SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2023 SESSION


SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 175
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Walter S. Felton, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, February 24, 2023

 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Walter S. Felton, Jr., a former chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia, died on April 29, 2022; and

WHEREAS, a native of Suffolk, Walter Felton earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond, where he was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps; he pursued a law degree from the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law, then was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Walter Felton served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and primarily represented soldiers who had been wounded during the Vietnam War, helping them to obtain benefits and transition back to civilian life; and

WHEREAS, after his military service, Walter Felton returned to Suffolk to practice law, then in 1982 joined the faculty of The College of William and Mary, where he mentored and inspired students for decades as a professor and adjunct professor; and

WHEREAS, Walter Felton was granted leaves of absence from The College of William and Mary to serve as Deputy Attorney General, senior counsel to the Attorney General, and counsel to Governor Jim Gilmore; and

WHEREAS, in 2002, Walter Felton was appointed as judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia and served the Commonwealth with great integrity, dedication, and distinction; he went on to serve as chief judge from 2006 to 2014, when he retired from the bench; and

WHEREAS, after his retirement, Walter Felton joined the McCammon Group and worked as a mediator, arbitrator, judge pro tempore, and special master throughout the Commonwealth and beyond; and

WHEREAS, among many awards and accolades, Walter Felton received The William and Mary Law School’s John Marshall Award and the Judicial Council of Virginia’s Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award; and

WHEREAS, Walter Felton will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 28 years, Kay; his sons, Shep and Joe, and their families; his stepdaughters, Kristin and Cassie, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable Walter S. Felton, Jr., a distinguished former chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia; 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 Walter S. Felton, Jr., as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s respect for his memory.