Bill Text: VA HJR837 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
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-Introduced.html
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13104080D 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. |
