HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 409 Offered February 28, 2006 Celebrating the life of Charles A. Womack, Sr. ---------- Patrons-- Marshall, D.W. and Hurt; Senator: Hawkins ----------

WHEREAS, Charles A. Womack, Sr., of Danville, respected citizen, community leader, and philanthropist, died on June 1, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Charles Womack was born on July 18, 1917, in Martinsville, graduated from Virginia Tech, and moved to Danville in 1938; and

WHEREAS, in 1941 Charles Womack married his beloved wife, the late Estelle Harris, and the couple raised five children; and

WHEREAS, a savvy businessman with a strong work ethic, Charles Womack founded Womack Electric Supply, which evolved into a chain of stores in Virginia and North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, committed to improving the quality of life for all residents of Danville, Charles Womack served from 1958 to 1966 on the Danville City Council and was a supporter of the civil rights movement and dedicated to promoting racial harmony in the area during the early sixties; and

WHEREAS, with a desire to  establish himself in the newspaper business, Charles Womack purchased the Commercial Appeal in Danville and started the Womack Publishing Company in 1960 and later bought The Caswell Messenger in Yanceyville, North Carolina, in 1966 and the Star-Tribune in Chatham in 1969; and

WHEREAS, Charles Womack established the Womack Foundation in 1959 to promote education and recreation for local children, and  he supported numerous projects including parks and community centers, swimming lessons and summer camps for children in need, and scholarships for deserving students; and

WHEREAS, never seeking recognition for his gift-giving, Charles Womack quietly  wanted to give back to the community in any way he could; and the only project that bears the family name is the Estelle H. Womack Museum of Natural History named for his wife who died in 1994; and

WHEREAS, Charles Womack was a devoted member of Mount Vernon United Methodist Church and an active member of the Landis Sunday school class; and

WHEREAS, Charles Womack will be fondly remembered as a man of his word and for his dignified manner and will be missed by his loving family, including his 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, his numerous friends and admirers, and the citizens of the City of Danville; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of a generous community benefactor and fine Virginia gentleman, Charles A. Womack, Sr.; 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 A. Womack, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.