WHEREAS, the Honorable Gladys B. Keating, a former longtime resident of Franconia and a dedicated public servant who ably represented the residents of Fairfax County in the House of Delegates for over two decades, died on August 19, 2014; and

WHEREAS, a native of New York City, Gladys Keating graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in New York and attended Queens College, Weatherford College, and George Mason University; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Keating began her professional career with Metropolitan Life Insurance and went on to become a supervisor in the actuarial division; after marrying in 1951, she followed her husband, John, to military postings in Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia, and Germany; and

WHEREAS, in 1961, Gladys Keating relocated to Franconia and devoted herself to enhancing the community as the president of the Brookland-Bush Hill Civic Association and Edison High School PTA, the founder and commissioner of a girls' softball league, and a member of many other civic and service organizations; and

WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the Commonwealth, Gladys Keating ran for and was elected to the House of Delegates in 1977, a time when only nine women had previously served; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Keating represented the residents of the 43rd District for 11 terms and attained a leadership position as the most senior woman in the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Keating helped create the Women's Caucus and served as its leader, helped enact many pieces of legislation to safeguard Virginians as the first woman member and chair of the Committee on Militia and Police, and served as the first woman member of the Committee on Corporations, Insurance and Banking, where she rose to become co-chair and advocated passionately for consumer rights; and

WHEREAS, as a 50-year breast cancer survivor, Gladys Keating championed women's health issues and was recognized by the Virginia Cancer Society for her dedication; in addition, she advanced the cause of women's rights in family law and estates; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Keating's work included sponsoring a bill requiring prominent displays of product return policies in retail stores and passage of a bill that permitted judges to require firearms safety instruction as a precondition of a concealed weapons permit; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Keating also supported a bill permitting judges in divorce cases to require retention of insurance policies benefiting minors and was the chief sponsor of a successful measure that required Virginia insurance companies to provide coverage for mammography; and

WHEREAS, a deeply respected member of the House of Delegates, Gladys Keating also served on the Committees on Rules and Counties, Cities and Towns, served on the Virginia Military Advisory Council, and represented the Commonwealth at the National Conference of State Legislatures; and

WHEREAS, after her well-earned retirement from public office in 1999, Gladys Keating continued to advocate for women's rights as a representative of the League of Women Voters and imparted her wisdom and experience to young men and women as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College; and

WHEREAS, throughout her career, Gladys Keating served the south Fairfax community and the Commonwealth with dedication and distinction; she earned several awards and accolades, including the Human Rights Award from the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission and the Woman of the Year Award from the Annandale chapter of Business and Professional Women's Foundation; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by her husband, John, Gladys Keating will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children, John, Lawrence, Michael, Maggie, and Eileen, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; numerous other family members and friends, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable Gladys B. Keating, an exceptional public servant and a respected former member of the Franconia community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Gladys B. Keating as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.