WHEREAS, Leonid Kotlyar, a courageous World War II veteran and a beloved father and grandfather in the Newport News community, died on October 20, 2014; and

WHEREAS, a native of Haisyn, Ukraine, Leonid Kotlyar fought against the Nazis during World War II, and in 1941, he was captured by the Nazis and sent to what was then the Bergen-Belsen prisoner of war camp; and

WHEREAS, in 1943, Bergen-Belsen became part of the concentration camp system, and Leonid Kotlyar bravely endured great hardship while held in the camp for the duration of the war; the camp was liberated by British forces in 1945; and

WHEREAS, after the war, Leonid Kotlyar became the director of distribution for a large food distribution company; and

WHEREAS, in 1991, Leonid Kotlyar immigrated to the United States and settled in Newport News, seeking new and better opportunities for his family; and

WHEREAS, on October 9, 1996, Leonid Kotlyar became a citizen of the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, possessed of a keen intellect, Leonid Kotlyar spoke five languages, delighted friends and family members with his musical talents, and wrote a memoir about his experiences as a concentration camp survivor; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Tatyana, Leonid Kotlyar will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Semyon and Yana, 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 Leonid Kotlyar, a World War II veteran and a valued member of the Newport News community; 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 Leonid Kotlyar as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory.