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2018 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 216
Celebrating the life of Roland R. Kessler.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, March 6, 2018
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 7, 2018

 

WHEREAS, Roland R. Kessler, a patriotic veteran, respected meteorologist, and inspirational member of the Midlothian community who supported countless people living with Parkinson’s disease, died on February 14, 2018; and

WHEREAS, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Roland “Ron” Kessler learned the value of hard work and responsibility while growing up on his family’s farm; he later moved with his family to Ohio, where he married his high school sweetheart, Rose, and graduated from Western Reserve University magna cum laude; and

WHEREAS, Ron Kessler continued his education at Trinity College in Connecticut, where he earned a master’s degree, and served the nation as a member of the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard as a meteorologist; he earned numerous awards and accolades for his meritorious service and retired as a colonel; and

WHEREAS, Ron Kessler also pursued fulfilling careers as a television weatherman and a researcher and developer of solar, wind, and geothermal energy programs for the United States Department of Energy; and

WHEREAS, Ron Kessler was a generous volunteer who donated his time as a reading tutor for adults and a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Hands Across the Lake, an organization that works to protect the Swift Creek Reservoir; and

WHEREAS, in 1988, Ron Kessler was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and for 30 years he worked tirelessly to advance the search for a cure by participating in studies at the National Institutes of Health; and

WHEREAS, Ron Kessler was an active member of Parkinson’s disease support groups at Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center and the Davis Phinney Foundation and created free exercise videos for people living with the disease; he was a founding member of the Richmond Parkinson’s Dance Project, a modified ballroom dance class for people with Parkinson’s disease and their families; and

WHEREAS, a scholar, painter, writer, musician, and sportsman, Ron Kessler lived his life to the fullest and inspired others by traveling the world and experiencing thrilling adventures, such as skydiving and white-water rafting, all while living with Parkinson’s disease; and

WHEREAS, Ron Kessler will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his beloved wife of 65 years, Rose; his children, Rande, Robin, and Rhea, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; 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 Roland R. Kessler; and, be it

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