2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 597
Celebrating the life of Jonathan Linden Way.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 10, 2025
WHEREAS, Jonathan Linden Way, a former member of the Manassas City Council who provided his leadership and insights to many other civic organizations striving to enhance the quality of life in the region, died on September 28, 2023; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan Way grew up in New York and was a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the business school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan Way proudly served his country as a member of the United States Navy on active duty and subsequently joined the United States Navy Reserve, where he served as the navigator and watch officer in the reserve crew of a destroyer; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan Way enjoyed a long and distinguished career with Exxon Corporation, now ExxonMobil, and held a wide range of leadership roles in strategic business planning, oil logistics management, project management, and maritime operations; and
WHEREAS, over the course of his career, Jonathan Way lived and worked in the Netherlands, Germany, Scotland, and Saudi Arabia; among his most notable accomplishments was his involvement in the design, development, and construction of the world's largest fleet of oil tanker ships for the government of Saudi Arabia; and
WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement, Jonathan Way settled in Manassas and became an active and respected leader in the community; he continued to use his strategic management expertise as chair of the Manassas Planning Commission and developed comprehensive, long-term plans to balance economic growth and development with the needs of the community; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan Way was appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Manassas City Council in 2007 and was officially elected to the seat in 2008; he was admired for his sensible approach to governance and commitment to developing practical solutions to challenges; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan Way represented the Manassas City Council's interests before Virginia Railway Express, the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, and several regional economic development commissions; and
WHEREAS, outside of his career, Jonathan Way was an active member of the Manassas Rotary Club, a board member of the Military Officers Association of America, and a volunteer consultant with SCORE Business Mentoring; he was also an advocate for the preservation of the area's natural and historical resources and provided community members with important information about data center construction projects; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan Way is fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Shirley; his daughters, Karen and Cynthia, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Jonathan Linden Way, a highly admired public servant in Manassas; 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 Jonathan Linden Way as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory.