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2013 SESSION
WHEREAS, Laila Wheary Pearsall, an enthusiastic community leader from Richmond who had a love for the arts and tireless passion for serving others, died on October 8, 2012; and
WHEREAS, a native of Richmond, Laila Pearsall graduated from John Marshall High School and the Richmond Division of The College of William and Mary; she took her first job as a social worker at New York City’s Hartley House; and
WHEREAS, after meeting and marrying the love of her life, John, Laila Pearsall returned to Richmond and continued her career in social work with the Virginia Department of Welfare before serving as assistant director and later board president of the William Byrd Community House; and
WHEREAS, Laila Pearsall immersed herself in community affairs, raising funds for the American Red Cross, Richmond Community Chest, and United Giver’s Fund and serving as president of the Southampton Recreation Association, the Southampton Guild, and the Volunteer Service Bureau; and
WHEREAS, a strong advocate for independence for those with disabilities, Laila Pearsall taught paraplegics to drive during World War II and later served on the board of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind; and
WHEREAS, in 1956 Laila Pearsall joined the Women’s Council of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, becoming its third president, and oversaw the opening of the Women’s Council Shop; and
WHEREAS, Laila Pearsall served as the second chair of the Women’s Council Shop and as a buyer, selecting a wide array of items related to the exhibitions and collections of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for visitors to purchase; and
WHEREAS, an enthusiastic advocate for the arts, Laila Pearsall was a tour guide at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, organized Women’s Council and Museum events, and served on the board of trustees of the museum for 10 years, including seven years as vice president; and
WHEREAS, Laila Pearsall helped build the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ shop into one of the largest museum shops run by volunteers in the country and provided guidance to other museum shops across the nation; and
WHEREAS, Laila Pearsall managed volunteers engaged in a wide array of civic projects as president of The Woman’s Club, brought a wealth of experience to the board of the Science Museum of Virginia, and chaired Mayfair committees as a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church; and
WHEREAS, Laila Pearsall took an active role in the preservation and promotion of Richmond’s history as a member of the board and executive committee of the Historic Richmond Foundation, one of the founders of Richmond-on-the-James, and member of the Richmond Scenic James Council; and
WHEREAS, over the course of her long and well-lived life, Laila Pearsall provided dynamic leadership to a number of Richmond institutions, helping them fulfill their missions and create a better community; and
WHEREAS, Laila Pearsall, whose husband of nearly 75 years, John, passed away shortly after her, will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, Jack and Frank, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; 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 admired civic leader, Laila Wheary Pearsall; 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 Laila Wheary Pearsall as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for her memory.