A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of reverend william wallace "W.W." finlator, Sr., distinguished southern baptist minister and pastor emeritus of pullen memorial baptist church.

Whereas, William Wallace "W.W." Finlator was born on June 19, 1913, in Louisburg, North Carolina, to John Haywood Finlator and Bain Best Finlator; and
Whereas, W.W. Finlator grew up in the City of Raleigh and graduated from Hugh Morson High School in 1930; and
Whereas, W.W. Finlator earned a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University in 1934 and a master's degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1937; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator served as pastor of churches in Chatham County, the Town of Weldon, and Elizabeth City prior to becoming senior pastor at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, where he led the congregation from 1956 to 1982; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator was a lifelong citizen of North Carolina, as were his parents and grandparents before him, and was a devoted North Carolinian; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator believed people should be treated fairly and showed his Christian and democratic spirit by treating everybody the same way, while always trying especially to help the underdog and the disadvantaged; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator actively opposed racism, the Vietnam War, and the death penalty; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator advocated for women's rights, civil rights, the rights of workers and labor unions, the separation of church and state, the abolition of the property tax exemption on church‑owned properties, the alleviation of poverty, among many other causes; and
Whereas, over the years, Reverend Finlator was recognized for his many good deeds, receiving honorary doctorates from Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Frank Porter Graham Award, and the North Carolina Award in Public Service, and he was inducted in the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2005; and
Whereas, over the years, Reverend Finlator was a friend of generations of North Carolina legislators and came to the North Carolina General Assembly on countless occasions to talk to legislators and testify in committee meetings in order to promote the causes he believed in; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator believed that government can be a force for the general good; and
Whereas, Reverend Finlator died on July 3, 2006, leaving his wife, Mary Elizabeth Purvis Finlator; his children, W. Wallace Finlator, Jr., Elizabeth F. McCutchen, and Martha Dell Finlator; eight grandchildren; and countless friends to mourn his loss; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the life and memory of Reverend William Wallace "W.W." Finlator, Sr. and expresses its gratitude for the service he rendered to his State and community.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly expresses its sincere sympathy to the family of Reverend William Wallace "W.W." Finlator, Sr. for the loss of a beloved family member.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Reverend William Wallace "W.W." Finlator, Sr.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 27th day of June, 2007.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives