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1999 SESSION

996265633
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 554
Offered February 18, 1999
Commemorating the life of John Michael Gibson.
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Patrons-- Colgan, Barry, Bolling, Chichester, Couric, Edwards, Forbes, Gartlan, Hanger, Hawkins, Holland, Houck, Howell, Lambert, Lucas, Marsh, Martin, Marye, Maxwell, Miller, K.G., Miller, Y.B., Mims, Newman, Norment, Potts, Puckett, Quayle, Reynolds, Saslaw, Schrock, Stolle, Stosch, Ticer, Trumbo, Walker, Wampler, Watkins, Whipple, Williams and Woods; Delegates: Albo, Baker, Black, Blevins, Callahan, Cantor, Cox, Davis, Devolites, Dudley, Guest, Hamilton, Harris, Howell, Ingram, Jones, S.C., Katzen, Kilgore, Landes, Marshall, May, McClure, McQuigg, Morgan, Nixon, O'Brien, Parrish, Reid, Rollison, Rust, Sherwood, Tata, Wagner, Ware and Weatherholtz
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WHEREAS, John Michael Gibson was born on March 29, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, at the age of five, his family relocated to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where John attended Russell Grammar School and St. Mary’s High School and was a member of the basketball team, the sport he loved most; and

WHEREAS, upon graduating from high school, John attended Boston State College, where he majored in law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, in 1978, John met Evelyn (“Lyn”) M. Moakley and they were married August 10, 1979; and

WHEREAS, in May of 1980, John began his employment with the U.S. Capitol Police at the Nation’s Capitol and the couple relocated to Alexandria, Virginia; and

WHEREAS, on October 22, 1980, their daughter, Kristen Elizabeth, was born and on October 6, 1982, their son, John Michael, was born; and

WHEREAS, in October 1983, the family relocated to Lake Ridge in Prince William County where their third child, Daniel Joseph, was born on May 20, 1984; and

WHEREAS, upon completion of his police basic training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Glynco, Georgia, John was initially assigned as an officer in the House of Representatives Division of the U.S. Capitol Police; and

WHEREAS, in October 1989, John was promoted to the rank of detective, was reassigned to the Dignitary Protective Division, and during this assignment, he attended the Criminal Investigation Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; and

WHEREAS, for the past six years, John was assigned to the Leadership Protective Team for Congressman Tom Delay; and

WHEREAS, on July 24, 1998, Detective John Michael Gibson, along with Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, engaged in a confrontation with a deranged gunman and, in the act of protecting the lives of Congressman Delay and his staff, as well as many employees and visitors to the Nation’s Capitol, both men gave their lives so that others might live; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly does hereby express its sincere condolences to his wife and children, to the family of John Michael Gibson and express its gratitude to John Michael Gibson for his great act of heroism and for the life he gave protecting employees of the Nation’s Capitol, our American democracy and heritage; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Michael Gibson as an expression of the great esteem in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly.