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2012 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 465
Celebrating the life of John William Pumphrey, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 2, 2012
Agreed to by the Senate, March 7, 2012

 

WHEREAS, John William Pumphrey, Jr., a former member of the Leesburg Town Council and the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Department, who was widely admired and respected throughout his long life, died on August 25, 2011; and

WHEREAS, John William “Jock” Pumphrey, Jr.,  was born in Loudoun County; he enlisted in the United States Navy immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and was on active duty in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters; and

WHEREAS, as the longtime owner of Jock’s Exxon in Leesburg, one of the last full-service gas stations in Virginia, Jock Pumphrey served thousands of Leesburg and Loudoun County residents; he usually arrived at work each day at 3 a.m., a schedule he kept until he retired; and

WHEREAS, as a member of the Leesburg Town Council from 1959 to 1974, Jock Pumphrey had a key role in acquiring the current Leesburg Executive Airport and in obtaining a permanent source of water for the Leesburg community from the Potomac River; before this change, the town relied on well water; and

WHEREAS, Jock Pumphrey was a member of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Department and was chief engineer from 1948 to 1960; he had a 50-year perfect attendance record at the Leesburg Host Lions Club, and in 2001, he was awarded the Good Scout Award by the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America; and

WHEREAS, an outdoorsman and a mentor to many young people, Jock Pumphrey often hired some of the teenagers who came to him for advice and guidance; he was a renowned dancer and was called “the Fred Astaire of the fire station” by his many friends and admirers; and

WHEREAS, Jock Pumphrey, who was held in high esteem by his family and by the residents of Leesburg, is dearly remembered by his wife, Ruth; his sons, John, James, and Jerry, and their families; and by numerous other family members, friends, and local residents; 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 outstanding Virginian, dedicated public servant, and good friend to many people, John William Pumphrey, Jr.; 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 John William Pumphrey, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory and appreciation for his love of and years of service to the Town of Leesburg.