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2013 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 735
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Richard Leland Fisher.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 18, 2013
Agreed to by the Senate, January 24, 2013

 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Richard Leland Fisher, a respected business executive and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, died on August 27, 2012; and

WHEREAS, a native of Maryland, Richard “Dick” Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he rowed and played baseball; he proudly served his country in the United States Army Reserve as a landing craft boat skipper in the 464th Medium Boat Company, 97th ARCOM; and

WHEREAS, in 1971, Dick Fisher joined Washington Gas Light Company, displaying strong leadership as he rose through the ranks to become vice president of delivery services and then vice president of general services; and

WHEREAS, committed to providing the best possible service to customers, Dick Fisher oversaw day-to-day management of operations and services and the company’s transmission and distribution lines throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area, in addition to ensuring the proper implementation of federal regulations; and

WHEREAS, after retiring from Washington Gas Light Company in 2000, Dick Fisher served as an energy consultant before his appointment as chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services; he then served as acting director of the U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to the well-being and prosperity of the Town of Vienna and its residents, Dick Fisher entered public service in 1985 as a member of the Vienna Town Council and served a total of three terms; and

WHEREAS, as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1990 to 1996, Dick Fisher represented the residents of the 35th District, which included Tyson’s Corner, Vienna, Oakton, and part of Fairfax City; and

WHEREAS, Dick Fisher served on the Committees on General Laws; Health, Welfare and Institutions; Labor and Commerce; and Chesapeake Bay and Its Tributaries during his tenure and as the Minority Whip; and

WHEREAS, Dick Fisher worked with fellow legislators to champion a wide array of legislation to benefit all Virginians and proved to be a particularly effective advocate for children with special needs; and

WHEREAS, a tireless community servant with a genuine love of people, Dick Fisher generously gave of his time and talents to a number of organizations, including the Volunteer Emergency Families for Children; and

WHEREAS, Dick Fisher was awarded a 1997 Governor’s Award for Community Service and Volunteerism and was named the 1998 “Lord Fairfax of the Hunter Mill District” by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Celebrate Fairfax, Inc., in recognition of his many contributions to the community; and

WHEREAS, Dick Fisher leaves behind a memorable legacy of service and will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Tina; children, Nichole, Christina, Dylan, Jake, and Joseph, and their families; his colleagues on both sides of the aisle; and the citizens of Virginia; 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 Richard Leland Fisher; 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 Richard Leland Fisher as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.