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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, An exemplary life dedicated to music and education |
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drew to a close with the death of former Amarillo College professor |
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Dr. Dale Alvin Roller on August 24, 2020, at the age of 90; and |
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WHEREAS, Dale Roller was born to Sylvester and Hattie Belle |
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Roller in Cleveland, Oklahoma, on February 1, 1930, and he grew up |
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with four brothers; inspired by two older brothers and his high |
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school music teacher, he studied music at college, earning |
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bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Tulsa, and in |
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1974 he returned to school to earn a doctorate in music education |
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from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; during the |
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Korean War, he served with the 657th Air Force Band, rising to the |
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rank of sergeant; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Roller began his career by teaching piano at the |
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University of Tulsa, and in 1956, he joined the faculty of Amarillo |
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College; over the course of his 35-year tenure with the college, |
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Dr. Roller taught piano, music history, and humanities, conducted |
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the school's choirs, and rose to become head of the music |
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department; he brought the Suzuki Program to the campus, and he |
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served as one of the college's most charismatic ambassadors, |
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persuading countless students across the Panhandle to apply for |
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admission; after retirement, he served for eight years on the |
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Amarillo College Board of Regents, including a year as chair, and he |
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was named professor emeritus in 2005; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition, Dr. Roller founded the Amarillo Master |
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Chorale in 1985 and the Amarillo Youth Choir in 1989, and he also |
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directed choirs at several area churches, including 22 years at |
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First Christian Church; he served on many local boards, including |
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the board of the Greater Southwest Music Festival, and for 30 years |
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he and his wife were executive secretaries for music for Region I of |
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the University Interscholastic League; from 2012 to 2019, he led |
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"The Happy Timers," an ecumenical vocal group for seniors; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1956, Dr. Roller was introduced to Betty Jo |
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Denman, a violinist for the Amarillo Symphony; the couple were |
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married in 1957 and went on to share 60 rewarding years together, |
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until her death in 2018; he was the proud father of three sons, |
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Scott, Kirk, and Jeff, and later in life he was blessed with seven |
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grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than six decades, Dale Roller was an |
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inspiring teacher, musician, and cultural leader in Amarillo, |
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bringing the gift of music to his fellow citizens and to generations |
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of students, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to |
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inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dale Alvin Roller |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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sons, Scott Roller, Kirk Roller and his wife, Anne, and Jeff Roller |
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and his wife, Carol; to his grandchildren, Sean Roller and his wife, |
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Theresa, Beth Roller and her husband, Josh Smothers, Josh Roller |
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and his fiancée, Maddie Jones, and Megan, Timothy, Blake, and Jenna |
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Roller; to his great-grandchildren, Marlene and Janosch; and to his |
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other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. Dale |
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Alvin Roller. |