2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25100003D

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 265

Offered January 8, 2025

Prefiled January 8, 2025

Celebrating the life of John Andrew Brown.

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Patron—Stuart; Delegate: Kent

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WHEREAS, John Andrew Brown, a teacher, school administrator, and community leader who touched countless lives through his passion for education and lifelong learning, died on March 26, 2024; and

WHEREAS, John Brown learned the values of hard work, responsibility, family, faith, and community while growing up on a tobacco farm near Pelham, North Carolina; he attended Booker T. Washington High School in nearby Reidsville, then continued his education by earning bachelor's and master's degrees from North Carolina Central University; and

WHEREAS, John Brown served his country as a member of a tank squadron in the United States Army for three years, then began his career as a teacher at Richmond County High School in Warsaw in 1961; he taught at schools in Fluvanna County and Westmoreland County before becoming the principal of Montross Middle School for 18 years; and

WHEREAS, John Brown also served as director of the Northern Neck Head Start Program and as a board member and adjunct instructor at Rappahannock Community College; in addition, he served under three governors on the Virginia Parole Board, during which time he provided insights to the youth offenders educational program and conducted seminars on Virginia's parole guidelines in other states; and

WHEREAS, after his retirement as an educator, John Brown remained an active and engaged community leader, serving as grand marshal of the Warsaw Main Street Parade and becoming a historical tour guide in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, John Brown continued to support young people as a member of the Richmond County School Board for 12 years, including terms as vice chair and chair; he oversaw numerous renovation, construction, and expansion programs and strove to enhance the quality of learning for all students in Richmond County Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, John Brown was guided by his enduring faith throughout his life, and he enjoyed fellowship and worship with the congregation of Clarksville Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, John Brown will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his loving wife of 61 years, Sarah; his children, Regina, Mark, and Lori, and their families; his adopted daughter, Meta Sampson, and her family; 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 John Andrew Brown; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Andrew Brown as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.