Bill Text: VA SR5 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of the Honorable Patricia Keyser Smith Ticer.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2018-01-10 - Bill text as passed Senate (SR5ER) [SR5 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-SR5-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Honorable Patricia Keyser Smith Ticer, a dedicated public servant who broke barriers as the first woman mayor of Alexandria and represented the residents of the 30th District in the Senate of Virginia, died on August 7, 2017; and
WHEREAS, born Patricia Keyser Smith in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 1935, Patricia "Patsy" Ticer grew up in Alexandria; she graduated from George Washington High School in 1951 and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Sweet Briar College in 1955; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer enjoyed a career as a real estate agent and served the community through civic groups, parent-teacher associations, and local charitable organizations, including Alexandria Hospital; she also helped form the Alexandria Commission for the Arts; and
WHEREAS, in 1956, Patsy Ticer married Alexandria City Council member Jack Ticer, who later urged her to run for the Alexandria City Council; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer began her service as a public official when she was elected to the Alexandria City Council in 1982 for the first of three terms, in which she made early childhood development, education, and affordable housing her priorities; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer was selected by her colleagues to serve as vice mayor in 1984, and she chaired the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission from 1985 to 1987; and
WHEREAS, upon succeeding the Honorable James P. Moran, Jr., following his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1990, Patsy Ticer became Alexandria's first woman mayor; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer's service to Alexandria included sponsoring the first extensive revision of the Alexandria Master Plan in 1992, establishing an Alexandria Office of Early Childhood Programs, creating Alexandria's Early Childhood Development Commission, and, at the state level, serving as vice chair of the Governor's Council on Child Day Care and Early Childhood Programs; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer chaired the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in 1994 and was awarded the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award, the organization's highest honor, in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer served as chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission as well as chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer served two terms as Alexandria's chair of the United Way Campaign and president of the National Association of Regional Councils of United Way; and
WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the Commonwealth, Patsy Ticer ran for and was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1995; she introduced and supported many important pieces of legislation to benefit all Virginians; and
WHEREAS, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Senator Ticer's priorities included improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, conserving open space and trees, and supporting the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation which she served as a trustee; and
WHEREAS, among Senator Ticer's proudest legislative accomplishments were the passage of laws requiring newborns to be tested for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a developmental disorder that can result in the death of the newborn; medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, another birth disorder that can be crippling or fatal if not caught immediately; as well as a law requiring hearing tests for all newborns; and
WHEREAS, after 16 years of service in the Senate of Virginia, Patsy Ticer did not seek reelection in 2011; she remained active in civic affairs, working with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust to preserve the historic pre-revolutionary Murray-Dick-Fawcett House, one of Alexandria's earliest residences; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer's career in public service was characterized by passionate advocacy for the health, education, and welfare of children, the protection of animals, and the preservation of Virginia's natural beauty; and
WHEREAS, as a trailblazing exemplar for women in local and state government, Patsy Ticer was renowned for her steadfast support of the rights of women and girls; she actively encouraged women to seek leadership roles in public life, and her legacy will endure through the many women she inspired to serve their communities; and
WHEREAS, Patsy Ticer was regarded as a consensus builder both on the Alexandria City Council and in the Senate of Virginia; "Power," she once said, "is being able to get things done without having to raise your voice;" and
WHEREAS, preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Jack, Patsy Ticer is fondly remembered and greatly missed by four children, Margaret Janosky of Alexandria, John Ticer, Jr., of Vienna, Catherine Ticer of San Jose, California, and Virginia Baechler of Alexandria, and five grandchildren; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable Patricia Keyser Smith Ticer, the first woman mayor of Alexandria, former state senator, and respected public servant; 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 Patricia Keyser Smith Ticer as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for her memory.
