SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2012 SESSION

12104881D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 352
Offered February 10, 2012
Celebrating the life of Hal P. Demuth.
----------
Patrons-- May and Sherwood; Senator: Vogel
----------

WHEREAS, Hal P. Demuth of Winchester, a veteran of World War II, a loving husband, and a career officer in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) who later worked as an engineer for technology firms in Northern Virginia, died on August 22, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Hal Demuth, who was born in Ellsworth, Kansas, and educated in Colorado, left high school after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps; and

WHEREAS, after the war, Hal Demuth earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado in electrical engineering; he later received a master’s degree from the University of Washington; and

WHEREAS, Hal Demuth began his professional career as a commissioned officer with the USC&GS, which later became part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; he conducted surveys and measurements for the United States Navy, NASA, and other organizations; and

WHEREAS, during his career with USC&GS, Hal Demuth helped map the earth’s gravitational field for manned space flight orbital estimates, and he also produced hydrographic information off the Korean coast and the Bering Strait; and

WHEREAS, after retiring from the USC&GS in 1967 as a commander, Hal Demuth then embarked on a second career in the private sector; he worked for Ensco, Inc., a technology firm in Northern Virginia, developing a program for automated measurement of railroad track geometry, and he later became chief engineer at EIT, LLC; and

WHEREAS, Hal Demuth’s activities and interests included membership in the Cosmos Club of Washington, D.C.; he also was an internationally recognized member of the Explorers Club; and

WHEREAS, Hal Demuth and his wife spent many years researching and restoring an 1890s Victorian mansion in Winchester; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been featured in historic and architectural magazines; and

WHEREAS, Hal Demuth will be greatly missed by his wife, Betty, and by many other family members, friends, and colleagues; 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 a respected explorer, engineer, preservationist, veteran, and loving husband, Hal P. Demuth; 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 Hal P. Demuth as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory and appreciation for his many valuable contributions to science and technology.