A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of jean rouse preston, former member of the general assembly.
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston was born May 25, 1935, in Greene County to Marvin Wayne and Emma Mae Kearney Rouse; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston graduated from Snow Hill High School in 1953, attended Flora MacDonald College from 1953 to 1955, and earned a bachelor's degree in Business Education in 1957 and a master's degree in Education in 1973 from East Carolina University; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston furthered her education by completing the Public Manager Program at the North Carolina State Personnel Development Center in 1989; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston was a lifelong educator, teaching business education in the Wilson County and Greene County Schools and at Lenoir Community College, and later serving as the Director of Reading for K‑12 students and the Program Administrator for Children with Special Needs in Greene County; and
Whereas, prior to her retirement, Jean Rouse Preston served as Principal and Director of Education for the Barnes School at the Caswell Center in Kinston; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston made her home in Carteret County after retiring from the field of education; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston served with honor and distinction in the North Carolina General Assembly as a member of the House of Representatives for seven terms between 1993 and 2006, where she represented the people of Carteret, Jones, and Onslow Counties, and as a member of the Senate for three terms between 2007 and 2012, where she represented the people of Carteret, Craven, and Pamlico Counties; and
Whereas, during her tenure in the General Assembly, Jean Preston Rouse was an advocate for education, serving as vice‑chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and House Committee on Education and as cochair of the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education and the Senate Subcommittee on Education/Higher Education; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston was a member of the Cape Carteret Presbyterian Church; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston was named one of the "One Hundred Incredible East Carolina University Women" in 2007 and received the Covenant with North Carolina Children Award in 2005; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston died on January 10, 2013, at the age of 77; and
Whereas, prior to her death, Jean Rouse lost husband, Hugh Forbes Hardy; husband, Colonel John Edward Preston; and daughter, Lisa Forbes Hardy; and
Whereas, Jean Rouse Preston is survived by daughter, Suzanne Hardy Castleberry (Jeff); and two grandchildren, Cameron Hardy Castleberry and Jeffrey Parker Castleberry, Jr.; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the life and memory of Jean Rouse Preston and expresses its appreciation for the service she rendered to her community and the State of North Carolina.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to the family of Jean Rouse Preston 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 Jean Rouse Preston.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.