WHEREAS, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., a native of Chesterfield County, was born in Matoaca in 1921 and died peacefully on January 17, 2011; and

WHEREAS, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., served his country valiantly as Staff Sergeant of the 22nd Tank Battalion in the 3rd Army, 11th Armored Division during World War II under General George S. Patton, which included serving in the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded three Bronze Battle Stars; and

WHEREAS, returning home from the war, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., continued his education through correspondence courses and earned his high school diploma, and later studied real estate law at the University of Richmond; and

WHEREAS, at the age of 29, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., built a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership in Powhatan, becoming the youngest general manager of a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership; and

WHEREAS, mentored by his father in the home building trade, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., built his first rental house in Matoaca in 1949, spent 50 years building, acquiring, and managing real estate, constructed "Ivanwood," his beloved home on River Road in Matoaca "with his own hands," and passed on to his sons "a blueprint for life"; and

WHEREAS, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., was a leader and active participant in the life of his community and gave of his time, treasure, and talent to numerous civic organizations, serving as a past Worshipful Master of Lodge 295, past District Deputy Grand Master of the 16th District of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, past president of the Petersburg Shrine Club, past president of Sons of the American Revolution, the American Legion, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the South Chesterfield Ruritan Club, and as a member of the Stewart Mosby Historical Society, the Friends of Chesterfield County Library, and the Chesterfield County Board of Zoning Appeals for 27 years; and

WHEREAS, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., an avid historian, was a conscientious and thorough researcher of history, particularly American conflicts, and sought diligently to understand the complexities of the American Civil War; and

WHEREAS, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr.'s, faith was an important part of his life; he was a charter member and trustee of the Matoaca Christian Fellowship, and served for nearly 60 years as a Baptist deacon at May Memorial Baptist Church in Powhatan, Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Richmond, and Matoaca Baptist Church in Matoaca; he found immense peace and joy in Christian worship, service, and fellowship; and

WHEREAS, lovingly referred to as Baxter by his friends and neighbors, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., approached each endeavor throughout his life with passion, diligence, and a commitment to endure to its completion; and

WHEREAS, William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., a devoted father and grandfather, churchman, historian, entrepreneur, and friend, will be greatly missed by family, friends, and colleagues who will cherish his memory; 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 William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., native son; 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 William Baxter Perkinson, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory, his life, and his contributions to the Commonwealth.