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Celebrating the life of Joanne Terenzio Blakemore.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
WHEREAS, Joanne Terenzio Blakemore, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, lifelong civic leader, and beloved member of the Charlottesville community, died on November 30, 2025, leaving a legacy of love, generosity, and service; and
WHEREAS, born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised in Manhattan, Joanne Blakemore moved to Singapore in 1982 with her husband, Haywood, and spent 40 years living abroad with her family in Singapore, Tokyo, Paris, and Doha; and
WHEREAS, in Singapore, Joanne Blakemore founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Children's Foundation, served on the boards of several local organizations, and organized a 9/11 memorial at Singapore's National Stadium that was attended by more than 10,000 people; and
WHEREAS, upon moving to Paris, Joanne Blakemore's community efforts included serving as president of the St. Anne's Guild and leading annual trips to Jerusalem and the West Bank to support two Palestinian schools in Ramallah; and
WHEREAS, once in Doha, Joanne Blakemore continued to make a difference in the lives of others as the president of an international women's group and by spearheading a donation program to assist immigrant workers and Syrian refugees; and
WHEREAS, after decades of building connections and community around the world, Joanne Blakemore settled in Charlottesville, where she set about making an impact by serving on the boards of various organizations, including Georgia's Friends, the Charlottesville Opera, the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, the Charlottesville Committee on Foreign Relations, the University of Virginia Cancer Center, and the Rivanna Garden Club; and
WHEREAS, Joanne Blakemore embraced every opportunity to volunteer for the benefit of others, including with Meals on Wheels, the International Rescue Committee, the Legal Aid Justice Center, and the Salvation Army, as well as in disaster-stricken and impoverished areas around the world; and
WHEREAS, Joanne Blakemore was admired by all who knew her for her energy, dynamic spirit, and ability to bring people together around important causes and endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Joanne Blakemore will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her husband of 45 years, Haywood; her children, Jessica and Emily; her sons-in-law, Brian Damron and Stuart Murphy; her granddaughter, Madeline Louise Murphy; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Joanne Terenzio Blakemore, a treasured member of the Charlottesville community whose light brightened countless lives; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Joanne Terenzio Blakemore as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.