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2013 SESSION

13103122D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 616
Offered January 9, 2013
Prefiled January 7, 2013
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Willard Lincoln Lemmon.
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Patron-- Crockett-Stark, Johnson, and O’Quinn
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WHEREAS, the Honorable Willard Lincoln Lemmon, a respected business and community leader from Marion in Smyth County who served the Commonwealth with distinction as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1968 to 1981, died on November 24, 2012; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of Marion Senior High School, Willard Lemmon attended Davidson College before joining the other young men of his generation by enlisting in the United States Army during World War II; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated soldier, Willard Lemmon served as a sergeant in Rifle Company I, 309th Infantry, 78th Division, on the front lines in Germany during the Battle of the Bulge and earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star; and

WHEREAS, after the war, Willard Lemmon returned to Virginia and studied at the University of Virginia before returning home to take the reins of the family business, Lemmon Transport Company; and

WHEREAS, a hardworking businessman, Willard Lemmon expanded the company and eventually became president of Consolidated Real Estate Corporation and Lemmon Investment Corporation; and

WHEREAS, Willard Lemmon made many contributions to the trucking industry as vice president of the Virginia Highway Users Association and treasurer of the National Tank Truck Carriers; and

WHEREAS, Willard Lemmon took an active role in community affairs, serving on the board of directors for the Bank of Marion for 39 years, as vice president of the Smyth County Community Hospital board, and as a member of Royal Oak Presbyterian Church; and

WHEREAS, a strong proponent of education, Willard Lemmon served as board president at Mary Baldwin College, a member of the executive committee of the board of trustees at Emory and Henry College, and as a member of the board of visitors for Davidson College and Virginia Highlands Community College; and

WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the people of Southwest Virginia and the Commonwealth, Willard Lemmon ran for and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and faithfully served the residents of Smyth, Washington, and part of Scott County and the City of Bristol; and

WHEREAS, Willard Lemmon was a member of the Committees on Appropriations; Counties, Cities and Towns; Currency and Commerce; Labor; and Mining and Mineral Resources; and chair of the Education Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Funding K-12 Education; and

WHEREAS, an effective and influential lawmaker, Willard Lemmon worked to enact important legislation for the benefit of all Virginians and played a key role in the transformation of Virginia state government as vice chair of the Virginia Commission on State Governmental Management; and

WHEREAS, Willard Lemmon also provided wise guidance and insight as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Excellence in Education, Governor’s Commission on Educational Opportunity for All Virginians, Governor’s Commission on the Future of Virginia, and president of the State Board of Education; and

WHEREAS, Willard Lemmon earned many awards and accolades throughout his career, including Outstanding Young Man of Virginia from the Virginia Jaycees, Man of the Year Award from the Rotary Club, Pathfinders Award from the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, Friend of Education Award from the Virginia Education Association, and an honorary doctorate from Emory and Henry College; and

WHEREAS, a man of great compassion and wisdom, Willard Lemmon leaves behind a sterling legacy of service to the community, Commonwealth, and country; and

WHEREAS, Willard Lemmon will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 66 years, Rosa; daughters, Nena and Betsy, and their families; numerous other family members and friends; and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; 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 dedicated public servant, the Honorable Willard Lincoln Lemmon; 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 the Honorable Willard Lincoln Lemmon as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.