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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a distinguished jurist and |
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admired civic leader with the death of the Honorable Frank |
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Harrington Crain, who passed away on June 9, 2011, at the age of 90; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Victoria, Frank Crain was born on |
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January 21, 1921, to Francis Harrington and Corinne Staerker Crain; |
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he graduated from Patti Welder High School and went on to attend |
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Schreiner Institute and The University of Texas at Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942, Mr. |
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Crain joined the U.S. Army and served his country with distinction |
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in the China-Burma-India and European theaters during World War II; |
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commissioned as a second lieutenant, he was awarded a number of |
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honors for his dedication to duty, including multiple campaign |
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service stars, the Bronze Star and Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Good |
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Conduct Medal; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Crain subsequently returned to The University of |
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Texas, graduating with a degree in law; he began his notable legal |
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career in Victoria, and after serving his fellow residents in the |
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Texas House of Representatives for two years, he was elected to |
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serve as Victoria County judge in 1955; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Crain's dedicated work earned him appointment |
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to the 135th District Court by Governor Price Daniel in 1959; he |
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continued in that position for nearly three decades, resigning from |
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the bench in 1988; in the following years, he served with the law |
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firm of Cole McManus Cole Easley & Bell; and |
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WHEREAS, Active in his community, Judge Crain was president |
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of the Sons of the American Revolution and founding president of the |
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Gulf Bend Foundation; he further shared his time with the boards of |
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CASA, the Victoria Community Theater, the Victoria Youth Home, |
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Foster Parents, the Victoria Symphony, the Victoria County |
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Courthouse Restoration Committee, and the Victoria College |
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Foundation; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, he was recognized for his |
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committed efforts by the Rotary Club, which honored him with the |
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Paul Harris Fellowship award, and the South Texas Council of Boy |
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Scouts of America, which named him Distinguished Citizen of the |
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Year in 2004; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Crain was also a man of faith; he served the |
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congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church as a vestryman, a role he |
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also held at St. Francis Episcopal Church, where he was a founding |
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member and senior warden; in addition, he worked on a number of |
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committees for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Judge Crain was supported |
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by his loving family; married for 68 years to Olive Bell Crain, he |
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was blessed with four daughters, Katherine, Pamela, Olive, and |
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Julie, as well as two grandsons, John and Henry; and |
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WHEREAS, Highly regarded for his contributions to Victoria |
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County and to the State of Texas, Frank Crain leaves behind a legacy |
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of public service that will long be remembered by all who were |
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privileged to share in the richness of his life; now, therefore, be |
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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 memory |
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of the Honorable Frank Harrington Crain and extend deepest sympathy |
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to the members of his family: to his wife, Olive Bell Crain; to his |
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daughters, Dr. Pamela Crain, Olive Crain, and Julie Heinitsh and |
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her husband, John; to his grandchildren, John and Henry Heinitsh; |
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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 Frank |
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Harrington Crain. |