2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26102330D

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 83

Offered January 23, 2026

Celebrating the life of Charles Frederick Downs.

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Patron—McLaughlin

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WHEREAS, Charles Frederick Downs, a rehabilitation counselor who touched countless lives through his professional accomplishments and commitment to service, died on June 17, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Charles Downs grew up in Long Island, New York, and graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa, a national collegiate leadership organization; and

WHEREAS, Charles Downs continued his education at what is now Virginia Commonwealth University, ultimately receiving a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling; and

WHEREAS, over the course of his career, Charles Downs adjudicated Social Security disability claims in Richmond and was employed as a certified vocational rehabilitation counselor at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation in Georgia and the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, where he also handled special administrative projects; and

WHEREAS, Charles Downs advocated for the creation of the Waynesboro Disability Services Board in the mid-1980s and went on to serve as chair of the organization for many years; he was also appointed as the Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for Waynesboro in 1992 and served in that capacity until his well-earned retirement in 2009; and

WHEREAS, Charles Downs enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community as a member of First Baptist Church of Waynesboro, where he held various leadership roles and took a special interest in outreach work; he participated in mission trips throughout the region, and he was an accomplished world traveler who visited five continents; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his brother, Warren, and first wife, Mary Leona, Charles Downs will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of nearly 30 years, Mary Alice; his stepsons, Ross, Chris, and Scott, and their families; his sisters, Claire and Roberta; his siblings' children and their families; and many other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Charles Frederick Downs; 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 Charles Frederick Downs as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.