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2015 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 650
Celebrating the life of James Conrad Blankenbecler, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 23, 2015
Agreed to by the Senate, January 29, 2015

 

WHEREAS, James Conrad Blankenbecler, Jr., a reporter for WCYB television station in Bristol, who was known for his masterful storytelling skills and fondness for the people and places in the Tri-Cities area, died on December 16, 2014; and

WHEREAS, James Blankenbecler, who was known to most people by his professional name, Jim Conrad, was born in Wise County and was proud to call Southwest Virginia home; he graduated from J.J. Kelly High School and East Tennessee State University; and

WHEREAS, Jim Conrad’s career in broadcasting began when he became a disc jockey on WETB radio in Johnson City, Tennessee, where on his afternoon show he was known as “Cosmic Conrad”; and

WHEREAS, Jim Conrad first worked for WCYB as a videographer and had been at the station for more than 25 years at the time of his death; he produced newscasts for a time and later focused on regional stories that highlighted his love of rural Southwest Virginia; and

WHEREAS, much of Jim Conrad’s work featured the men and women who helped make his community a special place; he had an ability to make friends instantly with the people he interviewed, and he loved telling their stories to a television audience; and

WHEREAS, listening was one of Jim Conrad’s strongest skills; he was fair and he delighted in producing memorable stories about interesting, noteworthy, and unusual people in the region—warm and folksy tales that may not have otherwise been known; and

WHEREAS, colleagues and friends remember Jim Conrad as a leader who was a caring friend with a good sense of humor and a steady, encouraging presence; he readily shared his professional knowledge and love of the area with them; and

WHEREAS, Jim Conrad will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by Sheilah, his wife of 26 years; his daughters, Sara and Crystal, and their families; and by many 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 James Conrad Blankenbecler, Jr., a reporter for WCYB television station in Bristol, whose masterful storytelling skills produced many warm and interesting tales of people and places in the Tri-Cities area; 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 James Conrad Blankenbecler, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.