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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A loving family and many friends and colleagues |
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mourn the loss of Lieutenant James Lee Sunderland, Sr., of the Val |
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Verde County Sheriff's Department, who died in the line of duty on |
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June 30, 2006, at the age of 46; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Edinburg on February 2, 1960, James |
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Sunderland graduated from Edinburg High School in 1978; after |
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working as a mechanic for 10 years, he answered the call to serve |
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and protect and entered the Hidalgo County Peace Officers Academy; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, After a year as a temporary deputy, Mr. Sunderland |
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became a permanent deputy in the Val Verde County Sheriff's |
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Department in 1989; at the time of his death, he had been protecting |
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the citizens of the county for 18 years and had attained the rank of |
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lieutenant as well as a master peace officer certificate; and |
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WHEREAS, An inspiration to his colleagues, Lieutenant |
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Sunderland showed compassion and concern to those he came in |
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contact with as a peace officer; his door was always open to the |
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officers under his command, and he treated them as family, with |
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kindness and respect; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted husband and father and a devout |
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churchgoer, Lieutenant Sunderland enjoyed the simple pleasures of |
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life; he loved working with his hands and spending time with his |
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family; he was proud that his son Jimmy served alongside him in the |
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sheriff's department; and |
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WHEREAS, The untimely death of this brave public servant is a |
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tragic loss, but his family, friends, and community may take |
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comfort in his long and dedicated service to the people of Val Verde |
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County and in his sterling example to his fellow peace officers; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the life of James Lee Sunderland, Sr., and |
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offer sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife |
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of 26 years, Juanell Lynn Sunderland; to his children, James Lee |
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Sunderland, Jr., Jeremy Lynn Sunderland, Jennifer Lynn Sunderland, |
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and Jessica Lorraine Sunderland; to his parents, Carl G. Sunderland |
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and Emma Sunderland; to his brothers, Carl G. Sunderland III and |
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Randall Lee Sunderland; to his sister, Judy Ann Altemeyer; and to |
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his other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of James Lee |
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Sunderland, Sr. |