2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 82

Celebrating the life of Rose Gartrell Vann.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 5, 2026

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 9, 2026

WHEREAS, Rose Gartrell Vann, an active community leader in Hampton and an educator who inspired and uplifted countless youths over the course of her career, died on November 26, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Rose Vann grew up in Savannah, Georgia, and excelled in academics from a young age; she continued her education at what is now Savannah State University, where she was selected as Ms. Savannah State in 1951; and

WHEREAS, Rose Vann met her future husband, Claude, while he was stationed at a nearby United States air force base; after their marriage, she supported his distinguished military career and raised their growing family as they traveled to postings in England, Morocco, Southeast Asia, and across the United States; and

WHEREAS, beginning in 1955, Rose and Claude Vann cultivated a shared vision for real estate investment, and the couple developed a portfolio of rental homes and other properties in multiple states; and

WHEREAS, for many years, Rose Vann also worked as a teacher, serving students at the elementary school, junior high school, or high school levels in Georgia, Maine, California, Massachusetts, and Virginia; and

WHEREAS, over the course of her career, Rose Vann earned a reputation as a devoted educator, who instilled a strong sense of discipline and respect in her students, while helping them to achieve their fullest potential in and out of the classroom; and

WHEREAS, after her well-earned retirement as a teacher, Rose Vann dedicated her life to community service in the Hampton area as a leader in the Newport News-Hampton Chapter of the Continental Societies, Inc., a life member of the Hampton Branch of the NAACP, and a Silver Star member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by her husband, Claude Vann, Jr., Rose Vann will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, Avis, Claude III, and Doris, and their families; 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 Rose Gartrell Vann, a former educator and a highly admired resident of Hampton; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Rose Gartrell Vann as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.