HR735: Commending Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett.


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 735
Commending Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, August 3, 2021

 

WHEREAS, Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett of Arlington County, a beloved mother and grandmother and highly admired community leader, celebrated her 104th birthday in 2021; and

WHEREAS, born on February 7, 1917, Mary Lockett grew up in Falls Church and attended Bailey’s Crossroads Elementary School and Francis Junior High School in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, after marrying her late husband, Edward, Mary Lockett relocated to the Nauck (now Green Valley) neighborhood in Arlington County in 1939; over the course of her professional career, she was a domestic worker for many years, worked part-time at Arlington Hall, briefly worked at the Pentagon during the 1940s, and assembled circuit boards for the government contractor Melpar; and

WHEREAS, in 1954, Mary and Edward Lockett decided to build their own home and worked with family members, friends, and local brick layers and builders to proudly shepherd the project to completion the following year; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lockett is the oldest member of the American Legion Auxiliary Dorie Miller Unit 194 of Arlington; she was previously a member of the Nauck Civic Association and was active with a local senior association and a sewing club; and

WHEREAS, a woman of deep and abiding faith, Mary Lockett has been a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church for more than 80 years, having joined the congregation in the 1940s when her late brother, Milton, was the pastor; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lockett volunteered her time and leadership to the congregation as an usher for more than 50 years, president of the Friendship Club for 13 years, and a member of several other clubs and ministries; in 2017, she was elected as Senior of the Year and named as a deacon emeritus, and on her birthday in 2021, she was honored by the church for her longevity in the community and decades of service; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lockett was a firsthand witness to many significant historical events, including the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Great Depression, World War II, the moon landing, the Civil Rights Movement, and the dawn of the Internet era; she experienced both the 1918 influenza pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the proud matriarch of a large family, Mary Lockett imparted her wisdom, grace, integrity, and strong character to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and she has mentored and inspired countless people throughout Northern Virginia in her role as a trusted community leader; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett hereby be commended on the occasion of her 104th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for her contributions to the community and best wishes.


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 735
Offered August 2, 2021
Commending Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett.
Patron-- Lopez

WHEREAS, Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett of Arlington County, a beloved mother and grandmother and highly admired community leader, celebrated her 104th birthday in 2021; and

WHEREAS, born on February 7, 1917, Mary Lockett grew up in Falls Church and attended Bailey’s Crossroads Elementary School and Francis Junior High School in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, after marrying her late husband, Edward, Mary Lockett relocated to the Nauck (now Green Valley) neighborhood in Arlington County in 1939; over the course of her professional career, she was a domestic worker for many years, worked part-time at Arlington Hall, briefly worked at the Pentagon during the 1940s, and assembled circuit boards for the government contractor Melpar; and

WHEREAS, in 1954, Mary and Edward Lockett decided to build their own home and worked with family members, friends, and local brick layers and builders to proudly shepherd the project to completion the following year; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lockett is the oldest member of the American Legion Auxiliary Dorie Miller Unit 194 of Arlington; she was previously a member of the Nauck Civic Association and was active with a local senior association and a sewing club; and

WHEREAS, a woman of deep and abiding faith, Mary Lockett has been a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church for more than 80 years, having joined the congregation in the 1940s when her late brother, Milton, was the pastor; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lockett volunteered her time and leadership to the congregation as an usher for more than 50 years, president of the Friendship Club for 13 years, and a member of several other clubs and ministries; in 2017, she was elected as Senior of the Year and named as a deacon emeritus, and on her birthday in 2021, she was honored by the church for her longevity in the community and decades of service; and

WHEREAS, Mary Lockett was a firsthand witness to many significant historical events, including the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Great Depression, World War II, the moon landing, the Civil Rights Movement, and the dawn of the Internet era; she experienced both the 1918 influenza pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the proud matriarch of a large family, Mary Lockett imparted her wisdom, grace, integrity, and strong character to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and she has mentored and inspired countless people throughout Northern Virginia in her role as a trusted community leader; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett hereby be commended on the occasion of her 104th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mary Virginia Sheppard Lockett as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for her contributions to the community and best wishes.