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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family, friends, and residents of Edinburg are |
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mourning the loss of former mayor Alfonso Rene Ramirez, who died on |
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April 22, 2009, at the age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Edinburg, Al Ramirez was the son of |
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Rafael and Emilia Ramirez; after attending schools in Edinburg, Rio |
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Grande City, and Hidalgo, he went on to earn a degree at Texas A&M |
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University; and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War |
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II, Mr. Ramirez served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a copilot in a |
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B-24 bomber, flying dangerous missions over Europe; Mr. Ramirez |
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received the Purple Heart and the Air Medal for his valiant service, |
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and he also earned the lasting respect of his crew; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez held a master's degree in education from |
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The University of Texas at Austin; over the course of his career as |
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an educator, he was a teacher and a principal, and from the late |
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1960s until his retirement in 1978, he was the director of |
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instruction and curriculum for the Edinburg Independent School |
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District; and |
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WHEREAS, While serving as curriculum director of Region One, |
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he and a team of 10 coworkers developed ROLL (Region One Literacy |
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Lessons) to help Spanish-speaking students read in their native |
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language, and he later was instrumental in the development of ROCK |
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(Region One Curriculum Kit) to help the same students learn to read |
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in English; and |
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WHEREAS, Also a dedicated civic leader, Mr. Ramirez became |
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Edinburg's first Mexican American mayor in 1963, winning a |
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hard-fought election by only 14 votes; in one of his first acts as |
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mayor, he tried to fulfill a campaign promise by desegregating the |
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city's swimming pool; the parks board refused to obey his order, so |
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he arranged to have the African American basketball star Luscious |
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Jackson, then a player for The University of Texas--Pan American, |
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escort a group of children to the pool; no one dared turn Mr. |
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Jackson away, so the pool was effectively desegregated; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez went on to win reelection two years |
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later by a considerable margin, and he continued as mayor until |
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1967, when he left office to dedicate himself to education; he also |
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came to be widely respected as the author and publisher of |
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historical and genealogical works; and |
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WHEREAS, Known for his integrity, keen intelligence, deep |
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spirituality, and lifelong commitment to others, Al Ramirez has |
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left behind a legacy that will continue to resonate in the Edinburg |
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community for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Alfonso Rene Ramirez |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Betty R. Ramirez; to his sons, David Ramirez and his wife, |
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Gracie, Robert Ramirez and his wife, Elvia, Steven Ramirez and his |
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wife, Valerie, and Dan Ramirez and his wife, Maria; to his sisters, |
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Edna Ramon and Delia Gleber; to his 11 grandchildren and 5 |
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great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; and, |
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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 Al Ramirez. |