R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The passing of former Wichita Falls State
1-2 Representative Deno Arthur Tufares on November 24, 1998, at the age
1-3 of 76, has brought a great loss to the family and many friends of
1-4 this esteemed Texan; and
1-5 WHEREAS, The spirit of Deno Tufares may best be described by
1-6 an event that took place in 1948 and landed him a spot in Ripley's
1-7 "Believe It or Not"; he was driving a truck carrying a large load
1-8 of nitroglycerine destined for the oil fields of West Texas when
1-9 the vehicle overturned, rolled several times, and scattered the
1-10 explosives over a wide area; Mr. Tufares emerged unscathed and
1-11 celebrated his narrow escape and a chance at his "new life" every
1-12 January 15 thereafter; and
1-13 WHEREAS, Mr. Tufares was a Wichita County native and attended
1-14 Wichita Falls schools before earning a boxing scholarship to Allen
1-15 Military Academy in Bryan; he would remain active in the Texas
1-16 Association of Boxing for the next 50 years as a judge, timer, and
1-17 official, but the highlight of his long love of the sport was 1946,
1-18 when he won the title State Golden Gloves Champion; and
1-19 WHEREAS, He was also married that year, on April 19, 1946,
1-20 and surely no boxing ring ever challenged the marriage bonds that
1-21 joined him with his beloved wife, Juanita; the pair were blessed
1-22 with three children, and their years together were truly happy
1-23 ones, filled with much love and many joyful family memories; and
1-24 WHEREAS, He served proudly with the 44th Tank Battalion in
2-1 the Pacific Theater during World War II and was awarded the Silver
2-2 Star Medal for his role in battle on the Philippine island of
2-3 Luzon; and
2-4 WHEREAS, After returning home, Mr. Tufares attended Hardin
2-5 Junior College and was graduated from Midwestern State University
2-6 with a bachelor's degree in history and government in 1950; he also
2-7 attended The University of Texas Law School and was president of
2-8 UT's first integrated freshman law class; and
2-9 WHEREAS, In 1948, Mr. Tufares successfully ran for a seat in
2-10 the Texas House of Representatives; he served in the house from
2-11 1949 to 1952 and was the author of an amendment to the Gilmer-Aikin
2-12 law that changed membership on the State Board of Education from an
2-13 appointed position to an elected one; and
2-14 WHEREAS, After returning to Wichita Falls, Mr. Tufares began
2-15 a respected 30-year tenure at Sheppard Air Force Base as a civil
2-16 service instructor; following his retirement in 1985, he served as
2-17 the 13th Congressional District vote coordinator for the American
2-18 Association of Retired Persons and as a member of the North Texas
2-19 delegation to the Silver-Haired Legislature; and
2-20 WHEREAS, The former statesman was also a clown and a
2-21 trickster; Mr. Tufares was past president of the Clown Arounds, a
2-22 group that performed in local parades, fund-raisers, and birthday
2-23 parties, and a 35-year member of the Wichita Falls chapter of the
2-24 International Brotherhood of Magicians, who named him Wizard of the
2-25 Year in 1977 for his work with the group at hospitals, senior
2-26 centers, and children's homes; and
2-27 WHEREAS, Mr. Tufares possessed a deep and committed social
3-1 conscience and he was a valued member of many civic and community
3-2 groups, including the Boys and Girls Club, the board of directors
3-3 of the Community Action Corp., the Masonic Lodge, Veterans of
3-4 Foreign Wars, and All Saints Episcopal Church; the counsel, warmth,
3-5 and gentle humor of Deno Tufares will always be deeply missed, but
3-6 surely his spirit lives on in the hearts and memories of the many
3-7 people whose lives he touched; now, therefore, be it
3-8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
3-9 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Deno Arthur Tufares
3-10 and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his
3-11 wife, Juanita; to his son, Deno Tufares; to his daughters, Terri
3-12 Tufares and Suzie Chase Tufares; to his sister, Marie Tucker; to
3-13 his two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and to the
3-14 many other relatives and friends of this admirable gentleman; and,
3-15 be it further
3-16 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-17 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
3-18 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of
3-19 the Honorable Deno Arthur Tufares.
Farabee
Laney Glaze Moreno of El Paso
Alexander Goodman Morrison
Allen Goolsby Mowery
Alvarado Gray Naishtat
Averitt Green Najera
Bailey Greenberg Nixon
Berman Grusendorf Noriega
Bonnen Gutierrez Oliveira
Bosse Haggerty Olivo
Brimer Hamric Palmer
Brown of Kaufman Hardcastle Pickett
Brown of Brazos Hartnett Pitts
Burnam Hawley Puente
Capelo Heflin Ramsay
Carter Hilbert Rangel
Chavez Hilderbran Reyna of Bexar
Chisum Hill Reyna of Dallas
Christian Hinojosa Ritter
Clark Hochberg Sadler
Coleman Hodge Salinas
Cook Homer Seaman
Corte Hope Shields
Counts Howard Siebert
Crabb Hunter Smith
Craddick Hupp Smithee
Crownover Isett Solis of Cameron
Cuellar Janek Solis of Bexar
Culberson Jones of Brazos Solomons
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Staples
Davis of Harris Jones of Dallas Swinford
Davis of Dallas Junell Talton
Delisi Keel Telford
Denny Keffer Thompson
Deshotel King of Parker Tillery
Driver King of Uvalde Truitt
Dukes Krusee Turner of Coleman
Dunnam Kuempel Turner of Harris
Dutton Lengefeld Uher
Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Van de Putte
Eiland Longoria Walker
Elkins Luna West
Ellis McCall Williams
Farabee McClendon Wilson
Farrar McReynolds Wise
Flores Madden Wohlgemuth
Gallego Marchant Wolens
Garcia Maxey Woolley
George Merritt Yarbrough
Giddings Moreno of Harris Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 22 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on January 28, 1999.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House