By Farabee                                              H.R. No. 22
         76R3088 BE-D                           
                                 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.