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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The loss of James Herbert Boswell on May 8, 2010, was |
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keenly felt by the numerous friends that he made through the years |
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as well as by the many people in Plano and beyond whose lives he |
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forever enriched; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on November 18, 1938, in North Carolina to |
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Ethel and Walter Boswell, Jim Boswell graduated as the |
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valedictorian of his high school class; he went on to earn a degree |
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in political science from George Washington University and worked |
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as a bailiff at a district court; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Boswell began his business career with the |
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Campbell Soup Company, holding a number of positions over the |
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course of two decades; in 1976, he moved to Plano and became a |
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partner in a food brokerage firm and then a vice president of sales |
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at a food company; he later served as a director of physician |
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services at the Medical Center of Plano and subsequently was the |
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administrative director of physician services at Texas Health |
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Presbyterian Hospital Plano, where he was responsible for |
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recruiting and retaining more than 100 physicians; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to his community, Mr. Boswell was a member |
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of the Plano City Council and the chair of its planning and zoning |
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commission, as well as a former chair of the Plano Economic |
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Development Board and the Plano Chamber of Commerce; he served on |
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the boards of the Citizens Charter Review Commission, the Plano |
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Library Foundation, and the local chapter of the United Way; in |
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addition, he was the president of the local chapter of the American |
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Heart Association and an active member of West Plano Presbyterian |
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Church, which he served as an elder; moreover, he founded the Plano |
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Lawnmower Brigade, a popular participant in the city's annual |
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Fourth of July parade; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Boswell was recognized for his contributions |
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with an award for his volunteerism in 1985, and he was named Plano |
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Citizen of the Year in 1992; he was inducted into the STAR |
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Children's Charity hall of fame and was the namesake and the first |
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recipient of the charity's Jim Boswell Award, which honors |
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individuals who exemplify the qualities of leadership and |
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philanthropy for which Mr. Boswell was known; Texas Health |
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Presbyterian Hospital Plano recognized him with a commissioned |
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portrait in their hall of honor, and he also received the John |
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McVeigh Award from the Collin County Republican Party; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Boswell enjoyed the |
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love and support of his wife, Myra, with whom he shared nearly half |
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a century, and their daughter, Leslie; consummate hosts, Mr. and |
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Mrs. Boswell frequently entertained guests, and for three decades, |
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they invited some 300 friends to their home for a Christmas Eve |
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party; and |
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WHEREAS, With a hearty laugh, an upbeat disposition, and a |
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genuine love of people, Mr. Boswell earned the admiration and |
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affection of many, and the citizens of Plano were fortunate indeed |
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to count him among their fellow residents; 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 James Herbert |
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Boswell and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his wife, Myra Boswell; to his daughter, Leslie Austin Boswell; to |
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his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Ellen and Richard Gerwig; to |
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his niece and nephew, Avery and Brandon Gerwig; to his close friend |
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and college roommate, Dr. Sandy Plevin; and to his many other |
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friends and relatives; 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 Jim |
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Boswell. |