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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Hunt lost an admired resident and |
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community leader with the death of Silas B. Ragsdale, Jr., on |
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January 5, 2011, at the age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Galveston, "Si" Ragsdale was born on |
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September 15, 1924, to Silas and Sadie Ragsdale; he graduated from |
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Ball High School and attended Castle Heights Military Academy, |
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earning the rank of first lieutenant; he went on to serve this |
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nation as an army captain in World War II, and he was awarded the |
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Bronze Star for his courageous service during the Normandy |
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invasion; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to civilian life, Mr. Ragsdale drew on his |
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longtime love of camping to develop his career; he directed Camp |
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Fern in Marshall for five summers and later worked year-round as |
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director of Camp Rio Vista and program director of Texas Lion's Camp |
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in Kerrville; in 1966, he and his wife, Kathy, purchased Camp |
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Stewart, and in 1987, they acquired Heart O' the Hills Camp for |
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Girls; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Ragsdale was a leader in his field; in addition |
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to serving as president of the National Camping Advisory Council, |
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he was a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Youth Camp |
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Safety, a founding member and president of the Camping Association |
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for Mutual Progress, and a member-at-large on the American Camping |
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Association National Camping Council for Private Independent |
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Camps; and |
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WHEREAS, Active in his state and community as well, he served |
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on the board of the Texas Chamber of Commerce and on the foundation |
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board of Texas Woman's University, the alma mater of his mother, |
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wife, and daughters; his own alma mater, The University of Texas at |
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Austin, benefited from his life membership with the alumni |
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association, the Texas Exes, and his work with the Delta Tau Delta |
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fraternity earned him appointment to the group's Distinguished |
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Service Chapter; he also helped to establish Leadership Kerr |
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County, and his efforts were recognized with the title of Kerr |
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County Legend, awarded to him by the Kerrville Area Chamber of |
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Commerce in 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Ragsdale attended the First Presbyterian Church |
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of Kerrville and contributed to the congregation as an elder; |
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moreover, he chaired the board of trustees for Mo-Ranch and served |
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on the Texas Presbyterian Foundation Board; and |
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WHEREAS, Si Ragsdale enjoyed a life that was rich in the |
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intangibles that matter most, and he is deeply missed by all those |
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who were privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Silas B. Ragsdale, |
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Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his wife, Kathy Coffey Ragsdale; to his sons, Jon Ragsdale and his |
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wife, Janet, and Silas "Jeepers" Ragsdale III and his wife, |
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Meredith; to his daughters, Jane Howell and her husband, Dick, and |
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Juli Ragsdale and Levvy Carriker; to his grandchildren, Silas Deen |
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Howell, Silas Ragsdale IV, and Catherine Ragsdale; to his sister, |
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Joan Ragsdale Baskin; 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 Silas B. |
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Ragsdale, Jr. |