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2017 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 881
Celebrating the life of Paul Bankit.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 10, 2017
Agreed to by the Senate, February 16, 2017

 

WHEREAS, Paul Bankit of Williamsburg, a decorated Vietnam War pilot, inventor, college professor, and entrepreneur, died on June 22, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Paul Bankit earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska, and a doctoral degree from Michigan State University; and

WHEREAS, Paul Bankit joined the United States Army in 1953 and completed basic training at what was then Gary Air Force Base in San Marcos, Texas; and

WHEREAS, Paul Bankit served three tours of duty in Vietnam and he received the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal, among many other military accolades during his time in service; and

WHEREAS, a pioneer in United States Army aviation, Paul Bankit was one of the first recipients of the Master Aviator Badge; he also served as a chief test pilot of the Joint Services and commanded the Transportation Engineering Agency in Newport News before retiring as a colonel in 1978; and

WHEREAS, following his military career, Paul Bankit became a teacher and worked as a professor at three major universities, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he served as provost; and

WHEREAS, one of Paul Bankit’s greatest accomplishments in life was founding a company that sold the first patented product to orally dose champion pull and race horses with selenium; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, Paul Bankit remained active with the James City County Registrar, Jamestown Christian Fellowship, and his company, Real Selenium, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Paul Bankit loved life, fast cars, planes, and watching football, basketball, and golf on TV; he was a fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Michigan State Spartans and regularly attended the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar Series race; and

WHEREAS, preceded in death by his wife, Judy, Paul Bankit will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Eric, Paula, and Wade, and their families, and many other relatives 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 Paul Bankit of Williamsburg, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, inventor, college professor, and entrepreneur; 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 Paul Bankit as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.