2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 108
Celebrating the life of Marvin Sherlock Holmes, Sr.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2026
WHEREAS, Marvin Sherlock Holmes, Sr., a trailblazing public servant who enhanced the quality of life in Surry County as a 20-year member and the first Black chair of the Surry County Board of Supervisors, as well as a leader in many other civic and service organizations, died on February 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, a native of Surry County, Marvin “Sherlock” Holmes was the first of eight children born to the late Isaac Holmes and Fannie Holmes Coleman and relished his role as an older brother, serving as a trusted mentor for his siblings; and
WHEREAS, from a young age, Sherlock Holmes was inspired by his father's participation in the civil rights movement, particularly his efforts to enhance educational opportunities for Black students in Surry County; and
WHEREAS, Sherlock Holmes began his education in a one-room schoolhouse, then attended the former L.P. Jackson School in Dendron, from which he graduated as valedictorian of the class of 1957; he subsequently attended what is now Norfolk State University, then transferred to what is now Virginia State University; and
WHEREAS, Sherlock Holmes worked at the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation in Petersburg, rising quickly through the ranks to become one of the factory's first Black supervisors; he later worked as an insurance agent with Sentry Insurance, then established and served as president and chief executive officer of Laurel Transit, a medical transportation company; and