2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26105782D

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 184

Offered February 26, 2026

Celebrating the life of Alan Merrill Schuman.

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Patrons—Sullivan, Shin and Simon; Senator: Boysko

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WHEREAS, Alan Merrill Schuman, a distinguished social worker, beloved husband and father, and active and engaged member of the Fairfax County community, died on July 27, 2025; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Farragut High School in Chicago, Alan Schuman earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Illinois and a master's degree in psychiatric social work at Loyola University in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Alan Schuman settled in the Washington, D.C., area in 1962 and embarked upon his career in social work as a juvenile probation officer with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; and

WHEREAS, through hard work and dedication, Alan Schuman received a number of promotions, including two roles as the special assistant to the director of the Department of Corrections of the District of Columbia and as the superintendent of the youth center at the former Lorton Reformatory; and

WHEREAS, as a testament to his leadership, Alan Schuman was named the first director of the new Social Services Division established within the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, where he would remain for the next 22 years; and

WHEREAS, following his retirement from the Government of the District of Columbia, Alan Schuman found success in a second career as a consultant in the field of corrections management, assisting 22 different states with organizational development over a period of 10 years; and

WHEREAS, upon retiring from his work as a consultant, Alan Schuman continued to make an immeasurable impact on the lives of young people by volunteering with the Fairfax County Court Appointed Special Advocates, which he led as chair, and the Great Falls Youth Basketball League; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his efforts in service to the community, Alan Schuman was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the organization Volunteer Fairfax in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Alan Schuman was an avid traveler who made it to 39 countries in his lifetime, including Cambodia, where he gave generously of his time as a teacher's aide assisting children living at the Steung Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh; and

WHEREAS, Alan Schuman will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife of 51 years, Joyce; his children, Grant, Lisa, Laurel, Chip, and Alyson, and their families; and numerous 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 Alan Merrill Schuman, a revered member of the Fairfax County community whose legacy of service is an inspiration to all who knew him; 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 Alan Merrill Schuman as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.