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2012 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 285
Celebrating the life of Mary Ann Wilder Elwood.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 3, 2012
Agreed to by the Senate, February 9, 2012

 

WHEREAS, Mary Ann Wilder Elwood, a leading citizen of Charlottesville, pioneering businesswoman, and beloved educator, died on September 12, 2011; and

WHEREAS, a native of Indiana, Mary Ann Elwood came to Charlottesville in 1964 with her husband, Bill Elwood, and immersed herself in civic and community affairs; and

WHEREAS, a firm believer in the importance of education, Mary Ann Elwood opened doors for many students, cofounding a free kindergarten program for disadvantaged children and helping organize the Churchwomen’s Preschool at the Salvation Army; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ann Elwood taught troubled high school students at the Jefferson School and assisted in the creation of the Charlottesville Book Buddies Program, which pairs trained volunteers with first graders to help the young pupils with their reading skills; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ann Elwood served as the first woman president of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and enthusiastically supported local businesses while promoting the City as a great place in which to live and work; and

WHEREAS, a longtime member of the Democratic Party, Mary Ann Elwood became the first female chair of the Charlottesville Democratic Committee and proudly served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1972; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ann Elwood helped preserve the City of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia’s intertwined history as coauthor of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia: A Pictorial History; and

WHEREAS, a passionate advocate of her adopted hometown and its residents, Mary Ann Elwood received numerous awards and accolades for her distinguished service, including the Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award and the Woman of the Year award from the Virginia Women’s Forum; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by her husband, Bill, Mary Ann Elwood will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, Jim and John, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; 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 admired citizen of Charlottesville, Mary Ann Wilder Elwood; 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 Mary Ann Wilder Elwood as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for her memory.