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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 802
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In Memory |
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of |
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John Matthew Bird |
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the |
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citizens of San Antonio in mourning the loss of John Matthew |
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Bird, who died March 29, 2011, at the age of 89; and |
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WHEREAS, John Bird became a motion picture projectionist |
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in San Antonio after he returned from serving in the United |
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States Navy during World War II, and he worked for many years in |
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various theaters around San Antonio; he was an active member of |
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the International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employees |
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Local Union 407 and served as president of the local union in the |
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1970s; and |
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WHEREAS, He was born in San Antonio on November 20, 1921, |
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to Harry Matthew Bird and Francis Schumake Bird; his parents were |
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divorced during the Depression, and his mother later married |
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Charles Breuning, whom John greatly admired and respected; his |
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stepfather introduced him to Local Union 407 and later helped him |
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become a motion picture projectionist; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from Brackenridge High School in |
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1939, Mr. Bird attended a school where he learned the basics of |
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working on airplane engines and took a job at Kelly Field; after |
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the United States became involved in World War II, Mr. Bird |
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joined the United States Navy and was assigned to the Naval Air |
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Station in Kingsville; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Bird spent most of his time during the war |
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working on aircraft engines; he also trained young men learning |
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to be pilots how to use their parachutes properly; he realized |
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his effectiveness years later when he was stationed in Santa Ana, |
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California, and a former student and sailor told him that his |
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instructions had saved his life when he had been forced to bail |
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out of his airplane; and |
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WHEREAS, After his military service, Mr. Bird returned to |
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San Antonio and began his career as a movie theater projectionist; |
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he met his future wife, Leah Vivian Hall, through a church group; |
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they were married in 1954, and their son, Joel Wendell Bird, was |
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born in 1955; after retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Bird served |
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concurrent terms as first and second readers in their local |
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Christian Science Church; they had been married almost 50 years |
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when Mrs. Bird died in 2004; Mr. Bird remained an active member of |
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the Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, in San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, John Bird was a highly regarded resident of San |
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Antonio, and he will be deeply missed by his family and by all |
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those who had the good fortune of knowing him; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd |
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Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of John Matthew Bird |
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and extend sincere condolences to his bereaved family; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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memory of John Matthew Bird. |
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Wentworth |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 19, 2011, by a |
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rising vote. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |