[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF MR. WOODROW R. PACKER, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 15, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding educator and respected community leader, Mr. Woodrow R. 
Packer, Sr. Mr. Packer departed to his eternal reward on Saturday, July 
11, 2015. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 
17, 2015 at St. Paul's Memorial Chapel in Lawrenceville, Virginia, 
where Mr. Packer's family will be surrounded by friends and loved ones 
paying their respects to a man who touched many lives, including my 
own.
  Mr. Packer was born in Wilcox County, Alabama, on March 11, 1919 as 
the eleventh of twelve children born to the late Hal and Lucy Packer. 
Over the course of his lifetime, Mr. Packer exemplified the meaning of 
servant leadership. In 1942, Mr. Packer left his family in Alabama to 
serve his country in World War II, spending time in North Africa and 
Italy. Following his service in the war, he was honorably discharged as 
a Staff Sergeant in 1945.
  Throughout his life, Mr. Packer always demonstrated a passion for 
knowledge. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education 
degree from Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. He studied 
further at Carnegie-Mellon Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania; Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut; the 
University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; Virginia State 
University in Petersburg, Virginia; and the University of Georgia in 
Athens, Georgia.
  During his lifelong pursuit of knowledge, Mr. Packer strove to impart 
this knowledge upon his students. In 1948, he began his career as an 
educator at Choctaw County High School in Butler, Alabama. Mr. Packer 
later became principal of Blount High School in Anniston, Alabama and 
then of Chickasaw Terrace School in Prichard, Alabama. In 1964, Mr. 
Packer moved to Farmville, Virginia to teach at R.R. Moton High School, 
now a historic landmark of the Civil Rights Movement.
  Mr. Packer then went on to serve Saint Paul's College in 
Lawrenceville, Virginia for 27 years, first as an instructor, then as a 
Dean, before retiring as Vice President for Student Affairs. His 
dedication to Saint Paul's College was evident in the number of 
students he recruited, many from his home state of Alabama, which led 
to his being deemed ``The Alabama Dean.''
  After retiring from education in 1991, he continued to contribute to 
the community by helping numerous friends and neighbors in Brunswick 
County. Mr. Packer served in countless leadership roles with 
organizations such as the Alberta Family Health Service, Brunswick 
Chamber of Commerce, Lawrenceville Rotary Club, and the Lawrenceville 
Town Council.
  George Washington Carver once said, ``No individual has any right to 
come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct 
and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.'' We are all so 
blessed that Mr. Woodrow Packer passed this way and during his life's 
journey did so much for so many for so long. He leaves behind a great 
legacy in education to the thousands of students, teachers, and 
administrators whose lives he touched and brightened.
  On a personal note, Mr. Packer and his family were close personal 
friends of my family, as well as a role model and mentor to me. I have 
truly been blessed by his friendship, counsel and inspiration 
throughout the years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and my wife, Vivian, in 
paying tribute to Mr. Woodrow R. Packer, Sr. for his dedication to 
educating young people, his passion for his country, and his deep 
commitment to his family and his community. We extend our deepest 
sympathies to Mr. Packer's family and friends during this very 
difficult time. May they be consoled and comforted by their abiding 
faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

                          ____________________