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2010 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 59
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Dr. Samuel L. Varner.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, January 21, 2010
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 29, 2010
 

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Samuel L. Varner, a respected citizen and beloved pastor, died on September 22, 2009; and

WHEREAS, a native of Alabama, Samuel Varner was born to loving parents, John Wil Varner and Louisiana Wilson Varner, on October 19, 1937; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Varner graduated from J.W. Darden High School in Alabama, received a bachelor’s degree from Livingstone College in North Carolina, a master’s degree from Interdenominational Theological Seminary, two additional master’s degrees, and a doctorate from Princeton University; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Varner also studied at Hood Seminary and served in Africa, Germany, France, and The Netherlands; he completed a two-year fellowship at Iona Abbey in Scotland, which began his fellowship with the United Church of Christ; and

WHEREAS, a loving husband and devoted father, Samuel Varner married the love of his life, Ruth Suggs, in 1966, and they had two wonderful sons, Seko-Benjamin and Daniel, and adopted a beautiful daughter, Elizabeth; and

WHEREAS, throughout his lifetime, Dr. Varner served the church with great faith, commitment, and distinction in various capacities in Brooklyn, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and Chesapeake, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, a caring and compassionate man, Dr. Varner also worked as a drug and alcohol clinician for the City of Chesapeake and shared his knowledge and experience as an adjunct professor at Thomas Nelson Community College and seminary professor at Regent University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Varner was one of the founders of the Uhuru African American Cultural Society, served as a personal advisor to the presidents of the Chesapeake branch of the NAACP, and, with his wife, began the first Kwanzaa celebration in the Hampton Roads area; and

WHEREAS, a talented and wise man, Dr. Varner leaves behind a legacy of selfless service to his family, friends, and community for others to emulate; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Varner will be sorely missed by his loving wife, Ruth; children, Elizabeth, Seko-Benjamin, and Daniel and their families; and his numerous friends and admirers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the loss of a fine pastor and outstanding Virginian, Reverend Dr. Samuel L. Varner; and, be it

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