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2020 SESSION

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20109159D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 235 Offered March 2, 2020 Celebrating the life of Cecil Filmore Gilkerson. ---------- Patrons-- Obenshain; Delegate: Wilt ----------

WHEREAS, Cecil Filmore Gilkerson, an honorable veteran, community leader, and longtime director of the Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department, died on January 8, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Cecil Gilkerson was raised in Mount Crawford and, after serving his country admirably in the United States Navy during World War II, graduated from Catawba College in 1949; and

WHEREAS, after a brief stint coaching various high school sports teams, Cecil Gilkerson was hired as the first full-time director of the Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department in 1954, tirelessly serving the city and its residents until his retirement in 1990; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure as director, Cecil Gilkerson expanded the Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department substantially, providing greater athletic opportunities for youth and adults in the community; and

WHEREAS, Cecil Gilkerson’s efforts as a parks and recreation advocate extended beyond Harrisonburg; he was president of the Virginia Recreation and Park Society in the 1960s and contributed to the founding of the Upper Valley Regional Park Authority; and

WHEREAS, Cecil Gilkerson also pursued entrepreneurial opportunities to enhance athletics in Harrisonburg, owning and operating Valley Sports Center and Valley Tennis Court Surfacing Company for many years; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his dedication to the Harrisonburg community both through its Parks and Recreation Department and various civic endeavors, the city named the Cecil F. Gilkerson Community Activities Center in his honor in 1990; and

WHEREAS, preceded in death by his loving wife, Gay, Cecil Gilkerson will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his daughters, Pam, Lynn, Julie, and Sharon, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; 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 Cecil Filmore Gilkerson, who touched countless lives in Harrisonburg as a humble servant dedicated to the community’s parks and recreational activities; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Cecil Filmore Gilkerson as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.