A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of howard j. hunter, jr., former member of the general assembly.
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. was born in the City of Washington, D.C., on December 16, 1946, to Howard J. Hunter, Sr. and Madge Watford Hunter; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. graduated from C.S. Brown High School in Winton, North Carolina, in 1964 and earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central University in 1971; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. served as Vice President, Director, Partner/Owner of Hunter's Funeral Home, Inc., of Ahoskie and Murfreesboro, North Carolina, and was a member of the North Carolina Funeral Home Association; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. began a career in public service in 1978 as a Hertford County Commissioner and continued to serve on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners until 1988; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1989 to represent Hertford, Northampton, Gates, Bertie, and Perquimans Counties and was reelected nine times; and
Whereas, during his tenure in the House of Representatives, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. served as Chair of the Children, Youth and Families Committee, as Vice‑chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Economic and Environmental Health Resources, and as a member of many other committees, including Agriculture, Education, Local Government, Pensions and Retirement, Public Employees, Transportation, and Welfare Reform and Human Resources; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. also served as Chair of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus from 1995 through 1996 and as a member of the Law and Justice Committee for the National Conference of State Legislators; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. fought hard, and often successfully, to create a renewed State economy that would provide high quality education and health care for all children and that would include vibrant communities with jobs paying living wages, safe, affordable, and decent housing, and a well‑funded organizational infrastructure to help produce these outcomes; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. was instrumental in launching a shared vision providing tools, solutions, and a comprehensive plan for creating more productive rural communities on par with the State's thriving centers of economic prosperity; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. worked diligently for the district he represented and the State of North Carolina and maintained a spirit of approachability where no one was a stranger; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. received many honors and awards for his public service, including Outstanding Young Men of America; Personalities of the South Award for Outstanding Services to Community, State, and Nation; Outstanding Citizen in North Carolina in Human Relations; and Legislator of the Year from the North Carolina Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1993; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. was an active participant in his community, serving as President of the Board of Directors of the Hertford County United Way; Chair of the Hertford County Recreation Commission; Chair of the Choanoke Area Transit Authority; and as a member of the Hertford County Chapter of the Water Safety Commission; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. was active in many civic and fraternal organizations, serving as a former scoutmaster, manager of Hobson Reynolds Elks National Shrine, Inc., President of the Hertford County Chapter of the North Carolina Central University Alumni Association, life member of the Ahoskie Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and as a member of the Elizabeth City State University Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Guide Right Commission; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. was active in the First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, where he served as a trustee; and
Whereas, Howard J. Hunter, Jr. departed this life on January 7, 2007, leaving to mourn a son, Howard J. Hunter, III, and a daughter, Chyla Toye; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Howard J. Hunter, Jr. and expresses the gratitude and appreciation of this State and its citizens for his life and service to his community and to his State.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to the family of Howard J. Hunter, Jr.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to each child of Howard J. Hunter, Jr.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.