The Roanoke City Council voted Tuesday to name the plaza at the entrance to the Oliver W. Hill Justice Center the Onzlee Ware Plaza, “in honor and memory” of the late judge and state delegate.
“I want to thank Judge [Charles] Dorsey and colleagues for working on this and advocating for it,” Mayor Joe Cobb said. “This is not only an indication of their support and appreciation for Judge Ware but an opportunity for us to honor him as well.”
Ware came to the Roanoke Valley in the 1980s and contributed to a few firsts for the region: He was the first Black member of the House of Delegates from western Virginia and the first Black circuit court judge in the region.
He’s also remembered for serving on the House Appropriations Committee and for his Democratic vote that helped pass then-Gov. Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan that restored Amtrak service in Roanoke.
He died last year at age 70 after a sudden cancer diagnosis.
The council’s action was made in order to “recognize, applaud and honor the significant public service” of Ware, the resolution stated.
