Bill Text: VA HJR837 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Virginia House Joint Resolution 837 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Celebrating the life of John Tyrone Hairston.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-02-14 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ837ER) [HJR837 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2013-HJR837-Enrolled.html

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 837 Celebrating the life of John Tyrone Hairston.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 8, 2013 Agreed to by the Senate, February 14, 2013

WHEREAS, John Tyrone Hairston, a passionate activist, selfless volunteer, and respected member of the Montgomery County community, died on February 15, 2012; and

WHEREAS, the youngest of 10 children, John Hairston was born to Samuel and Janie Hairston in Tazewell County in 1920; and

WHEREAS, with no schools for African American children in the area, John Hairston walked two miles every morning to catch a bus that would take him to Excelsior Negro High School in West Virginia; and

WHEREAS, after attending a World's Fair in California in 1939, John Hairston returned to the Commonwealth brimming with stories for his high school friend, Nannie Berger; and

WHEREAS, John Hairston and Nannie Berger married in 1941 and moved to their current Christiansburg home in 1953; the pair loved and supported one another unfailingly and never hesitated to show that same care to the community; and

WHEREAS, John Hairston served his country with distinction as a corporal in the United States Army during World War II, receiving a Purple Heart and a Silver Star; and

WHEREAS, John and Nannie Hairston served together on the Virginia Council on Human Relations, working to ensure peaceful and successful racial integration in Montgomery County; and

WHEREAS, a life member of the Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), John Hairston served as the president from 1983 to 1989; and

WHEREAS, as a member of the NAACP branch executive committee, John Hairston was an exceptional leader of the local branch and an outstanding liaison to the state NAACP office; and

WHEREAS, for over 40 years, John Hairston was a beacon of hope, working successfully to advocate for the protection and preservation of the civil rights of many in the community; and

WHEREAS, a nationally recognized volunteer, John Hairston supported his fellow Montgomery County residents by helping build the Christiansburg Community Center and houses for low-income families; and

WHEREAS, John Hairston received many accolades in his life, including one named in his wife's honor, the NAACP Nannie B. Hairston Community Service Award; and

WHEREAS, enjoying faith and fellowship with the community, John Hairston was a loyal member of Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church in Christiansburg; and

WHEREAS, displaying wisdom, supportiveness, and a drive to always do what was right, John Hairston encouraged others to work toward achieving social justice; his legacy lives on in the open hearts and minds of the countless people he touched throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, John Hairston is survived and deeply missed by his wife of 70 years, Nannie; daughters, Catherine, Edwina, Dy-Anne, and Colette, 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 a devoted activist, a tireless volunteer, and a pillar in the Montgomery community, John Tyrone Hairston; 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 John Tyrone Hairston as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.