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H.R. No. 678
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Navarro County lost a dedicated and greatly admired
public servant with the death of Judge Kenneth A. Douglas on January
27, 2005, at the age of 77; and
WHEREAS, Born on February 17, 1927, Buck Douglas joined the
Army after his high school graduation and served in Panama; after
his discharge, he enrolled in Navarro College and later the Baylor
University School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1951;
following his graduation, he returned to his native Navarro County
and joined a law firm in Corsicana; and
WHEREAS, He continued to practice law while serving as
municipal judge for Corsicana until 1957, when he was appointed
county judge of Navarro County; during his distinguished 16-year
tenure in that post, he was faced with many challenges, including
the much-needed renovation of an aging courthouse and the financing
of the county's contribution to the construction of Interstate 45
when revenues were particularly low, and he successfully met those
challenges with his trademark fiscal conservatism and effective
management skills; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, Judge Douglas left the county bench to
assume a position as director of the Texas Association of Counties,
and under his direction, the fledgling organization thrived and
expanded both in operations and in influence; and
WHEREAS, He returned to the bench five years later when he was
elected to the 13th District Court of the State of Texas, where he
served with distinction for 20 years, hearing cases ranging from
family and civil disputes to capital murder; following his
retirement in 1996, he continued to serve as a visiting judge in
complex and controversial cases; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his exceptional career as a public
servant, Buck Douglas engaged in ranching and the independent
trucking business; he also served as president of both the
Northeast Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and the
Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and helped found
VFW Post No. 3366; and
WHEREAS, A firm believer that all citizens were equal in the
eyes of the law, Judge Douglas leaves behind a legacy of honesty,
integrity, and fairness that will resonate long in the memories of
all who knew him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Judge Kenneth A.
Douglas and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family:
to his wife of 57 years, Dorothy Jo Owen Douglas; to his sons and
daughters-in-law, Ken and Cindy Douglas and Brett and Dianne
Douglas; to his grandchildren, Allison, Ryan, Dustin, Daniel, and
Seth Douglas and Anna Middleton; to his mother, Gladys Douglas; to
his sisters and brothers-in-law, Marie Griffin, Dorothy Jean and
Bob Ashford, Betty and Dan Lancaster, and Wanda and Eddie McNeese;
to his sister-in-law, Bobbie Brown; to his nieces, Brenda Hodge and
her husband, Coy, and Kim Andrews and her husband, Larry; and to his
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 the
Honorable Kenneth A. Douglas.
Cook of Navarro
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 678 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 31, 2005.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House