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2011 SPECIAL SESSION I
11200268DWHEREAS, Sarah Elizabeth Forbes, M.D., a pioneering physician and beloved community supporter from Newport News, died on June 24, 2011; and
WHEREAS, a native of Currituck County, North Carolina, Sarah Forbes moved to the Virginia Peninsula with her parents, Mary Brock and Dexter Forbes, as a young girl; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Forbes graduated from Newport News High School and, after receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester in New York, became one of the few women at the time to study medicine at the Medical College of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Forbes was Norfolk General Hospital’s first female resident and eventually served as chief resident of obstetrics/gynecology; in 1958 she became the first female physician to open a private obstetrics/gynecological practice in Newport News; and
WHEREAS, a skilled and compassionate practitioner, Dr. Forbes delivered the latest care to women of all ages in the Newport News area for more than 50 years while influencing rising generations of physicians through her involvement in various medical associations; and
WHEREAS, a savvy businesswoman as well, Dr. Forbes successfully developed several real estate projects, including the Warwick Medical and Professional Center in Newport News and the Windmill Point Restaurant in Nags Head, North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Forbes possessed a strong belief in the value of education and generously supported Christopher Newport University, providing the lead gift for the university’s new science building to be named for her mother, who helped support her during medical school by taking a second job selling encyclopedias and dictionaries; and
WHEREAS, despite a busy medical practice, Dr. Forbes generously shared her time, talents, and resources with numerous organizations in the area, including the Mariners’ Museum, First Baptist Church of Newport News, and the Peninsula Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Forbes played a vital role with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, serving as the first woman elected to the board and the organization’s first female president; she became the first and only woman to be honored on the organization’s “Wall of Fame”; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Forbes received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions, including the prestigious Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities’ Humanitarian Award and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Medallion Award; and
WHEREAS, a visionary woman whose influence will be felt on the Virginia Peninsula for years to come, Dr. Forbes will be greatly missed by her friends and neighbors, former patients, and many 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 generous philanthropist, dedicated physician, and admired citizen of the Commonwealth, Sarah Elizabeth Forbes, M.D.; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Harriett Wood, M.D., a longtime confidant and friend of Sarah Elizabeth Forbes, M.D., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for her memory.