HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 32
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and
Delegates R. M. Thompson,
Mahan, McGraw and Susman)
[Introduced April 12, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Commemorating the passing of Paul J. Vennari, educator, coach,
referee, statesman, patriot and veteran.
Whereas, Paul J. Vennari
was born on March 26, 1915, in
Lumberport, Harrison County, West Virginia, the son of Joe and
Rochella Mazza Vennari; and
Whereas, Paul J. Vennari
was educated in the public schools and
attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, received an A.B. degree
from
Salem College and a master's degree from West Virginia
University. He also attended Marshall University Graduate School.
He taught school in McDowell and Mercer Counties and retired from
the Raleigh County school system with over 38 years' service. He
was also a retired football referee, an avocation he pursued in
West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. He was
past president of the Southern Coal Fields Officials and
commissioner of the WVIAC. He was past president of
WVEA and past president of West Virginia Association of Classroom Teachers, vice
president of National Association of Classroom Teachers, a member
of West Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals and the
West Virginia Association of School Administrators and he was
executive director of West Virginia Association of Elementary
School Principals; and
Whereas, Paul J. Vennari
married the former Mildred "Mickey"
Cales of Hinton, West Virginia on December 20, 1956; and
Whereas, Paul J. Vennari
was elected to the West Virginia House
of Delegates from Raleigh County, from 1953 to 1960 and 1981-82.
He was also active in the Silver Haired Congress and Legislature.
Mr. Vennari was a three-term member of the Raleigh County Board of
Education, a member of Glade Springs and Black Knight country clubs
and St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church of Beckley; and
Whereas, Paul J. Vennari
was a veteran of World War II and the
United States Marine Corps from June 1942 to February 1946, with 20
months' service with the First Marine Division in the Pacific and
China Theater of operation, from which he retired as a lieutenant
colonel
; and
Whereas, Paul J. Vennari
gave unselfishly of himself to his
country, his State, his county and his community and in so doing, left this world a better place than it was when he entered it; and
Whereas,
The passing of Paul J. Vennari
on December 31, 2000,
at the age of eighty-five years, should not go unnoticed;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the West Virginia House of Delegates:
That regret is hereby expressed by the members at the passing
of Paul J. Vennari
, educator, coach, referee, statesman, patriot
and veteran
; a man who loved his country, but above all he loved
West Virginia and his fellow man; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward
a copy of this Resolution to his widow, Mildred "Mickey" Vennari.