By Maxey H.R. No. 832 76R14570 MDM-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The passing of Roberto Celestino Villanueva on April 1-2 28, 1999, at the age of 74, has brought a great loss to the many 1-3 friends and relatives of this esteemed gentleman; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Born in Mercedes, in the Rio Grande Valley, to 1-5 parents who were natives of Mexico, Mr. Villanueva and his siblings 1-6 enjoyed summer visits with their relatives in that country and 1-7 consequently became fluent in both Spanish and English, which later 1-8 enhanced his professional life; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Mr. Villanueva served his country with distinction 1-10 as a member of the United States Navy and he completed 40 years of 1-11 dedicated military service; and 1-12 WHEREAS, He attended The University of Texas at Austin to 1-13 study accounting and he left in 1951 to begin an exemplary career 1-14 in radio broadcasting that spanned three decades; Mr. Villanueva 1-15 joined the staff of the Spanish-language station KXTN as a janitor 1-16 so that he could begin to learn the radio business, and he soon won 1-17 a news announcer position and became known on the air as "El 1-18 Gallito Madrugador"; and 1-19 WHEREAS, After KXTN closed in the 1960s, Mr. Villanueva 1-20 returned to his roots in Mercedes and established himself at KRGV 1-21 radio and television station, where he developed programs that 1-22 featured a combination of music, interviews, and news; in 1974, he 1-23 moved back to Austin as manager of KMXX, a Spanish-language radio 1-24 station that had just opened, and in 1981 he joined the Spanish 2-1 Information Service; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Those who were privileged to share the friendship of 2-3 Mr. Villanueva will long miss his presence, and he will surely be 2-4 remembered with great affection and admiration for many years to 2-5 come; now, therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-7 Legislature hereby honor the memory of Roberto Celestino Villanueva 2-8 and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his 2-9 wife, Maria Christina Villanueva; to his sons and daughter-in-law, 2-10 Robert Gerard Villanueva and Christopher Robert and Alba 2-11 Villanueva; to his daughters and sons-in-law, Anne Marie and David 2-12 Ocasio and Regina Marie and Tomas Serrato; to his brother, Eleazar 2-13 D. Villanueva; to his sisters, Olivia V. Gonzales, Tommie Hoker, 2-14 and Isabel Presas; to his grandchildren, Robert, Leyda, and William 2-15 Ocasio; and to the many other friends and relatives of this fine 2-16 man; and, be it further 2-17 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-18 prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of 2-19 Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Roberto 2-20 Celestino Villanueva.