10-R382
2010 -- S 3029
Enacted 12/02/10
S E N A T E R E
S O L U T I O N
HONORING SENATOR
JOHN F. MCBURNEY, III, FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
Introduced By: Senators Lynch, Paiva-Weed, Connors, Algiere, and Ruggerio
Date Introduced: December 02, 2010
WHEREAS, It is with
regret and sadness that we bid farewell to our good friend and
colleague, the inimitable Dean of the Rhode Island Senate, The
Honorable John F. McBurney, III;
and
WHEREAS, Following in his father’s footsteps and a family legacy that
encompassed
more than five decades, Senator John McBurney,
III, was elected to the Rhode Island Senate,
representing the people of
WHEREAS, During his thirty-six years with the Rhode Island Senate,
Jack has not only
earned the respect of his peers and the trust and confidence
of his constituents, but more
impressively, he also met and convinced Cheryl Vaslet,
previously a member of the legislative
staff, to become his wife; and
WHEREAS, Holding
numerous titles and responsibilities during his tenure with the
Senate, Jack served as Senate President Pro Tempore, a
member of the Senate Committee on
Judiciary and Finance, the Chairman of the
the Senate Corporations Committee and the Senate Labor
Committee; and
WHEREAS, Senator McBurney served in the Senate for so long that it had
become too
much to lean forward in order to press the voting button
so he fashioned a voting wand so he
could remain in a relaxed position while voting; and
WHEREAS, During the same years, Jack’s accomplishments outside of the
Senate
Chamber were also quite extensive. He earned his Juris Doctor at
in 1977 and joined the family law firm. He also
became a father seven times over, with the birth
of his children, John IV, Meghan,
Joseph, Michael, Patrick, Ellen, and McKenzie; and
WHEREAS, In addition to
Senator McBurney’s family, work, and state house
responsibilities, his commitment to the community includes membership
on a plethora of
business and professional organizations including: St. Mary’s
Men’s Association, the Justice
Subordinate Forum, the
Pawtucket Lodge of Elks #920, the Governor’s Justice Commission,
the
Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, and the Pleasant
View Neighborhood and Business
Association; and
WHEREAS, Senator McBurney’s leadership and tireless devotion to the citizens
of the
admiration and loyalty, and he will most assuredly be missed not
only in the Senate Chamber but
also during the innumerable and often raucous and costly
“gatherings” in room 13; and
WHEREAS, Room 13, the
location of endless meetings and heated policy discussions,
will never be the same. Unfortunately the whole of Senator
McBurney's legislative career was
placed into two boxes and left in the hallway at the behest
of Room 13's newest occupant; now,
therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the State of
hereby honors Senator John F. McBurney,
III, as he concludes his service in the
Senate. We thank him for a job well done, and extend
our sincere wishes for his continued
health, happiness, and success; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is
authorized and directed to
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the
Honorable John F. McBurney, III.
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LC02965
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