2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 83

Celebrating the life of Charles Frederick Downs.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 2, 2026

Agreed to by the Senate, February 5, 2026

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.