Bill Text: VA HJR240 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Joseph S. Wholey, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-06 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ240ER) [HJR240 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR240-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Joseph S. Wholey, Jr., a hardworking public administration professional and dedicated civil servant who made countless contributions to his fellow Arlington residents, died on August 24, 2023; and
WHEREAS, Joseph "Joe" S. Wholey, Jr., grew up in Rhode Island, then attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and met his future wife, Midge; and
WHEREAS, Joe Wholey continued his education by earning a master's degree in mathematics and a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard University; he settled in Arlington and began his career working for the Institute for Defense Analyses, at the Pentagon, and at the Urban Institute; and
WHEREAS, Joe Wholey worked diligently to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal government programs and took a special interest in public administration; he became a respected member of both the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Society of Public Administration, which named two scholarship awards in his honor; and
WHEREAS, in the 1970s, Joe Wholey was elected to the Arlington County Board and served the community for eight years, including three years as chair; as chair of Arlington's Long Range County Improvement Program, he strove to make the county a place for families to grow and thrive as well as a linchpin of the regional economy; and
WHEREAS, Joe Wholey subsequently joined the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority as chair in 1979 and helped provide critical leadership and stability during a period of financial uncertainty; and
WHEREAS, in later life, Joe Wholey enjoyed mentoring students as a professor at the University of Southern California and continued to offer his wise expertise as a consultant; he enjoyed brief stints at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Management and Budget, and the General Accounting Office; and
WHEREAS, outside of his career, Joe Wholey was committed to enhancing the quality of life in Northern Virginia; he promoted the benefits of hospice care as president of what is now Capital Caring, which he helped establish by working closely with Josefina Magno and securing funding as a Medicare pilot program; and
WHEREAS, Joe Wholey also served as director of the Arlington Community Foundation and cofounded the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing and the Alliance for Housing Solutions; and
WHEREAS, Joe and Midge Wholey enjoyed fellowship and worship with the Arlington community as members of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, where they were involved with several ministries and outreach organizations; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Midge, and one daughter, Kate, Joe Wholey will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Megan, Jane, Skef, and Sarah, and their families, and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Joseph S. Wholey, Jr., a pillar of the Arlington community; 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 Joseph S. Wholey, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.
