H.R. No. 841 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The citizens of Weatherford recently suffered a 1-2 great loss with the passing of Mark Woods on April 20, 1995, at the 1-3 age of 37; and 1-4 WHEREAS, A native of Fort Worth, he spent the majority of his 1-5 life in Parker County, where he first made a name for himself as a 1-6 valued employee of the Parker County Fire Department; and 1-7 WHEREAS, This dedicated public servant engaged in extensive 1-8 training to enhance his fire-fighting and lifesaving abilities, and 1-9 over the course of a distinguished 12-year tenure with the 1-10 department, he was promoted to the rank of assistant fire marshal 1-11 for his professionalism, bravery, and dedication to duty; and 1-12 WHEREAS, It was during his tenure at the fire department that 1-13 he became acquainted with his future wife, the former Donna 1-14 Murphree, whom he met through her father, Kenneth, who was a 1-15 volunteer firefighter at the Parker County Fire Hall; and 1-16 WHEREAS, The couple were married in 1980 and enjoyed a happy 1-17 and rewarding marriage that was eventually blessed with two sons, 1-18 Brandon and Dan, both of whom were a source of great pride to their 1-19 dad; a devoted father, he was a strong presence in his sons' lives 1-20 and volunteered his time and energies to benefit them as well as 1-21 other youth in the community through his contributions as a Boy 1-22 Scout leader; and 1-23 WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Mr. Woods was employed 1-24 by McCoy Lumber Company, where his friendly nature and 2-1 knowledgeable advice earned him the respect and admiration of many 2-2 people; outside of the workplace, this fine gentleman also had an 2-3 extensive circle of friends that he gained during his many years of 2-4 involvement in the local Baptist Church and the Ham Radio Club; and 2-5 WHEREAS, Mark Woods was blessed with the rare ability to give 2-6 of himself, a gift he expressed through his devotion to his family 2-7 and friends, his community service, and his positive approach to 2-8 life; though his life has been cut tragically short, his unique 2-9 spirit will long endure in the hearts of those whose lives he 2-10 touched for many years to come; now, therefore, be it 2-11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-12 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Mark Woods and extend 2-13 sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Donna 2-14 Woods; to his sons, Brandon and Daniel Woods; to his parents, 2-15 George and JoAnn Woods; to his sister, Melanie Spear; to his 2-16 brother, Todd Woods; to his in-laws, Kenneth and Nadeen Murphree; 2-17 and to the many other friends and relatives of this fine young man; 2-18 and, be it further 2-19 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-20 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas 2-21 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of 2-22 Mark Woods.