onzlee Ware resolved to change his life for the better and rededicated himself to the service of others; and
WHEREAS, in the 1980s, Onzlee Ware earned a law degree from North Carolina Central University and relocated to Roanoke to open a private practice; and
WHEREAS, Onzlee Ware was one of the few Black attorneys operating in the Roanoke Valley at the time, and he became a pivotal leader in the local Black community; and
WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the Commonwealth, Onzlee Ware ran for and was elected to the House of Delegates in 2003, becoming the first Black delegate from a district west of the Blue Ridge Mountains; and
WHEREAS, Onzlee Ware ably represented the residents of the 11th District for 10 years; he introduced and supported many important pieces of legislation to benefit his district and all Virginians, and he offered his leadership and expertise to the committees on Appropriations, Counties, Cities and Towns, and Education; and
WHEREAS, Onzlee Ware was known as a "quiet giant" who worked to build consensus and understanding, forging many strong friendships across party lines, and he proudly served as a mentor to new legislators and younger members of the General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, among many achievements, Onzlee Ware helped secure funding for the transportation plan that restored passenger rail service to Roanoke; and
WHEREAS, after his tenure as a state lawmaker, Onzlee Ware was selected as a judge of the Roanoke City Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of the 23rd Judicial District of Virginia; he presided over the court with great fairness and wisdom and was elected as chief judge; and
WHEREAS, Onzlee Ware was subsequently elevated to the Roanoke City Circuit Court and made history as the first Black circuit court judge in the city; in all his endeavors, he served the Commonwealth and the residents of the Roanoke Valley with the utmost dedication and distinction; and
WHEREAS, Onzlee Ware will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by numerous 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 Onzlee Ware; 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 Onzlee Ware as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
