R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The family and friends of the Honorable Burt 1-2 O'Connell of Van Vleck, former Matagorda County judge, were deeply 1-3 saddened by the passing of this esteemed gentleman on April 1, 1-4 2000, at the age of 74; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Born on September 20, 1925, Judge O'Connell 1-6 graduated from Van Vleck High School in 1942, and he answered his 1-7 country's call to duty and served in the United States Navy during 1-8 World War II; and 1-9 WHEREAS, In 1947, Judge O'Connell married Florine Smith, and 1-10 the couple owned and operated a local grocery store until 1960, 1-11 when he became a real estate broker and developer; and 1-12 WHEREAS, This dedicated Texan contributed much of his time to 1-13 the betterment of his community; he was Matagorda County judge from 1-14 1978 until the mid-1990s, and was a member of the board of trustees 1-15 of Van Vleck ISD; he served several terms as Matagorda County 1-16 Democratic Party chairman, and was president of the Bay City Lions 1-17 Club; he also belonged to American Legion Post No. 11 for 54 years 1-18 and was a lifelong member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1-19 2438; and 1-20 WHEREAS, A committed public servant, Judge O'Connell took 1-21 special pride in his association with the Jackson Electric 1-22 Cooperative, the South Texas Electric Cooperative, and the San 1-23 Miguel Electric Cooperative, and he served on the Jackson Electric 1-24 Board of Directors for 39 years; and 2-1 WHEREAS, Judge O'Connell was a charter member of the First 2-2 United Methodist Church of Van Vleck, where he was administrative 2-3 council chairman and a member of the board of trustees for many 2-4 years; and 2-5 WHEREAS, This estimable individual was a dedicated public 2-6 servant, family man, and community leader whose life had a positive 2-7 impact on countless people, and it is indeed appropriate to honor 2-8 the memory of Burt O'Connell at this time; now, therefore, be it 2-9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-10 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Burt 2-11 O'Connell and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: 2-12 to his son, Michael B. O'Connell; to his brother, Ray O'Connell; to 2-13 his sisters, Dorothy Stafford and Nancy Bridgwater; to his 2-14 grandchildren, Michael B. O'Connell and Ashley O'Connell; and to 2-15 his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further 2-16 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-17 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas 2-18 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of 2-19 the Honorable Burt O'Connell. Uher Howard Laney Goodman Merritt Alexander Goolsby Miller Allen Gray Moreno of Harris Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso Bailey Grusendorf Morrison Berman Gutierrez Mowery Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat Bosse Hamric Najera Brimer Hardcastle Nixon Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira Burnam Heflin Olivo Callegari Hilbert Pickett Capelo Hilderbran Pitts Carter Hill Puente Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay Chisum Hochberg Rangel Christian Hodge Raymond Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas Cook Hopson Ritter Corte Howard Sadler Counts Hunter Salinas Crabb Hupp Seaman Craddick Isett Shields Crownover Janek Smith Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons Delisi Junell Swinford Denny Keel Talton Deshotel Keffer Telford Driver King of Parker Thompson Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery Dunnam Kitchen Truitt Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal Ellis Longoria Walker Farabee Luna West Farrar McCall Williams Flores McClendon Wilson Gallego McReynolds Wise Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth George Marchant Wolens Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley Giddings Maxey Yarbrough Glaze Menendez Zbranek _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 176 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on February 21, 2001. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House