HR17: Commending Quintus Jerrell Sober.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 17
Offered February 26, 2008
Commending Quintus Jerrell Sober.
Patron-- Ingram

WHEREAS, Quintus Jerrell Sober is recognized for his many years of outstanding service to the citizens of the Hopewell community and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Jerrell Sober served as an outstanding teacher at Hopewell High School for over 25 years and dedicated his life to helping his students become productive members of society; and

WHEREAS, Jerrell Sober was born in Caroline County on April 1, 1926, and moved with his family to Prince George County, where he grew up; and

WHEREAS, surprisingly, Jerrell Sober, the future exemplary high school teacher, found he could not succeed at Hopewell High School, and at 16 years old dropped out to work at a drugstore in Petersburg; he even tried attending a small Quaker high school in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, after struggling in school, Jerrell Sober decided to enlist in the military at the age of 17, compelled to serve his country in World War II, and he finally found his niche as a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy; and

WHEREAS, mentored by an admiral who took him under his wing, Jerrell Sober, even though he had not completed high school, was given the opportunity to attend the Psychiatric Attendant School at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, where he studied hard and finished in the top of his class; and

WHEREAS, after his military service, Jerrell Sober went on to work for Allied Chemical Company, complete high school, and graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in secondary education; and

WHEREAS, Jerrell Sober’s first teaching assignment was at the school he once quit, teaching English, speech, and history; and after several years of teaching in neighboring school systems, he returned to Hopewell High School, where he would teach the remainder of his career and find his true calling in life as an outstanding mentor and educator; and

WHEREAS, committed to helping young people realize the importance of a quality education, Jerrell Sober served as a role model and inspiration to his students, personally helping to pay for the college tuition of many of his pupils; and

WHEREAS, Jerrell Sober continually inspired young people to get involved in their community, rallying student volunteers to refurbish an old downtown building to be used as a community center, as well as clean debris and trash from alleys and streets early before morning traffic began; and

WHEREAS, his great love of reading spurred Jerrell Sober to establish the “Great Books” reading group to motivate students to broaden their horizons, and on weekends to enhance their knowledge, he often took his students to visit Virginia historic sites; and

WHEREAS, over the years, Jerrell Sober, the one-time high school dropout, received numerous distinguished awards for his commitment to his students and many contributions as an educator, including the Virginia Teacher of the Year award and one of six National Teacher of the Year honorees in 1980; he received kudos as “Favorite Teacher of Hopewell High School” on 10 occasions and was honored as Teacher of the Year by his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Jerrell Sober has given his time and many talents in support of his community in a myriad of ways, including as a member of the City Point Players, Hopewell City Council, Hopewell Rotary Club, Hopewell Historic Foundation, and Tri-City Literacy Council; and

WHEREAS, Jerrell Sober has been a faithful member of the Saint John’s Episcopal Church, where he has served as senior warden and has been a tenor soloist at churches throughout the community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Quintus Jerrell Sober hereby be commended for his many years of outstanding service to his students and his fellow citizens of Hopewell; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Quintus Jerrell Sober as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration of his commitment to his community and the Commonwealth.