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2018 SESSION

18105121D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 130
Offered February 7, 2018
Celebrating the life of William Leslie Mariner.
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Patron-- Lewis
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WHEREAS, William Leslie Mariner, a beloved father and husband and a dedicated first responder who was the longtime fire chief of the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department, died on August 6, 2017; and

WHEREAS, born in Pocomoke City, Maryland, William “Bill” Mariner attended Pocomoke High School; following his graduation in 1959, he joined the Maryland Army National Guard; and

WHEREAS, after moving to Greenbackville in 1963, Bill Mariner joined the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department; he eventually served with the department for 54 years, including a record 19 years as fire chief during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; and

WHEREAS, Bill Mariner revolutionized the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department during his years as fire chief; he became the department’s first certified emergency medical technician in 1978, and he was instrumental in acquiring new equipment and forming a volunteer rescue squad; and

WHEREAS, a firm believer in the importance of proper training, Bill Mariner served for many years as an adjunct instructor for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and played a key role in designing and securing funding for a regional fire training center on the Eastern Shore; and

WHEREAS, along with serving as the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department’s president from 1996 to 1998, Bill Mariner also served as a fire medic with the Accomack County Department of Public Safety between 1994 and 2004; and

WHEREAS, Bill Mariner was a hall of fame member of the DelMarVa Volunteer Firemen’s Association and the Firemen’s Historical Society of DelMarVa and served on the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Commission for nearly 20 years; and

WHEREAS, along with his lifelong commitment to fire service, Bill Mariner held numerous other jobs, including raising chickens, working as a lieutenant with NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Fire Department, and acting as a sales representative for the Potomac Fire Equipment Company; and

WHEREAS, Bill Mariner was a member of the Accomack Masonic Lodge, the Shriners, and the Atlantic District Ruritan Club; an enthusiastic fisherman, he was also active in the Eastern Shore of Virginia Anglers Club; and

WHEREAS, during his long and distinguished career, Bill Mariner’s resolute leadership, devotion to duty, and wide-ranging experience won him the abiding respect and admiration of the people he so ably served; and

WHEREAS, Bill Mariner will be fondly remembered by his wife of 54 years, Sharon; daughters, Carla and Leanne, and their families; and countless other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of William Leslie Mariner, a skilled first responder who tirelessly served the residents of Greenbackville and other communities on the Eastern Shore; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of William Leslie Mariner as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.