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2011 SPECIAL SESSION I


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5030
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Roscoe Bolar Stephenson, Jr.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, June 9, 2011
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 9, 2011
 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Roscoe Bolar Stephenson, Jr., who served the citizens of the Commonwealth with great distinction as a Virginia Supreme Court Justice, died on May 30, 2011; and

WHEREAS, a native of Covington, Roscoe Stephenson was a proud member of the United States Army during World War II and received a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Washington and Lee University, where he evidenced the sharp legal mind and respect for the law that would mark his exemplary career; and

WHEREAS, after graduation, Roscoe Stephenson returned to Covington, practicing law in partnership with his father before serving as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Alleghany County for 12 years, after which he resumed a career in private practice; and

WHEREAS, respected for his keen grasp of the law, sound judgment, and impeccable integrity, Roscoe Stephenson was appointed as a judge for the 25th Judicial Circuit on July 12, 1973; and

WHEREAS, Judge Stephenson presided over the Alleghany County Circuit Court with great fairness, wisdom, and compassion, hearing a variety of cases and delivering sound decisions in the interest of equal justice for all; and

WHEREAS, in February of 1981, Judge Stephenson was elected by the General Assembly to the Virginia Supreme Court, becoming the first individual from the Alleghany Highlands to ascend to the state’s highest court; and

WHEREAS, Justice Stephenson served the Commonwealth as a Justice on the Virginia Supreme Court for the next 16 years, making vital contributions to the state’s judicial system while rendering decisions on a wide array of subject matter; and

WHEREAS, Justice Stephenson retired from active service in 1997, but continued as a Senior Justice until the summer of 2010; and

WHEREAS, Justice Stephenson made numerous contributions to his profession through his service as a member of the Virginia State Bar Council, vice president of the Virginia Bar Association, and fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers; and

WHEREAS, Justice Stephenson embodied the ideals of intelligence, character, and public service as he brilliantly served the residents of the Commonwealth throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his daughter Martha, Justice Stephenson will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Jane; surviving children, Roscoe and Thomas, and their families; other relatives and friends; and the citizens of the Commonwealth; 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 an esteemed jurist, the Honorable Roscoe Bolar Stephenson, Jr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Roscoe Bolar Stephenson, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s profound respect for his memory.