SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2 Celebrating the life of Harry Lee Boaz.   Agreed to by the Senate, January 17, 2008 Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 25, 2008  

WHEREAS, Harry Lee Boaz, former councilman and mayor of the City of Martinsville, died on April 28, 2007; and

WHEREAS, an admired businessman and longtime resident of Chatham Heights, Harry Boaz worked for 12 years as a manager for Claude S. Turner at the old Martinsville Creamery, beginning in 1935; and

WHEREAS, in 1947, Harry Boaz started Boaz Dairy Products and began making his own ice cream, until he joined Sealtest to operate its Martinsville distributorship in 1952; and

WHEREAS, encouraged by friends and neighbors, Harry Boaz decided to run for city council in 1960 and won a seat representing his beloved Chatham Heights community; and

WHEREAS, a steadfast public servant, Harry Boaz was a member of the Martinsville City Council for 16 years, serving one term as vice mayor and one term as mayor from 1974 to 1976; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated councilman with a remarkable 98 percent attendance record, Harry Boaz was well-known for his knowledge and candor regarding public issues and was admired for his commitment to establishing sound fiscal policies to benefit all of the residents of Martinsville; and

WHEREAS, among his many achievements, Harry Boaz was instrumental in providing tax relief for elderly citizens and establishing Piedmont Seniors of Virginia, a regional agency to aid senior citizens; and

WHEREAS, Harry Boaz advocated a transit study to explore ways to improve area transportation, the creation of the City Beautiful Committee to enhance the city landscape, and settlement of an electric utility dispute to improve power services for residents; and

WHEREAS, with great success, Harry Boaz encouraged the city to utilize federal housing programs to provide homes for citizens in need; and

WHEREAS, due to his leadership and sense of fairness, Harry Boaz ensured implementation of a personnel manual, as well as a grievance procedure for city employees; and

WHEREAS, active in the church’s many missions in the community, Harry Boaz was a faithful member of Chatham Heights Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, and was a charter member of Starling Avenue Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Harry Boaz will be fondly remembered for his kind and generous nature and greatly missed by his loving family, his numerous friends and admirers, and the citizens of the City of Martinsville; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of a fine civic leader and outstanding Virginian, Harry Lee Boaz; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Harry Lee Boaz as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled November 21, 2007 Celebrating the life of Harry Lee Boaz. ---------- Patron-- Reynolds ----------

WHEREAS, Harry Lee Boaz, former councilman and mayor of the City of Martinsville, died on April 28, 2007; and

WHEREAS, an admired businessman and longtime resident of Chatham Heights, Harry Boaz worked for 12 years as a manager for Claude S. Turner at the old Martinsville Creamery, beginning in 1935; and

WHEREAS, in 1947, Harry Boaz started Boaz Dairy Products and began making his own ice cream, until he joined Sealtest to operate its Martinsville distributorship in 1952; and

WHEREAS, encouraged by friends and neighbors, Harry Boaz decided to run for city council in 1960 and won a seat representing his beloved Chatham Heights community; and

WHEREAS, a steadfast public servant, Harry Boaz was a member of the Martinsville City Council for 16 years, serving one term as vice mayor and one term as mayor from 1974 to 1976; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated councilman with a remarkable 98 percent attendance record, Harry Boaz was well-known for his knowledge and candor regarding public issues and was admired for his commitment to establishing sound fiscal policies to benefit all of the residents of Martinsville; and

WHEREAS, among his many achievements, Harry Boaz was instrumental in providing tax relief for elderly citizens and establishing Piedmont Seniors of Virginia, a regional agency to aid senior citizens; and

WHEREAS, Harry Boaz advocated a transit study to explore ways to improve area transportation, the creation of the City Beautiful Committee to enhance the city landscape, and settlement of an electric utility dispute to improve power services for residents; and

WHEREAS, with great success, Harry Boaz encouraged the city to utilize federal housing programs to provide homes for citizens in need; and

WHEREAS, due to his leadership and sense of fairness, Harry Boaz insured implementation of a personnel manual, as well as a grievance procedure for city employees; and

WHEREAS, active in the church's many missions in the community, Harry Boaz was a faithful member of Chatham Heights Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, and was a charter member of Starling Avenue Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Harry Boaz will be fondly remembered for his kind and generous nature and greatly missed by his loving family, his numerous friends and admirers, and the citizens of the City of Martinsville; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of a fine civic leader and outstanding Virginian, Harry Lee Boaz; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Harry Lee Boaz as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.