79R6445 KO-D By: Cook of Navarro H.R. No. 678R 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.