Bill Text: VA HR381 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Sumpter Turner Priddy, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-10 - Bill text as passed House (HR381ER) [HR381 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-HR381-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Sumpter Turner Priddy, Jr., of Ashland, the longtime head of the Virginia Retail Merchants Association, died on January 12, 2017; and
WHEREAS, a native of Ashland, Sumpter Priddy was the only child of the late Sumpter and Cornelia Priddy, and he delivered newspapers and showed horses in his youth; and
WHEREAS, Sumpter Priddy served in the United States Army with the 133rd combat engineers, and he attended Randolph-Macon College and Hampden-Sydney College; and
WHEREAS, Sumpter Priddy began his career working in the men's department at Thalhimers department store, and after a brief period working for the National Automobile Dealers Association in Washington, D.C., he returned home to Virginia; and
WHEREAS, from 1957 to 1991, Sumpter Priddy served as managing director and then president of the Virginia Retail Merchants Association (VRMA), during which time he effectively advocated for the interests of retailers and other businesses; and
WHEREAS, the VRMA expanded exponentially under Sumpter Priddy's stewardship, and he is credited with helping to pass legislation that created a more inviting and business-friendly environment for retailers in the Commonwealth in the 1970s and 1980s; and
WHEREAS, a fixture at the General Assembly for 45 years, Sumpter Priddy also represented the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Retail Jewelers Association, and the Southern Home Furnishings Association; and
WHEREAS, Sumpter Priddy served for eight years on the State Board for Community Colleges, and he coordinated numerous national and regional legislative conferences at the request of Governors Mills E. Godwin, A. Linwood Holton, Jr., and John Dalton; and
WHEREAS, during his career, Sumpter Priddy received innumerable awards recognizing his leadership and record of accomplishment, including Executive of the Year from the Virginia Society for Association Executives, the Silver Plaque Award from the National Retail Federation, and the Unsung Award for his contributions to the retail industry and his support of free enterprise; and
WHEREAS, Sumpter Priddy was well-known for his civic leadership in Ashland and throughout the Commonwealth; he was a member of the Ashland Jaycees, a former president of the Virginia Jaycees, and a former vice president of the National Jaycees, which inducted him into the United States Jaycees Hall of Leadership; and
WHEREAS, Sumpter Priddy was a member and elder of King's Chapel Presbyterian Church in Doswell, a member of The Commonwealth Club, a member of Montpelier Ruritan Club, and a lifelong member of the Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad; and
WHEREAS, a history buff with an incredible ability to recall the past, Sumpter Priddy led a group that raised money to produce a comprehensive history of Hanover County, which was published in 2009; and
WHEREAS, ever an optimist and always kind in his dealings with other people, Sumpter Priddy stayed positive even in the face of health adversities, and he was always grateful for the wonderful life with which he was blessed; and
WHEREAS, Sumpter Priddy will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 38 years, Robin; children, Rives, Sumpter, Bruce, John, and Tim, and their families; and many other relatives and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Sumpter Turner Priddy, Jr., of Ashland, the longtime head of the Virginia Retail Merchants Association; 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 Sumpter Turner Priddy, Jr., as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory.
