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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Former Starr County judge Blas Chapa of Mission |
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passed away on May 10, 2010, at the age of 79, leaving his circle of |
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family and friends to cherish their happy memories of time spent in |
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his company; and |
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WHEREAS, Blas Chapa was born in El Refugio on November 29, |
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1930, to Jose Maria Chapa and Francisca Balderas Chapa; known to his |
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friends as "Blasito," he learned the value of hard work at an early |
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age, laboring in produce and cotton fields and walking to school in |
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Rio Grande City; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from high school in 1948, Judge |
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Chapa answered his nation's call to duty and joined the U.S. Army; |
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he served as a medic in Japan and Korea, where he saw action during |
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the Korean War, earning a number of commendations; and |
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WHEREAS, He returned to Texas and resumed his education, |
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working his way through Edinburg Junior College by driving a bus; |
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while attending college, he met his future wife, Socorro Vera, and |
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the couple went on to share a loving marriage until her death; |
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together they were blessed with three children, Blas, Irasema, and |
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Ileana; and |
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WHEREAS, During the course of a career in education, Judge |
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Chapa worked as a teacher and a principal while continuing his |
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studies, eventually earning a bachelor's degree from Pan American |
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University; he then entered politics, serving as the district clerk |
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of Starr County and for two terms as Starr County judge; along the |
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way, he was also in business as a bookkeeper; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted family man and a loyal friend, Judge Chapa |
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distinguished himself as a gregarious and active member of his |
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community, and he is remembered with deep affection by all who knew |
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him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Judge Blas Chapa and extend sincere condolences to the members of |
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his family: to his son, Blas Chapa, Jr., and his wife, Clelia; to |
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his daughters, Irasema Maxwell and her husband, Harold, and Ileana |
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Vicinaiz and her husband, Victor; to his sisters, Trinidad Chapa, |
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Marcy Reyes and her husband, Ruben, and Maria Bazan; to his brother, |
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Jose Chapa, and his wife, Petra; to his grandchildren, Brianna |
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Maxwell, Blas Chapa III, John Edward Maxwell, Victor V. Vicinaiz |
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II, Sara I. Vicinaiz, and Miguel Chapa; and to his other relatives |
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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 Judge Blas |
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Chapa. |