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2011 SESSION
WHEREAS, Alfred James Dumas, a devoted family man from Alexandria who worked his way through law school to serve for over four decades in the federal government, died on December 25, 2010, at the age of 105; and
WHEREAS, the sixth of eight children, Alfred Dumas was born on April 16, 1905, to James and Mary Ann Dumas, who moved several times before settling in Davis, West Virginia, a small town that provided jobs and a high school for their children; and
WHEREAS, Alfred Dumas learned at a young age the value of hard work, family, and faith; he went to work as a boy to help support his family and save money for school, working in a shoeshine parlor, lumber mill, barbershop, meat market, and railroad shop; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from high school in 1923, Alfred Dumas attended Ryder Business College in Trenton, New Jersey, where he took stenography and bookkeeping courses before going to work for Roebling Steel Co.; and
WHEREAS, devoted to his family, Alfred Dumas returned to West Virginia after the family home burned to the ground; he helped his parents and siblings rebuild and then studied for the Civil Service exam; and
WHEREAS, Alfred Dumas began working for the United States Postal Service in 1926 as a stenographer and took night classes in pre-law at The George Washington University; and
WHEREAS, for the next 12 years, Alfred Dumas studied law at night while he assumed progressively more responsible positions in the United States Postal Service, including Director of the Employment and Placement Division and Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance; and
WHEREAS, in 1938 Alfred Dumas passed the District of Columbia bar exam and embarked on a long and distinguished career as Special Assistant to the Postmaster General; and
WHEREAS, the same year he passed the bar, Alfred Dumas married the love of his life, Reta, with whom he enjoyed 58 years of marriage until her death, and bought their first and only home, where he resided for over 70 years; and
WHEREAS, after his retirement from the United States Postal Service, Alfred Dumas remained engaged in federal government affairs as an active member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, Alexandria Chapter 232, serving as its president and as president of the Virginia Federation of Chapters; and
WHEREAS, Alfred Dumas was the oldest living member of Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria and delivered altar flowers to the sick and homebound until he was in his 90s; and
WHEREAS, a man of great faith and integrity, Alfred Dumas lived the American dream, working hard and persevering despite hardships and setbacks to establish himself and his family while serving his country and community; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Reta, and son, James, Alfred Dumas will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his large and loving family, including children Reta, Jackson, Jeanne, and Margaret; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an esteemed citizen of the Commonwealth, Alfred James Dumas; 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 Alfred James Dumas as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.