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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of El Paso |
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businessman and civic leader Richard Nathan Azar, who died on May |
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21, 2009, at the age of 88; and |
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WHEREAS, Dick Azar was born in Clayton, New Mexico, on |
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January 13, 1921, to Nathan and Elizabeth Azar; he was a graduate of |
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Raton High School and went on to attend Trinidad State Junior |
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College and New Mexico Military Institute; and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War |
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II, Mr. Azar joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941; a bomber pilot |
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in the Pacific Theater, he once flew Eleanor Roosevelt on a Red |
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Cross tour; and |
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WHEREAS, A successful businessman in El Paso for many years, |
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Mr. Azar pursued a diversity of interests; the president of |
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Dickshire Coors Distributing for 34 years, he also spent 20 years in |
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the maquiladora industry in Juarez; in addition, he helped develop |
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a number of hotel projects in El Paso, and he owned a restaurant, a |
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forklift sales business, and a smoke shop; for two years in the |
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1950s, he owned a minor league baseball team, the El Paso Texans, |
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now known as the El Paso Diablos; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Azar never lost his passion for flying; he and |
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his wife, former El Paso mayor Suzie Azar, ran Blue Feather Aero |
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flight school, and Mr. Azar also helped found the Amigo Airsho in |
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1981; he continued to work as a flight instructor well into his |
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eighties; and |
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WHEREAS, A man of strong religious faith and civic |
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commitment, he was recognized by the Catholic Church in 1961 as an |
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outstanding Catholic layman; throughout his life, he was active in |
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dozens of community organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, Dick Azar lived a full and generous life, and |
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although he is no longer with us, he leaves behind many treasured |
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memories that will live forever in the hearts of those who knew and |
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loved him; 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 Richard Nathan Azar |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Suzanne Azar; to his sons, Richard, Robert, and Greg Azar; to |
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his daughter, Cheryl McCown; to his stepdaughters, Christine and |
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Michelle Gardy; to his grandchildren, Richard N. Azar III, Ben, |
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Bryan, Robert, Steve, and Alan Azar, Kim Shepperd, Michelle and |
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James McCown, Dena McCown Belvin, Chantal, Gino, and Mateo |
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Guerrero, and Vinson Ratcliff; to his great-grandchildren, |
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Richard, Tucker, Carli, Traylor, Zizi, and Abbey Azar, John Ben and |
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Ava Shepperd, Jay and Josh McCown, and Lauren, Leslie, and Leah |
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Reynolds; and to 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 Dick Azar. |
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Chavez |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2999 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on June 1, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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