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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Amarillo lost a respected businessman, |
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notable benefactor, and admired native son with the death of Bill |
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Ware on March 22, 2012, at the age of 63; and |
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WHEREAS, Born into a prominent local banking family, Mr. Ware |
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distinguished himself from an early age through his commitment to |
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excellence; he was a star tennis player at Amarillo High School and |
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achieved a number two state ranking in doubles; named Player of the |
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Year for 1966 by the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame, he won an |
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athletic scholarship to Southern Methodist University, where he |
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completed his bachelor's degree in 1971; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan worked briefly in Dallas before |
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joining his brother, Richard, as a member of the fourth generation |
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of the Ware family to lead the Amarillo National Bank; with |
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characteristic vision, Mr. Ware helped establish the first branch |
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bank in Texas in 1987, and he was also instrumental in designing |
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what was one of the largest drive-up banking plazas in the country |
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at that time; he imbued marketing campaigns with his own wry humor, |
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creating a memorable series of TV commercials that featured an |
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out-of-town banker who habitually mispronounced the word |
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"Amarillo"; in 1999, Texas Monthly magazine named him along with |
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his brother and his father as the "Texas Bankers of the Century"; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A proud champion of his hometown, Mr. Ware |
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generously supported local charities and beautification efforts, |
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and he tirelessly promoted Amarillo as an attractive place to live |
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and work; he lobbied for commercial billboard restrictions and |
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provided the design and substantial funding for signs that welcome |
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visitors arriving on Interstate 40; moreover, he played a key role |
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in the construction of the Amarillo National Tennis Center, and he |
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was an active booster of the minor league baseball team; Mr. Ware |
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served on the board of directors of numerous civic groups and |
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business organizations and was a trustee of the Ware Foundation, |
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which benefits youth sports and health care initiatives; his civic |
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involvement also extended to politics, and he frequently campaigned |
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for local office seekers by exhorting passersby through a bullhorn |
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while driving a truck painted to resemble the Texas flag; and |
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WHEREAS, Bill Ware was known for his warmth and lack of |
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pretension as well as for his accomplishments, and he inspired |
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others through his sincere appreciation for the joys of each day; |
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although he will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate enough |
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to know him, they will long remember his love for a community that |
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will continue to reflect his contributions in the years to come; |
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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 life of Bill Ware and extend |
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deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Paige; |
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to his children, B. D. Ware, Lizzie Mason and her husband, Brian, |
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Savannah Singleton and her husband, Brian, and Tol Ware and his |
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wife, Sloane; to his father, Tol; to his brother, Richard; and to |
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his seven grandchildren, other relatives, and many friends; and, be |
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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 Bill Ware. |
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Price |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 225 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on February 18, 2013. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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