By Hunter of Taylor                                     H.R. No. 79
       74R3804 SAJ-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The passing of Richard Dillard, of Abilene, on
    1-2  January 5, 1995, at the age of 51, has brought a great loss to the
    1-3  many friends and relatives of this distinguished Texan; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Born in Big Spring, he earned his bachelor's degree
    1-5  in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin before
    1-6  settling with his family in Abilene in 1970 when he became the
    1-7  first manager of the city's convention and visitors bureau; he
    1-8  developed close ties to the Abilene community and left the area
    1-9  only briefly to work with Fort Worth's convention center in 1974;
   1-10  and
   1-11        WHEREAS,  A man of many interests and talents, Mr. Dillard
   1-12  also was well regarded for his work as an educator, and in 1990 he
   1-13  began a deeply fulfilling four-year career as a photography teacher
   1-14  at Cooper High School; and
   1-15        WHEREAS,  He continued to make many lasting and significant
   1-16  contributions to the Abilene community through his noteworthy work
   1-17  in historic preservation; he spearheaded efforts to save and
   1-18  restore both the Paramount Theatre and the Grace Hotel, which
   1-19  reopened as the Grace Cultural Center after its renovation and
   1-20  stands as a cornerstone of the community's downtown revitalization
   1-21  efforts; and
   1-22        WHEREAS, With the help of his gracious wife, Kay, he worked
   1-23  tirelessly to restore the old Henry Sayles house to its former
   1-24  glory and was amply rewarded for his efforts when the couple
    2-1  established the home as their residence; this remarkable gentleman
    2-2  was also mindful of his state's proud military history and worked
    2-3  to preserve the site of Fort Phantom Hill, a frontier fort built in
    2-4  the 1850s; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, Mr. Dillard continued to make vital contributions to
    2-6  the field of historic preservation through his work with several
    2-7  prestigious organizations, including the Abilene Preservation
    2-8  League, the Taylor County Historical Commission, the Texas
    2-9  Historical Commission, and the West Texas Genealogical Society; in
   2-10  addition, he worked to preserve our state's proud heritage by
   2-11  helping to nominate many of its most revered sites to the National
   2-12  Register of Historic Places; and
   2-13        WHEREAS, Mr. Dillard also will be remembered as a man of
   2-14  boundless compassion who gave generously of his time, talents, and
   2-15  energies to help those less fortunate; he was one of the founders
   2-16  of Our House, a drug rehabilitation center that later became the
   2-17  Human Relations Center, and also served with distinction as
   2-18  executive director of the West Central Texas chapter of the
   2-19  Alzheimer's Association; and
   2-20        WHEREAS, Richard Dillard was a man of great vision who
   2-21  dedicated much of his life to serving the needs of his community;
   2-22  though his special presence will be missed by all who knew him, his
   2-23  spirit will surely live on in the hearts and minds of the many
   2-24  people whose lives he touched; now, therefore, be it
   2-25        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-26  Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Richard Dillard and
   2-27  extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his
    3-1  beloved wife, Kay; to his son, Tom, of Ellsworth Air Force Base,
    3-2  South Dakota; to his daughter, Ginger, of Abilene; to his
    3-3  granddaughter; and to his many other friends and relatives; and, be
    3-4  it further
    3-5        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    3-6  prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
    3-7  House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of
    3-8  Richard Dillard.