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2019 SESSION

19103927D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 819
Offered February 5, 2019
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Ernest Pleasants Gates.
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Patrons-- Robinson, Adams, D.M., Carr and Ware; Senators: Chase and Sturtevant
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WHEREAS, the Honorable Ernest Pleasants Gates, a deeply respected former judge of the Chesterfield Circuit Court who dedicated a lifetime of service to the community, died on June 18, 2018; and

WHEREAS, a native of Chesterfield County, where his family roots run deep, Ernest Gates attended local schools and graduated from Hampden-Sydney College; he joined many of the other young men of his generation in service to the nation during World War II as a member of the United States Navy and was wounded in combat on Okinawa; and

WHEREAS, after his honorable military service, Ernest Gates returned to the Commonwealth and earned a law degree from Washington and Lee University before beginning a long and fulfilling career in local government; and

WHEREAS, Ernest Gates served as deputy commissioner of the revenue, deputy treasurer, county attorney, and counsel for the school board, then was elected as an attorney for the Commonwealth in 1955; and

WHEREAS, in 1966, Ernest Gates was appointed as a judge of the Chesterfield Circuit Court of the 12th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, where he presided with great fairness and wisdom until his retirement in 1987; and

WHEREAS, Ernest Gates continued to hear cases part-time as a designated judge and was appointed as chair of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission in 1994; throughout his distinguished career, he was known for his grace, integrity, and professionalism, as well as his commitment to treating others with dignity and respect; and

WHEREAS, Ernest Gates volunteered his time to strengthen the community as a member of the Chesterfield Jaycees, the local Kiwanis and Lions clubs, and the Henricus Foundation, and he enjoyed fellowship and worship with the congregation of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chester; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his beloved wife of 63 years, Virginia, Ernest Gates will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his six children, 16 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and numerous 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 the Honorable Ernest Pleasants Gates, a former judge of the Chesterfield Circuit Court and a true Virginia gentleman; 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 Ernest Pleasants Gates as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.