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2023 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 353
Commending Ray Beasley.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, February 21, 2023
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 22, 2023

 

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley, a longtime high school and college sports official and a highly admired member of his community, celebrates his 100th birthday in 2023; and

WHEREAS, born on April 22, 1923, Ray Beasley grew up in South Richmond and witnessed many historic events throughout his life, from the Great Depression and World War II to the moon landing and the rise of the Internet era; and

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley graduated from John Marshall High School, where he was a running back on the 1940 football team that finished the season undefeated, allowed no points, and won the state championship; and

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley married his high school sweetheart, the former Alice Lipscomb, and they enjoyed 77 years of marriage until her passing in 2018; the couple raised a daughter, Janet, and a son, Douglas, who died in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley turned down scholarship offers from several colleges; he worked at DuPont until 1942, when he accepted a football scholarship from what is now Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech); and

WHEREAS, during World War II, Ray Beasley joined many of the other young men of his generation in service to the nation when he was drafted into the United States Army Air Corps; he ultimately served as a photographer with the 87th Infantry Division and was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal; and

WHEREAS, in 1945, Ray Beasley returned to Blacksburg to resume his studies and rejoined the football team; he was part of the first college football team from Virginia to participate in a New Year’s Day bowl game, the 1947 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas; and

WHEREAS, while at Virginia Tech, Ray and Alice Beasley established a food cooperative to help support other veteran couples at the institution by increasing access to nutritious food; and

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1949, then began a long career with Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company; he retired as a district manager in charge of directory operations after nearly 40 years of service; and

WHEREAS, beginning in 1950, Ray Beasley also mentored and supported young people as a high school and college sports official for 38 years; he officiated eight high school championship games as a member of the Central Virginia Football Officials Association and was a referee in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Southern Conference; and

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley led numerous officiating crews and earned the admiration of colleagues, coaches, and players for his professionalism and extensive knowledge of the rules; and

WHEREAS, Ray Beasley earned the Silver Whistle Award as the top collegiate official in the Southern Conference in 1973 and 1981, and in 2022, he received the Gold Flag Award from the Touchdown Club of Richmond for his integrity, sportsmanship, and commitment to excellence in officiating; and

WHEREAS, since his well-earned retirement, Ray Beasley has stayed active in community life and enjoys playing golf and spending time with his daughter, Janet, his three grandchildren, and his five great-grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Ray Beasley on the occasion of his 100th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Ray Beasley as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his personal and professional achievements.