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2007 SESSION

076741306
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 896
Offered February 12, 2007
Celebrating the life of William A. Truban.
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Patron-- Gilbert
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WHEREAS, William A. Truban, beloved citizen of the Commonwealth and respected former member of the Senate from 1971 to 1992, died on February 3, 2007; and

WHEREAS, born in Garrett County, Maryland, in 1924, William Truban served his country in the United States Army Air Force during World War II in the China-Burma-India Theater, earning three Bronze Stars for bravery; and

WHEREAS, after the war, William Truban returned home to earn a bachelor's degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he met his beloved future wife, Mildred Hayes; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1953, William and Mildred Truban decided to settle in Woodstock after falling in love with the Shenandoah Valley during a visit to his sister's home in Winchester; and

WHEREAS, as the first licensed veterinarian in the community, Dr. Truban founded the Shenandoah Animal Hospital, and later with his son, Dr. Thomas S. Truban, enjoyed a long and successful partnership dedicated to the practice of veterinary medicine and the humane treatment of animals; and

WHEREAS, William Truban was elected to the Senate of Virginia in a 1970 special election and he served longer than any senator in the history of the 27th District, which at the time included Winchester, part of Fauquier County, and the Counties of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah and Warren; and

WHEREAS, during a period when Republicans, at most, held 10 of the 40 Senate seats, William Truban was elected Senate minority leader, a position he held with distinction until just prior to his 1992 retirement; and

WHEREAS, William Truban was the only Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, and along with Democrat committee members, was a stalwart supporter of funding for a school of veterinary medicine at Virginia Tech, now known as the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; and

WHEREAS, in 1990 as a member of the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), William Truban was an early proponent of a state cash reserve to protect Virginia’s bond rating, and although his original proposal failed, a similar measure, the Virginia Revenue Stabilization Fund, or “Rainy Day Fund,” was created by means of an amendment to the Virginia Constitution, ratified by voters in 1992 and became law in 1993; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to improving the quality of life of his fellow citizens, Dr. Truban was a leader in his community and active in numerous civic and professional organizations, serving as the president of the Northern Virginia Veterinary Medicine Association, the Virginia Veterinary Medicine Association, and the Woodstock Rotary Club; as a member of the board of the Virginia Board of Health Professions; and as a member and chair of the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine; and

WHEREAS, committed to the well-being of his neighbors, Dr. Truban was a faithful member of  Woodstock United Methodist Church, where he was a lay leader and Sunday school teacher for many years; and

WHEREAS, William Truban will be fondly remembered as a thoughtful lawmaker and a compassionate community benefactor and will be missed by his loving wife and children; his 25 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; and the citizens of the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the loss of one of its admired former members, William A. Truban; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of William A. Truban as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.