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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of San Benito lost an admired educator |
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with the passing of Robert Lake Tumberlinson on October 16, 2023, at |
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the age of 85; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Leon and Grace Tumberlinson, Bob |
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Tumberlinson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 27, 1938, |
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and grew up on a farm in San Benito; active in FFA, he won the |
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highest state award, the Lone Star Farmer Degree; upon graduation |
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from Texas A&I University, he was commissioned as a second |
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lieutenant in the U.S. Army; he completed active duty in New Orleans |
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and then served in the reserve for nine years, attaining the rank of |
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captain and commanding the Harlingen reserve unit; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Tumberlinson began his civilian career with the |
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United States Department of Agriculture in Alvin; in 1962, he was |
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hired to teach science at San Benito Junior High School; he went on |
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to become assistant principal and then served for more than 16 years |
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as principal of San Benito High; together with students and a fellow |
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educator, he designed and planted the line of palm trees in front of |
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the high school; he was business manager for the school district |
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from 1995 until his retirement in 2002; deeply committed to SBCISD, |
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he was a member of the school board for nine years and served as |
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president; his work with students was recognized with Honorary |
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Chapter Farmer and Honorary State FFA Degrees; and |
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WHEREAS, For many years, Mr. Tumberlinson was a member of the |
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Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital Board and Scholarship Board, and he |
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served the Kiwanis Club as president and as lieutenant governor |
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Division 11 of the Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis |
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International; he was active with First Presbyterian Church and |
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benefited the congregation as a ruling elder and a building and |
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grounds committee member; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Tumberlinson was the devoted husband of Sandra |
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Tumberlinson; he took great pride in his two children, Janice and |
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Robert, from his first marriage to Jahn Locke; an avid outdoorsman, |
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he excelled at fishing and hunting, and he kept an extensive |
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vegetable garden, as well as citrus trees that yielded plenty of |
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fruit to share with friends; on travels out west, he enjoyed looking |
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for arrow points, studying mountain geology, and digging for |
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fossils, which he mounted in the walls of his house; and |
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WHEREAS, Kind, fair, and empathetic, Bob Tumberlinson |
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dedicated himself to setting young Texans on the path toward a |
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happy, productive future, and he will forever be remembered with |
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great affection by all who knew him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Bob Tumberlinson and extend sincere condolences to the members of |
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his family: to his wife, Sandra Tumberlinson; to his children, |
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Janice Tumberlinson and Robert Tumberlinson Jr. and his wife, Mary; |
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to his sisters-in-law, Arlene Tumberlinson and Dolores Ramirez; and |
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to his many 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 Robert Lake |
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Tumberlinson. |