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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends mourn the death of businessman |
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Walter Sheridan Harpool of Denton, who passed away January 28, |
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2007, at the age of 84; and |
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WHEREAS, Known affectionately as "Pinky," Walter Harpool was |
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born on February 14, 1922, in Hebron, to Josephine and R. T. |
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Harpool, Sr.; the Harpool family have been residents of Denton |
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County since 1873; in 1939 they founded Harpool Seed, Inc., which |
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grew to have offices in Houston, Austin, Denton, Dallas, and |
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Muskogee, Oklahoma; and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War |
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II, Mr. Harpool served as a pilot in the United States Army Air |
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Force; he trained in California and received his wings in Arizona; |
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he worked as an instructor at Perrin Field in Sherman and trained on |
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the B-17 in Florida before flying as a pilot at Langley Field for |
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radar students; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to Denton, Mr. Harpool continued to work |
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for the family business; in 1962 he founded a separate firm, Harpool |
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Fertilizer Company, which was the first independent bulk blending |
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fertilizer plant in Texas; as an important agribusiness innovator, |
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he was interested in the latest agricultural techniques and in |
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formulating new and more productive fertilizers for his clients; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Regarded by all who knew him as a man of outstanding |
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character, Mr. Harpool served his community in many ways; chairman |
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of the Denton County Program Building Committee, he also worked |
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with many other agricultural committees; he served on the |
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Agricultural Diversification Board during the administration of |
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Governor Bill Clements, and he was active with the Denton Youth |
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Fair, the North Texas State Fair, the United Way, and the Denton |
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Chamber of Commerce; and |
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WHEREAS, His many contributions to his profession and his |
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community earned him recognition; he was named Man of the Year in |
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Texas Agriculture in 1987 by the Texas Agricultural Extension |
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Service and Conservation Businessman of the Year in 1988 by the |
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Denton County Soil and Water Conservation District; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1987 Mr. Harpool bought an old railroad caboose |
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and renovated it for use as his office; it stood on an old rail spur |
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in Denton, where he enjoyed having friends and customers come to |
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visit him; in 2006 he donated the caboose to the city of Denton in |
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honor of an old friend, Mayor Euline Brock; and |
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WHEREAS, Well loved and widely respected, Pinky Harpool was a |
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straightforward man of outstanding character who gave generously to |
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his community, and he will be long remembered for his |
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accomplishments and his honesty and good humor; now, therefore, be |
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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 Walter Sheridan Harpool and |
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offer sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, |
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Rose Marie Royall Harpool; to his son, Walter S. Harpool, Jr.; to |
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his brother, Tom Harpool, Jr., and his wife, Rebecca; to his niece, |
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Jerry Watkins, and her husband, Bill; to his sisters-in-law, Opal |
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Harpool and Oleta McDonald and her husband, Bob; and to his other |
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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 Walter |
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Sheridan Harpool. |