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2011 SPECIAL SESSION I
11200011DWHEREAS, Elizabeth Goss Clements of Arlington, a beloved wife, mother, and civic leader as well as a top official with a national Sears-Roebuck Foundation and General Federation of Women’s Clubs community improvement and beautification program, died on January 16, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth “Bette” Clements, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, moved to Arlington in 1943, attended The George Washington University, and worked at the Pentagon as one of the thousands of young women who came to the area to support the war effort; and
WHEREAS, Bette Clements met her husband-to-be, former Arlington Sheriff Elwood “Clem” Clements, on the day he returned from United States Navy service in the Pacific; they wed in 1946 and had four children in the first five years of their marriage; and
WHEREAS, rising to prominence in Arlington’s civic life, Bette Clements began her involvement by organizing kindergartens for local youth in an era when they were not offered in the public schools in Arlington; she went on to work to ensure the successful integration of Arlington’s Little League Program and help lead a regional youth garden council; and
WHEREAS, as a civic leader, Bette Clements was a founding member and past chairwoman of the Arlington Committee of 100, a charter member and past board president of the Arlington Historical Society, and a member of the Arlington County Board of Zoning Appeals; and
WHEREAS, as a faithful supporter of the Democratic Party, Bette Clements was a staff member of the 10th District Committee in the 1950s and later served as a legislative assistant in Richmond to Delegate Mary Marshall, Delegate Jack Melnick, and state Senator Edward Holland; she volunteered for the Arlington County Democratic Committee throughout her life; and
WHEREAS, Bette Clements returned to school after her children were grown, graduated with honors from George Mason University (GMU) in 1979, went on to serve on GMU’s Board of Visitors from 1991 to 1995, and became a top saleswoman for the Mount Vernon and RE/Max real estate firms in Northern Virginia; and
WHEREAS, a woman of many accomplishments, Bette Clements touched the lives of countless individuals with her love of Arlington and inspired many to become involved in civic and political life in the community; and
WHEREAS, Bette Clements, predeceased by her husband Clem of 47 years, will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, Andrew, Leigh, Lynn, and Kuiper and their wonderful families as well as numerous friends and admirers; 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 a respected citizen of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth Goss Clements; 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 Elizabeth Goss Clements as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for her memory.