2026 SPECIAL SESSION I
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2118
Celebrating the life of Chester W. De Long, Ph.D.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 22, 2026
WHEREAS, Chester W. De Long, Ph.D., an honorable veteran, esteemed civil servant, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, and active member of the Falls Church community, died on April 26, 2026; and
WHEREAS, a native of Seattle, Chester “Chet” W. De Long, Ph.D., graduated from Fairbanks High School in Alaska in 1941 before he was drafted into the United States Navy during World War II; and
WHEREAS, Chet De Long completed basic training and studied at Marquette University and the Washington University School of Medicine with the intent to become a navy doctor, when his interest in biochemistry inspired him to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry; and
WHEREAS, after earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, Chet De Long conducted research at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation before obtaining a doctoral degree in chemistry from what is today Washington State University in 1956; and
WHEREAS, Chet De Long began his career as an analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency and in 1967 joined the Office of Academic Affairs within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he played a leading role in guiding the development of medical schools associated with VA hospitals before retiring in 1991; and
WHEREAS, Chet De Long made an impact on the Falls Church community by steering the development of the local high school International Baccalaureate program and by steadfastly supporting his wife, Carol De Long, during her many years on the Falls Church City Council and as the mayor of Falls Church; and