GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2019

RATIFIED BILL

RESOLUTION 2019-3

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 216

A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of walter B. jones, jr., former member of the general assembly.

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., was born on February 10, 1943, in Farmville, North Carolina, to Walter B. Jones, Sr., and Doris Long Jones; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., graduated from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia in 1961, and earned a bachelor's degree from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina in 1966; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., served in the National Guard from 1967 to 1971 and, after which time, began a career in business; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., was an outstanding public servant throughout his life, having rendered distinguished service as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1983 to 1992, serving as chair of the Human Resources Committee and as a member of the Appropriations, Ethics, and Local Government Committees; and

Whereas, in 1995, Walter B. Jones, Jr., was elected to the United States House of Representatives, following in the footsteps of his father, who served in Congress until his death in 1992; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., represented the citizens of the Third District with honor and distinction for 12 consecutive terms until 2019 and, during that time, actively supported the military as a member of the Armed Services Committee; and

Whereas, Congressman Jones was a passionate defender of the wild horses of North Carolina's Outer Banks. His legislation, the Shackleford Banks Wild Horse Protection Act, was passed into law in 1998 and stands as a national model for bringing the public and private sectors together to save America's wildlife; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., served his community and State in many capacities, including as Director of the Pitt County Mental Health Association and as a member of the North Carolina Library Committee, Consumer and Advocacy Advisory Committee for the Blind, North Carolina Council for Hearing Impaired, Governor's Advocacy Council on Youth and Children, and the Foundation Board of the Eastern North Carolina Vocational Center; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., was a devout member of the Catholic faith; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., was well‑known for his integrity and was respected, admired, and loved by those who knew him and had the privilege to work with him; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., died on February 10, 2019, at the age of 76; and

Whereas, Walter B. Jones, Jr., was a beloved husband to his wife of 53 years, JoeAnne Whitehurst Jones, and a devoted father to his daughter, Ashley Elizabeth; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Walter B. Jones, Jr., and expresses its appreciation and admiration for his life of service to the people of Eastern North Carolina, the State of North Carolina, and the United States.

SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to the family of Walter B. Jones, Jr., for the loss of a beloved family member.

SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Walter B. Jones, Jr.

SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 13^th day of March, 2019.

                                                                    s/  Ralph E. Hise

                                                                         Presiding Officer of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives