A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of edward m. "Ed" o'herron, jr., former member of the general assembly.

Whereas, Edward M. "Ed" O'Herron, Jr., was born on November 6, 1915, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Edward M. O'Herron and Sally E. O'Herron; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron grew up in the City of Charlotte, where his father expanded the family's drugstore business by opening the Eckerd's Cut Rate Medical Store; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron attended Culver Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy and, in 1938, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and
Whereas, after college, Ed O'Herron married Margaret Aston "Dosty" Blackman and moved to Asheville, where he worked for the warehouse that served the six Eckerd stores in North Carolina; and
Whereas, during World War II, Ed O'Herron proudly served his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps, achieving the rank of captain and earning a Silver Star at Iwo Jima for "heroism, leadership in battle and cool courage;" and
Whereas, after his military service, Ed O'Herron rejoined Eckerd Drugs of North Carolina and later served the company as Treasurer in 1946, Vice‑President and Director in 1950, President in 1962, and Chair in 1965; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron's leadership and dedication helped Eckerd Drugs grow from six stores to 260 before the merger with the Jack Eckerd Corporation in 1977; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron was inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 2003; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron served the people of North Carolina, representing Mecklenburg County as a member of the House of Representatives for three terms between 1951 and 1956; and
Whereas, during his tenure in the General Assembly, Ed O'Herron sponsored the first legislation to establish the State's community college system; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron served as a member of the Advisory Budget Commission from 1965 to 1969 and ran for governor in 1976; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron served on a number of professional boards, including Piedmont Aviation, Wachovia Corporation, BellSouth, and Piedmont Natural Gas; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron believed in community service and served on numerous boards, including Chair of the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Memorial Hospital for 26 years, Chair of the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, and Chair of the Billy Graham Day School, and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron was active in the Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte, where he served as a Sunday schoolteacher; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron died on July 26, 2006, at the age of 90; and
Whereas, Ed O'Herron is survived by three children, William P. O'Herron, Patricia O'Herron Norman, and Kennedy C. O'Herron; nine grandchildren; two step‑grandchildren; and seven great‑grandchildren; Now, therefore,

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

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Edward M. O'Herron, Jr., and expresses the appreciation of this State and its citizens for his contributions to North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its sympathy to the family of Edward M. O'Herron, Jr., 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 Edward M. O'Herron, Jr.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 16th day of July, 2008.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives