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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family, friends, and community members are mourning |
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the untimely death of Brenham broadcaster William Prentice Mearns, |
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who passed away on March 13, 2007, at the age of 50; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Liberty on April 16, 1956, to William Ownby |
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Mearns, Jr., and Bettye Baillio Mearns, Prentice Mearns attended |
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Liberty High School, Lee College, and Texas A&M University; and |
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WHEREAS, Early in his life, Mr. Mearns demonstrated a love |
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for broadcasting, and he began his career in radio at KPXE in |
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Liberty at the age of 17; in 1978 he moved to Radio Central KWHI in |
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Brenham, where he worked as an announcer and journalist before |
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moving on to work with TV Cable News and Northland Cable News; in |
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2001 he returned to KWHI as AM program director; his baritone voice |
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was well known to listeners in Brenham through his work as host of |
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the morning show and the popular "Country Store" program; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Mearns gave generously of his time and energy to |
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a variety of community organizations; he was active with the Boy |
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Scouts, beginning as a Tiger Coach in 1996 and holding a number of |
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positions that culminated in his appointment as unit commissioner |
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for the Friends of Scouting; he also served as president of the |
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Brenham Exchange Club and the Brenham Community Theatre and as a |
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member of the Navasota Theatre Alliance Board, the Brenham Police |
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Academy Alumni Association, and the St. Mary's Family Choir; in |
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addition, he shared his talents as a speaker with Lifegift Organ |
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Donation Services in Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, His accomplishments, both as a professional and as a |
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volunteer, were often recognized with awards, including the Den |
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Leader and Webelos Awards, the District Award of Merit, the Extra |
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Miler Award, and the Troop Community Member of the Year award for |
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2006 from the Boy Scouts; moreover, his work as a broadcaster and |
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journalist garnered him many honors from the Texas Association of |
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Broadcasters as well as a first-place award for editorial writing |
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from United Press International; the Texas Cable Association |
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honored him five years in a row for outstanding stories; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted husband and father, Prentice Mearns loved |
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cooking, reading, music, and theater; he was a remarkably |
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accomplished man of various and passionate interests, yet one of |
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his favorite activities was simply relaxing with his family at the |
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beach; his enthusiasm for life and his engagement with the people |
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and the community he loved will be long remembered; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of William Prentice |
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Mearns and extend deepest condolences to the members of his family: |
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to his wife, Deidra Kocurek Mearns; to his children, Meredith and |
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Alex; to his brothers, Craig Mearns and his wife, Jeanne, and David |
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Mearns and his wife, Mary; to his other loved ones, Amy and Phil |
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Bentke, Kellen Kocurek, Chris and Carolyn Kocurek, Dolores Kocurek, |
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Emil Kocurek, Randy Reets, Reagan Bentke, Cara Bentke, Katelyn |
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Kocurek, Cameron Kocurek, Kathleen Finan, Amanda and Shane Pavlas, |
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Clay Mearns, Vanessa and Rodney Williams, Jana and Aaron Ballinger, |
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Jarrot Mearns, Travis Mearns, and Pat Taylor; 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 Prentice |
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Mearns. |