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2012 SESSION

12103279D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26
Offered January 11, 2012
Prefiled January 10, 2012
Celebrating the life of Walter Clarence VanHook.
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Patron-- Miller, Y.B.
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WHEREAS, Walter Clarence VanHook, a World War II veteran, retired Norfolk Naval Air Station employee, former business owner, and longtime resident of Norfolk affectionately known as “the mayor of Maypole Avenue,” died on June 23, 2011; and

WHEREAS, a native of Durham, North Carolina, Walter VanHook greatly valued education, attending the Rosenwald elementary schools and graduating from Little River High School before enrolling in the Cortez W. Peters Business College; and

WHEREAS, Walter VanHook interrupted his studies to answer, as did other young men of his generation, his nation’s call to duty, serving in France during World War II as a member of the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, upon honorable completion of his military service, Walter VanHook returned to Durham and completed his undergraduate degree at the North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University, eventually relocating to Norfolk in the mid-1950s; and

WHEREAS, a hardworking and trailblazing employee, Walter VanHook became one of the first African Americans to serve in the Norfolk Naval Air Station’s accounting and disbursing office, where he enjoyed a successful 30-year career; and

WHEREAS, after retiring from the Norfolk Naval Air Station, Walter VanHook decided to fulfill his entrepreneurial ambitions, operating his own home improvement business in the Tidewater area, providing customers with quality service; and

WHEREAS, Walter VanHook took an active role in community and civic affairs through his involvement with the Hampton Roads Committee of 200+ Men and Hampton Roads Alumni Chapter of North Carolina Central University; and

WHEREAS, a man of great faith, Walter VanHook was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, where he enjoyed worship, fellowship, and service alongside other community members; and

WHEREAS, Walter VanHook constantly looked for ways to serve others and during retirement, took daily walks up and down his two-block section of Maypole Avenue, removing litter and sharing the history of the community with his fellow neighbors; and

WHEREAS, a true sports fan, Walter VanHook could quote statistics for countless players and teams across the South and enjoyed spending time with many cherished family members, friends, and neighbors who will fondly remember him; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of a respected citizen of the Commonwealth, Walter Clarence VanHook; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Walter Clarence VanHook as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.