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2009 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 287
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Theodore Alfred Bashford.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, January 15, 2009
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 23, 2009
 

WHEREAS, the Reverend Theodore Alfred Bashford of Norfolk, a respected citizen and the tireless leader of the Union Mission Ministries for 52 years, died on October 4, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Theodore “Ted” Bashford grew up in Portsmouth and dropped out of Woodrow Wilson High School, but after working in his twenties at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, he decided to devote himself to others and to the church; and

WHEREAS, Ted Bashford attended Claire Creek Baptist College in Kentucky and later received a divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; and

WHEREAS, in 1939, Ted Bashford married Marion Skeeter, his devoted partner and soul mate for 69 years, and the loving couple have five wonderful daughters; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Bashford founded Salem Road Baptist Church in Rossville, Georgia, and served as pastor of Mile Straight Baptist Church near Chattanooga, Tennessee, before coming to Norfolk to head the Union Mission Ministries in 1956; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Bashford dedicated his life to helping homeless people and the less fortunate through the Union Mission Ministries at shelters in downtown Norfolk and Newport News; Hope Haven Children’s Home and Hope Haven Adult Home in Norfolk; Camp Hope Haven in Virginia Beach; and New Life Center in Franklin; and

WHEREAS, a man of deep spirituality and compassion, Reverend Bashford and the Union Mission Ministries, a privately funded nonprofit organization, helped to provide more than 226,000 meals, 86,000 nights of free lodging, and 14,000 clothing items to people in need in 2007 alone; and

WHEREAS, a gifted pastor and speaker, Reverend Bashford preached to his faithful mission members, at area churches, and on television and radio; and

WHEREAS, active in the Hampton Roads community, Reverend Bashford received numerous accolades and tributes over the years, including the Shining Light award from WAVY-TV 10 in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Bashford will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his loving wife and family, including his 16 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; his numerous friends and admirers; and the members of the Union Mission Ministries; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of an outstanding Virginian, the Reverend Theodore Alfred Bashford; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Reverend Theodore Alfred Bashford as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.