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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends will long cherish their memories |
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of LeRoy Reed of Odessa, who passed away on January 11, 2013, at the |
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age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Reed was born in Temple on July 1, 1926, to Grant |
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and Helena Reed; in 1940, he and his family moved to San Angelo, |
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where he continued his education at Blackshear High School; and |
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WHEREAS, LeRoy Reed was not yet 20 when he married the love of |
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his life, the former Eldora Harris; the couple became the proud |
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parents of a son, Marvin, and shared a rewarding marriage of 64 |
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years before Mrs. Reed's death in 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, After working as a chef at the Elliott Hotel in |
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Odessa, Mr. Reed moved with his wife to Kermit, where, at the age of |
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21, the pair opened Everybody's Cafe; they subsequently returned to |
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Odessa, and Mr. Reed worked for a time as an executive chef; in |
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1958, he and his wife launched another restaurant, LeRoy's Pit |
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Bar-B-Q, which they ran until 1973; their son then took over the |
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business and Mr. and Mrs. Reed established LeRoy's Restaurant |
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Supply; they operated the latter enterprise for two decades, until |
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selling the concern to their son and grandson in 1994; Mr. Reed also |
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invested in rental property and found success as an insurance and |
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real estate salesman; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to the welfare of his community, |
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LeRoy Reed gave generously of his time and talents to a host of |
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notable endeavors; he chaired the original City of Odessa |
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Convention and Visitors Bureau and held a seat on the original |
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Enterprise Zone Committee; in addition, he was a founding member |
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and officer of the Southeast Civic League, Permian Basin Black |
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Chamber of Commerce, Blackshear High School Steer Booster Club, |
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Ector Lions Club, Gertrude Bruce Historical Cultural Center, |
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Woodson Boys Club, and Regular Fellows Club; a devoted congregant |
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of the Texas and Clements Street Church of Christ, he was also |
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affiliated with the Mexican American Network of Odessa, the Texas |
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Coalition of Black Democrats, the Ector High School Football |
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Booster Club, and the NAACP; moreover, he benefited Texans across |
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the state through his service as a director of the Lions Eye Bank |
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and the Lions Camp for Crippled Children; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the many accolades bestowed on this esteemed |
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Texan were the 2006 R. C. Hoiles Award from the Odessa American |
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newspaper and the service award from the Gertrude Bruce Historical |
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Cultural Center, as well as selection to the Business Hall of Fame |
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by the Permian Basin Black Chamber of Commerce and designation as |
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Citizen of the Year by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; and |
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WHEREAS, Treasured for his cheerful, joyous nature, Mr. Reed |
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took pleasure in countless friendships and delighted in his large |
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extended family; the annual family reunion was an event that he |
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looked forward to with great anticipation; and |
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WHEREAS, LeRoy Reed achieved a life that was rich in service, |
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accomplishments, and close ties of affection, and those who were |
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privileged to share in his love and friendship will forever hold him |
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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 LeRoy Reed and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his son, |
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Marvin; to his grandson, Anthony, and his wife, Jerri; to his |
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great-grandchildren, Caroline Rose and Rohan Anthony; to his |
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siblings, Jimmie, Grant, and Charles Reed, Ruby Peyton, Alice |
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Johns, and Gloria DeWitt; and to his many other relatives and |
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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 LeRoy Reed. |