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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life dedicated to the service of the Lone Star |
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State drew to a close with the death of the Honorable Richard Lee |
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Crawford of Amarillo on July 18, 2022, at the age of 71; and |
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WHEREAS, Rick Crawford was born in San Antonio on March 6, |
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1951, to Jack and Dolores Crawford, and he grew up with two |
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brothers, Michael and Steve Crawford, two stepbrothers, Johnny and |
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Scott Johnson, and a stepsister, Paula; he was raised in Fort Worth |
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and Amarillo and graduated from Tascosa High School, where he was a |
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star player on the football team; and |
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WHEREAS, An alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin, |
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Mr. Crawford was a devoted member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity |
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and worked his way through college as a real estate agent; after |
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graduating in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in business |
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administration, he settled in Amarillo and embarked on a successful |
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career in commercial real estate; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. Crawford was elected to represent |
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District 87 in the Texas House of Representatives, and during his |
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two terms in the legislature, he co-sponsored and helped to pass a |
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number of business-friendly bills, including the Worker's |
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Compensation Reform Bill, as well as the Wilson-Crawford Bill, |
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which established the Texas Lottery; he was a member of the |
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government efficiency, state affairs, county affairs, and public |
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safety committees, and he was vice chair of the public safety |
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subcommittee on budget and oversight; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Crawford went on to serve as special assistant |
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to House Speaker Pete Laney, and he represented the speaker on the |
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Texas Bond Review Board and oversaw the $192 million restoration of |
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the Capitol; in 1995, he was appointed as executive director of the |
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Texas State Preservation Board, where he played a vital role in the |
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design and development of the $78 million Bob Bullock Texas State |
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History Museum; during his tenure at the preservation board, he |
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also oversaw the South Capitol Grounds Project and the |
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redevelopment of the Capitol's parking system; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2003, Mr. Crawford resumed his career in |
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commercial real estate in Amarillo, and that same year, he married |
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his longtime love, Janis "JR" Wilson; the couple delighted in |
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spending time with friends and following the fortunes of the Texas |
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Longhorns; they were members of First Presbyterian Church, and |
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Mr. Crawford was also active with the Amarillo Association of |
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Realtors and other trade groups; and |
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WHEREAS, Rick Crawford lived a rich and purposeful life |
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devoted to his family, his profession, and his fellow citizens, and |
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he leaves behind a legacy of service that will continue to inspire |
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all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Richard Lee |
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Crawford and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, JR Wilson; to his brothers, Michael Crawford |
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and his wife, Barbara, and Steve Crawford and his wife, Lynn; to his |
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sister-in-law, Carol; to his brother-in-law, Charley; to his |
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stepsister, Paula; to his nephews and nieces, Stephen, Chase, Eric, |
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Courtney, Caley, and Sarah; and to his other relatives and many |
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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 Richard Lee |
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Crawford. |