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2013 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 538
Celebrating the life of Ray Houser.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 11, 2013
Agreed to by the Senate, January 17, 2013

 

WHEREAS, Ray Houser, the radio legend whose voice was heard by listeners over the Staunton airwaves from 1946 to 2011 and whose commitment to the town he called home touched the lives of countless individuals, died on May 30, 2012; and

WHEREAS, a native of Spottswood, Ray Houser attended the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, having regained partial sight after having been blind for the first two years of his life, and remained a faithful alumni; and

WHEREAS, in 1946 Ray Houser hit the airwaves at WTON with his dance band; he joined what became known as “Take It Easy Time” on radio station WKDW and also broadcast on WSVA; and

WHEREAS, Ray Houser built an impressive record in broadcasting, staying on the air until his retirement in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Ray Houser ran radio news shows, found his own sponsors, and interviewed a wide array of local civic and government leaders over the years, while keeping listeners entertained with his songs, including his famous “Who Got Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate” and “The Wreck of the Crescent”; and

WHEREAS, in addition to running several of his own businesses over the years, Ray Houser took an active role in the community, serving on the boards of the Valley Mission and Salvation Army, in addition to several others, and emceeing the local Memorial Day celebration; and

WHEREAS, Ray Houser loved music and helped establish the popular Happy Birthday U.S.A. Fourth of July extravaganza with the Statler Brothers, played the piano and organ at the Staunton Salvation Army Church, and served as pianist at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where he was a member; and

WHEREAS, a man of great integrity and compassion, Ray Houser always reached out to those in need and supported local community events with his cheerful presence and kind words to all; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth, Ray Houser will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Linda and Donald, numerous other family members and dear friends, and his many faithful listeners; 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 beloved citizen of Staunton, Ray Houser; 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 Ray Houser as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.