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2018 SESSION
18101111DWHEREAS, the Honorable James H. Harvell III, a retired judge of the Newport News General District Court who made countless contributions to the community on and off the bench, died on October 8, 2017; and
WHEREAS, a lifelong resident of Newport News, James Harvell graduated from Warwick High School; he received a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and a law degree from the University of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, James Harvell served his country as a member of the United States Army Reserve for six years, including six months of active duty; after his honorable military service, he entered private practice in Newport News; and
WHEREAS, in 1972, James Harvell was appointed as a judge of the Newport News General District Court of the 7th Judicial District of Virginia, where he presided with great fairness and wisdom for more than 30 years; as a traffic court judge, he was many local residents’ only interaction with the legal system, and he made a point to treat everyone he encountered with dignity and respect; and
WHEREAS, during his time on the bench, James Harvell earned the admiration of attorneys and law-enforcement officers for his work ethic and attention to detail; in addition to managing his heavy case load, he proactively learned about technology like radar guns and red-light cameras, and he possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s intersections and traffic signs; and
WHEREAS, James Harvell was passionate about helping people struggling with alcohol abuse; he was a founding member of Peninsula Alcohol Safety Action Program and served on the board of directors of the Serenity House, a treatment and rehabilitation center; and
WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement in 2004, James Harvell continued to serve as a substitute judge and offered his leadership to Christopher Newport University as a board member and president of the Lifelong Learning Society; and
WHEREAS, James Harvell enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community as a devout member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry and taught Sunday school; and
WHEREAS, a man of great integrity, James Harvell served the residents of Newport News and the Commonwealth with the utmost dedication and distinction; and
WHEREAS, James Harvell will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 58 years, Barbara; daughter, Laura, and her family, including his four beloved grandchildren, Christian, Frank, Ann Marie, and Emily; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable James H. Harvell III, a former judge and a highly admired member of the Newport News community; 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 James H. Harvell III as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.