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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life of meaningful service drew to a close with the |
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death of former state representative Tony James Goolsby of Dallas |
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on September 4, 2020, at the age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on November 9, 1933, Tony Goolsby was raised by |
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Thelma and Herman Ross in Longview, and he grew up with two |
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siblings, Eddie and Marsha; answering his nation's call to duty, he |
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served in the U.S. Army, and he went on to earn a bachelor's degree |
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in education from the University of North Texas, where he was a |
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member of the Theta Chi fraternity; he worked as a teacher, coach, |
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principal, and pharmaceutical sales representative until he |
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started an insurance agency in the 1980s, running it for more than |
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two decades; he served as president of the Independent Insurance |
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Agents of Dallas, as head of political actions for the Independent |
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Insurance Agents of Texas, and as a board member of Pavillion Bank; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. Goolsby was elected to the Texas House |
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of Representatives, and he served the citizens of North Dallas and |
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Richardson for 20 years; a leader in the house, he was a strong |
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supporter of efforts to protect victims of sexual assault, extend |
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the reach of Amber Alerts, protect consumers from unwanted |
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solicitations, make identity theft a state crime, cut taxes on |
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small businesses, and make higher education more accessible, |
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including allowing senior citizens to audit college courses at no |
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cost; known for signing everything in a shade of ink that came to be |
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known as "Goolsby green," he served as chair of the House |
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Administration Committee and as vice chair of the Higher Education |
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Committee; dedicated to making sure the house ran smoothly and that |
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everyone was treated fairly, he made many friends during his |
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tenure, and a number of items from his personal collection remain on |
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view at the Legislative Reference Library; and |
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WHEREAS, Representative Goolsby's many honors over the |
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course of his career included recognition and awards from the |
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Dallas Police Association, North Texas State University, Longview |
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High School, the Texas Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Realtors |
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Association, and the Texas Pediatric Society; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his service in the legislature, |
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Mr. Goolsby enjoyed a successful career as a lobbyist; he remained |
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close to his former legislative staffers, often sharing a meal to |
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offer advice and discuss the latest Capitol news, and he maintained |
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a warm friendship with former speaker of the house Pete Laney until |
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the end of his life; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Goolsby was a member of Lovers Lane United |
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Methodist Church for more than a half century, and he was serving as |
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an usher one Sunday morning when he met Toppy Tannery, who was late |
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for church; they were married in 1971 and shared a loving |
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relationship that spanned nearly five decades; they delighted in |
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traveling together to national parks, taking riverboat cruises in |
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Europe, spending Thanksgiving in Hawaii, and visiting their |
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granddaughters in California; in 2001, they dedicated the Goolsby |
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Chapel at the University of North Texas, and they also established |
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the Toppy and Tony Goolsby Family Trust Rangerette Scholarship at |
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Kilgore College; and |
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WHEREAS, Witty, warm, and generous, Tony Goolsby was a |
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devoted family man and a distinguished public servant, and his loss |
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is keenly felt by the numerous friends he made through the years and |
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by the countless people in Texas whose lives were made better by his |
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many achievements; 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 the Honorable Tony |
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James Goolsby and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Toppy Goolsby; to his children, Mellie Mathis |
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and her husband, Chris Duncan, Cherrie Wysong and her husband, Jay, |
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and Brooke Welch and her husband, Sean; to his grandchildren, |
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Delaney and Riley Welch; to his sister, Marsha Ross; and to his |
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other relatives and many 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 Tony |
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Goolsby. |