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1996 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 335
On the death of Arthur J. "Junie" Lancaster, Jr.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 1996
Agreed to by the Senate, February 29, 1996

WHEREAS, Arthur J. "Junie" Lancaster, a Portsmouth nurseryman and a legendary philanthropist in both Portsmouth and Suffolk, died on February 15, 1996; and

WHEREAS, a native of Portsmouth, Junie Lancaster went to work at Coleman Nursery in 1951, owned the firm from 1965 to 1980 and founded Bennett's Creek Wholesale Nursery in Suffolk in the mid-1960s; and

WHEREAS, a generous benefactor to both Portsmouth and Suffolk, Junie Lancaster is best remembered for the annual Winter Wonderland at Coleman Nursery, a holiday tradition in Hampton Roads that delights thousands of children each year; and

WHEREAS, when a fire destroyed Coleman Nursery in 1982, Junie Lancaster, though no longer the owner, was at the forefront of the effort to rebuild the nursery and its Winter Wonderland; and

WHEREAS, after moving to Suffolk and touched by a tragic traffic accident, Junie Lancaster was the driving force behind the establishment of the Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad; and

WHEREAS, Junie Lancaster and his wife of 53 years, Millie, donated their million-dollar toy and train collection to the Children's Museum of Virginia in downtown Portsmouth; and

WHEREAS, Junie Lancaster served on the boards of directors of the Maryview Medical Center, Citizens Trust Bank, and Commerce Bank, and was an active member of Kiwanis, Ruritan, Bennett's Creek Rescue Squad, the Portsmouth YMCA and numerous other civic groups; and

WHEREAS, Junie Lancaster's tireless efforts and extraordinary generosity won him many plaudits, including the 1991 First Citizen of Portsmouth Award, the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame for Outstanding Leadership in Business Award, the Sister Rita Thomas Award, and the Kiwanis' George F. Hixson Award and Youth Service Award; and

WHEREAS, for all of his civic contributions and decades of philanthropy, Junie Lancaster will be most fondly remembered by the countless children of Hampton Roads who were delighted by his holiday displays and toy and train collections and to whom he devoted so much of his life; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the passing of one of the most remarkable citizens of Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth, Arthur J. "Junie" Lancaster; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Arthur J. "Junie" Lancaster as an expression of the General Assembly's abiding respect for his lifetime of service to his fellow citizens.