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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The city of Tyler lost an esteemed civic leader and a |
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friend to many with the passing of Michael Phillip Smith on July 3, |
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2020, at the age of 74; and |
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WHEREAS, A Fort Worth native, Michael Smith was born to Betty |
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and Sam K. Smith on October 27, 1945; while still an undergrad at |
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Texas Tech University, he was recruited by Lubbock's then-mayor, |
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Dr. Jim Granberry, to work in city government; Mr. Smith became |
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head of the health department and later served as top aide to Austin |
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mayor Roy Butler; subsequently, he ran Dr. Granberry's |
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gubernatorial campaign before joining a Dallas investment firm and |
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opening his first business, the themed bar It's Magic; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Smith found the perfect outlet for his |
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entrepreneurial spirit after Dr. Granberry hired him again for a |
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marketing project in Tyler; noting that the community lacked an ad |
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agency, Mr. Smith taught himself about the industry, and in 1977, |
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he launched the Rénard Group out of an office building's |
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maintenance closet; the firm grew to become a major player in the |
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field of advertising, with a wide range of local, state, and |
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national accounts; many of Mr. Smith's clients became close |
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friends, and he personally invested in their dreams and helped them |
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achieve their goals; expanding his business interests, he opened |
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the State Bar and Deli and purchased Tyler Today, which he developed |
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into a popular local interest magazine; he cared deeply about all |
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his employees and showed tremendous kindness to them through the |
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years; and |
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WHEREAS, Highly engaged in civic life, Mr. Smith was active |
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in the local Republican Party, managing and advising campaigns for |
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office; in addition, he served several terms on the city planning |
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commission and gave generously of his time and talents to |
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worthwhile organizations, including Historic Tyler and the Order of |
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the Rose; he led a group that championed the preservation of the |
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trees along South Broadway Avenue, and he was a founding member of |
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the city Crime Stoppers board; moreover, he served on the board of |
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the Salvation Army of Tyler and several other nonprofits; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Smith married the love of his life, Dominique |
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Cronin, in 1983, and they became the proud parents of a daughter, |
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Désirée, and a son, Wyatt; devoted to his children, Mr. Smith |
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instilled strong values in them during long and meaningful |
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conversations, and he shared his great love of history on family |
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trips around the world; in recent years, he found joy in precious |
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moments with his treasured granddaughters, Christine and Victoria; |
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he was a longtime member of Christ Episcopal Church and liked to |
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discuss religion and sing hymns, though his volume was perhaps more |
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commendable than his pitch; his gregarious, larger-than-life |
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personality brought him myriad friendships, and he also found time |
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to read voraciously; cherishing traditions of all kinds, he |
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delighted in immutable holiday menus, Tuesday night poker games, |
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and his annual St. Patrick's Day extravaganza, and he was loyal to |
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the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees, and his alma mater, R. L. |
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Paschal High School; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the death of Michael Smith has brought |
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great sorrow to those who loved him, they will continue to find |
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inspiration in his warmth, generosity, and dedication to his |
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family, his faith, and his community; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of Michael Phillip Smith and extend |
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sincere sympathy to all who mourn his passing; 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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Michael Smith. |