81R5656 MG-D

By: Merritt H.C.R. No. 77

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Residents of Longview lost an admired community leader and renowned philanthropist with the passing of Rose Shipton Pickens Kirkpatrick on January 14, 2009, at the age of 79; and

WHEREAS, Born to Eudora and Jack Pickens on August 22, 1929, the former Rose Pickens was raised in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, where her father was a political pioneer and proprietor of one of the state's largest general contracting firms; she graduated from Little Rock High School and later attended Ogontz Junior College in Philadelphia, which is now part of Pennsylvania State University; she went on to marry Kenneth L. Kirkpatrick, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, on September 6, 1952, in Little Rock; and

WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick relocated to the Lone Star State and lived in Lubbock and Dallas before settling in Longview in 1963; they became the owners of R&K Distributors, Inc., an Anheuser-Busch distributor for the East Texas region, and were soon supporting numerous charitable endeavors in Longview; the couple hosted fund-raisers for local organizations in the "Michelob Room," a space in their company's warehouse that had been built for that specific purpose; and

WHEREAS, Through the years, Mrs. Kirkpatrick devoted countless hours to serving the community of Longview; among the many organizations that benefited from her involvement are Trinity Episcopal Church, the Gregg County Historical Museum, the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, the Humane Society of Northeast Texas, the Longview Community Theatre, and the Crisman School; and

WHEREAS, This devoted volunteer was also on the board of the Good Shepherd Foundation, and she was a loyal supporter of the Trinity School of Texas, contributing to the construction of two buildings and to numerous other campus projects and events; moreover, she was active in the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Junior League chapters of every city she lived in, and she was a founding member of the Longview Longfellows Debutante Ball; her civic contributions earned her various accolades, including the East Texas Heritage Award and the Honoree of the Year designation by the American Heart Association, and she was selected as the honorary chair of the Cattle Baron's Ball by the local chapter of the American Cancer Society; and

WHEREAS, Rose Kirkpatrick was committed to ensuring a bright future for the citizens of Longview, and she leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of generosity and community engagement that will forever be treasured by all those who were fortunate enough to know her; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby pay tribute to the life of Rose Shipton Pickens Kirkpatrick and extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her daughters, Gail Elizabeth Pickens Kirkpatrick Martin and her husband, John Carmichael Martin III, Rose Kimberly Kirkpatrick, and Victoria Shipton Kirkpatrick and her husband, Bruce Bridges; to her grandchildren, Victoria Kimberly Martin Bonnen and her husband, State Representative Dennis Bonnen, Jaclyn Gail Pickens Martin Abernathy and her husband, Clay Abernathy, John Kenneth Martin, Alexandra Rose Cox, Ryan Kirkpatrick Cox, and Julia Shipton Cook; to her great-grandchildren, David Jackson Carmichael Bonnen, Gregory James Bonnen, and Jack Madison Abernathy; to her sister-in-law, Gail Kirkpatrick Tompkins; to her brother-in-law, Frederick Calhoun Kirkpatrick, Jr.; and to her other relatives and friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Rose Kirkpatrick.