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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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death of Francis Xavier Flatley of Irving on January 3, 2013, at the |
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age of 84; and |
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WHEREAS, Frank Flatley was born in Boston in 1928 to Irish |
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immigrants Margaret Kelly and Patrick James Flatley; the oldest of |
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13 children, he had many happy memories of gathering with his |
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younger siblings to hear his father play Irish tunes; he graduated |
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from St. Mary's Catholic School in Brookline, Massachusetts, and |
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was subsequently accepted to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in |
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Kings Point, New York; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating, Mr. Flatley proudly served his |
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country as a naval officer aboard the USS Kula Gulf; at the end of |
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the Korean War, he began working aboard Texaco oil tankers and was |
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later employed with Caltex for nearly four decades; he relocated to |
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the Dallas area when Caltex moved its headquarters to Irving and |
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remained there for the rest of his life; in his later years, he |
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worked as a reservations agent for American Airlines, where he was |
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warmly regarded by his coworkers for his sense of humor and cheerful |
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personality; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Flatley enjoyed a rewarding marriage of more |
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than three decades with his first wife, Elda Bello, who passed away |
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in 1982; fortunate enough to find love again, he met Paula Fuller |
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Bowman on a blind date to a Dallas Cowboys game; they married in |
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1988, and after Mr. Flatley's retirement, the two traveled and |
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enjoyed an active social life; they took great pride in their |
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blended family, and Mr. Flatley was affectionately known as "Pop" |
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to their many grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, A devout Catholic, Mr. Flatley attended Mass |
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regularly and served as a reader and a Eucharistic minister at |
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St. Michael's Catholic Church in Bedford, at the University of |
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Dallas, and at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Irving; he was also a |
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member of the Serra Foundation, which promotes vocations in the |
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Catholic priesthood; in addition, this dynamic Texan served as |
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president of the Irving Symphony Orchestra Association and was an |
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active member of the Rotary Club of Irving; he and his wife also |
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supported local theater and orchestra productions, as well as |
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TexasFest, a fund-raiser for the Irving Healthcare Foundation; for |
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his dedicated volunteerism, Mr. Flatley received the Irving High |
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Spirited Citizen Award; and |
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WHEREAS, With his kind and caring ways, Frank Flatley |
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immeasurably enriched the lives of countless people, and they will |
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forever hold him close in their hearts; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Francis Xavier |
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Flatley and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his wife, Paula Flatley; to his children, Gary Flatley, David |
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Flatley and his wife, Nan, Elizabeth Pia Richard and her husband, |
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Jeffrey, and Brian Flatley; to his stepchildren, Bret Bowman and |
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his wife, Deirdre, and Catherine Bowman Bundick and her husband, |
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Joel; to his grandchildren, Christopher, Kaitlyn, Meaghan, Kevin, |
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Michaela, Monica, and Mathew Flatley, Melissa Malmberg, Andrew |
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Costello, Elizabeth Bowman, Brittany, Blaise, and Gabrielle |
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Richard, Christine Dixon, and Garrett and Grayson Bundick; to his |
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brothers, James Flatley and his wife, Mary, Thomas Flatley and his |
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wife, Dorothy, William Flatley and his wife, Louise, Paul Flatley |
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and his wife, Joan, the Reverend Brian Flatley, and Kevin Flatley |
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and his wife, Cheri; to his sisters, Ellen Corey, Monica McIntyre |
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and her husband, Dr. James McIntyre, Sister Mary Flatley, Catherine |
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Peters, and Virginia Butler; to his brother-in-law, Dr. Frank |
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Pomer; 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 Francis |
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Xavier Flatley. |