H.R. No. 1869R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, The people of Tarrant County are mourning the loss of distinguished restaurateur and philanthropist Vance Godbey of Azle, who passed away on May 28, 2003, at the age of 83; and WHEREAS, Born August 11, 1919, in Springtown, Mr. Godbey graduated from North Side High School in 1938; after building airplanes for Consolidated Vultee, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 and subsequently rose to the rank of sergeant; and WHEREAS, Mr. Godbey moved to the Lakeside area in 1947 and started Godbey's Grocery; forced to close down by a larger company's moving into the area, he next owned and operated a popular barbecue stand before having his lease canceled; demonstrating admirable resilience and determination, he opened Vance Godbey's Restaurant on the Jacksboro highway in 1955, providing customers with delicious home-style cooking and a spectacular view of Lake Worth; and WHEREAS, With the later addition of a catering service, the business grew to employ a staff of some 80 workers; a generous employer, Mr. Godbey offered profit sharing, often paid for employees' college expenses, and once sent his staff on a Hawaiian vacation; when he retired in the 1990s, he turned the business over to his daughters Carol and CK; and WHEREAS, In addition to being a successful businessman, Mr. Godbey was a public-spirited citizen who contributed to the area in a number of ways; a member of the first Lake Worth city council, he also played an instrumental role in establishing that town's first fire department and served as a volunteer firefighter himself from 1947 to 1959; moreover, his grocery store did double duty as the original fire department; and WHEREAS, Mr. Godbey touched countless lives with his generous donations to area charities, including Loaves and Fishes, the Presbyterian Night Shelter, and Restoration Church in Arlington; for many years, he provided Thanksgiving dinners through the Salvation Army; after several area firefighters perished while combating a blaze in 1999, he opened his restaurant on Sundays to raise money for their families, donating $46,400 to the Firefighters 500 Fund, and he gave freely in behalf of the New York City firefighters who died in the September 11 terrorist attack; and WHEREAS, His numerous affiliations included the Grand Lodge of Texas, Tarrant Masonic Lodge 942, the NAACP, the Republican National Committee, and the Fort Worth Petroleum Club; in 1996, both Fort Worth and Tarrant County held Vance Godbey Appreciation days in his honor, and three years later he received the Congressional Certificate of Recognition from Representative Kay Granger; and WHEREAS, A member of the First Baptist Church of Lakeside, Mr. Godbey was a devoted family man, successful restaurateur, and beloved citizen; his family, his friends, and countless fellow citizens will long feel the influence he had in their lives, and his memory will be preserved in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know him; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas Legislature hereby pay special tribute to the life of Vance Godbey and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Arvella Godbey; to his daughters, Carol Godbey, Cynthia "CK" Godbey, Janice Godbey, and Sandy Martin; to his stepchildren, Jim Stride, Bobby Garrett, and Sharon Glover; to his grandsons, Micah Lauderdale, Zachary Knittle, and Mike Martin; to his granddaughters, Leigh Anne Lauderdale and Regina McDonald; to his seven step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; to his brothers-in-law, Herman Brawley, Larry Brawley, Marvin Brawley, and Thomas Brawley; and to his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Vance Godbey. Geren ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1869 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on June 1, 2003. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House