88S40334 BPG-D

By: Middleton S.R. No. 44

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The city of Galveston lost a titan of business and philanthropy with the death of Robert Lee Moody Sr. on November 7, 2023, at the age of 88; and

WHEREAS, Born on Galveston Island on July 28, 1935, Bobby Moody was the son of Shearn Moody Sr. and Frances Moody Newman; his father died the following year, and he and his brother, Shearn, were educated at boarding school; Bobby Moody graduated as the top cadet at Valley Forge Military Academy and served his country in the U.S. Army; mentored by his grandfather, W. L. Moody, the founder of American National Insurance Company, he possessed similar business acumen and established National Western Life Insurance Company in 1956; he eventually rose to become chair and president/CEO of ANICO and built it into one of the country's premier insurance firms; in addition, he created an affiliated company that developed the South Shore Harbour subdivision, hotel, and conference center in League City; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Moody also held other key roles in the family business empire, including chair of Moody National Bank; while earning esteem as one of the city's most prominent citizens, he was known for treating everyone around him with respect and empathy; he encouraged the professional development of his employees, and many stayed on for decades; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to his hometown, Mr. Moody guided the charitable Moody Foundation and found numerous ways to make a positive impact; he established the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute to help brain trauma patients, and in 1992, he spearheaded construction of Moody Gardens; one of the Southwest's premier educational and leisure facilities, Moody Gardens draws some two million visitors annually, spurring the local economy while providing horticultural therapy, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities; he further benefited the disability community by creating the Moody Endowment; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Moody maintained a healthy balance between his myriad ventures and his home life; he and his wife of 53 years, Ann McLeod Moody, raised a blended family of eight children, and they broadened their horizons with extensive travel; on Saturday mornings, he was coach, pitcher, and umpire for baseball games with all the neighborhood children; he was preceded in death by an infant son and by his wife; and

WHEREAS, An ardent champion of Galveston, Bobby Moody worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for its citizens, through both his professional and philanthropic endeavors, and his contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Robert Lee Moody Sr. and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his children, Robert L. Moody Jr. and his wife, Ingrid, Russell S. Moody, Ross R. Moody, Frances Anne "Francie" Moody-Dahlberg and her husband, Kevin, Edwin Vince "Vic" Matthews and his wife, Cindi, Lea McLeod Matthews and her wife, Jennifer, Allan Watkins Matthews and his wife, Lori, and Dorothea "Dotsy" Matthews Balentine and her husband, David; to his grandchildren, Elizabeth Lee "Elle" Moody and her husband, James Gray, Frances Moody Buzbee and her husband, Tony, Robert L. Moody III, Jackson Davis "Jack" Moody, Maggie Grace Moody, Russell Shearn "Rusty" Moody II, William Charles McLeod "Will" Matthews and his wife, Emma, Katherine Leanne "Kit" Matthews, Tiffany Nicole Bastow, Kimberly McLeod Almon and her husband, Jackson, Marissa Ann Matthews, Lauren Anne Balentine, Alexis Gabrielle Moody-Dahlberg, and Ashton Lee Moody-Dahlberg; to his great-grandchildren, Ella Ann Grant, Jackson "Pierce" Almon II, Brooks Woodson Almon, and Ann McLeod "Annie" Almon; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Robert Lee Moody Sr.