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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Honorable M. A. Taylor of Waco, who served his |
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constituents in McLennan and Falls Counties with tireless devotion |
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during four terms in the Texas House of Representatives, passed |
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away on February 5, 2013, at the age of 85; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Hewitt on October 30, 1927, Mr. Taylor was |
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the son of Mathilde Emilia and Mertz Anderson Taylor; he worked |
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alongside his father on the family farm and attended Hewitt and |
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Lorena public schools before enrolling in the Agricultural and |
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Mechanical College of Texas, now Texas A&M University; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating, Mr. Taylor served as a business |
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manager for Hipps Orthopedic Clinic and later joined Central |
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Freight Lines, where he worked for more than three decades; when he |
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retired in 1982, he was vice president of corporate affairs and a |
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member of the board of directors and had served several terms as |
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president of the Central Federal Credit Union; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his tenure with Central Freight Lines, |
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this dynamic Texan was active in his local and state business |
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community; as a lifelong member of the Texas Association of |
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Business and Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Taylor held many offices, |
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including treasurer of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, vice |
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president of the Texas State Chamber of Commerce, and president of |
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the East Texas Chamber of Commerce; in addition, he was a member of |
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the National Defense Executive Reserve and served as president for |
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a number of other professional organizations, including the Waco |
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Management and Personnel Association and the Waco Executive |
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Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his retirement from CFL, Mr. Taylor |
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established Management Action Techniques and Systems, a business |
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consulting firm, and then was elected to the Texas House of |
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Representatives in 1984, becoming only the second Republican to |
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represent McLennan County since Reconstruction; during his eight |
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years as a legislator, Mr. Taylor served on the Insurance and |
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Transportation Committees and was a member of the Conservative |
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Coalition, the Rural Caucus, and the Republican Caucus; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Taylor continued to play a vital role in the |
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state's Republican party after leaving the house of |
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representatives; he was elected county chairman of the Republican |
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Party of McLennan County in 1994, and in 1999 he founded that |
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organization's Endowment Trust; he also contributed his expertise |
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to many other organizations, including the Election Commission of |
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McLennan County, the Texas Republican County Chairmen's |
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Association, and the Young Conservatives of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to forging successful careers in |
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business and public service, Mr. Taylor contributed significantly |
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to the civic and cultural life of McLennan County, where he was born |
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and where he lived for many years; a Rotarian and a 33rd Degree |
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Mason, he served as president of the Waco Civic Theatre and the Red |
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Cross Gallon Club, in which he earned membership many times over as |
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a seven-gallon blood donor; he also served as vice president of the |
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Friends of the Moody Texas Ranger Memorial Library, as a member and |
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vice chair of the Providence Hospital Advisory Board, and as a |
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trustee of the Providence Healthcare Network; and |
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WHEREAS, A passionate supporter of the maroon and white, |
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Mr. Taylor's commitment to Texas A&M continued long past his |
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graduation; he held the offices of president of the Waco-McLennan |
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County A&M Club, district councilman for the Association of Former |
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Students, and director of the Greater Waco A&M Club, and for 30 |
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years he worked with the university's Transportation Institute; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Taylor enjoyed the love |
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and support of his wife, Virginia Lynn Salmond Taylor, and their |
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three children, Marilynn, Kathy, and Mark Kevin; and |
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WHEREAS, M. A. Taylor leaves a legacy of accomplishments |
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that will continue to benefit the people in this state for years to |
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come, and he will long be remembered with deep affection and |
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admiration by all who were fortunate enough to share in the richness |
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of his life; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable M. A. Taylor and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, |
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Virginia Lynn Salmond Taylor; to his daughters, Marilynn Pagano and |
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Kathy Leighton; to his son, Mark Kevin Taylor; to his five |
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grandchildren and his great-grandchild; and to the other relatives |
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and friends of this distinguished Texan; 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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M. A. Taylor. |