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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life filled with meaningful accomplishments drew |
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to a close with the passing of distinguished community advocate |
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Erasmo Wilivaldo Andrade of El Paso on March 30, 2012, at the age of |
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80; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Wilivaldo and Maria Nieto Andrade, Erasmo |
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Andrade was born on May 12, 1931, at the family's ranch near Bruni |
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and was raised in San Antonio; a graduate of Fox Vocational and |
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Technical School, he served this nation in the U.S. Navy and |
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attained the rank of machinist's mate third class; continuing his |
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education, he enrolled at St. Mary's University, earning his |
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bachelor's degree in international relations, and he later received |
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his juris doctorate from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at |
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Texas Southern University; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Andrade's early professional experience |
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included teaching at San Antonio schools and working as an |
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English-as-a-second-language instructor at Lackland Air Force Base |
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and in overseas assignments for the Department of Defense; on |
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returning home, he became a union organizer for migrant workers and |
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other groups, and his involvement in social and political causes |
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would remain a driving force in his life; among his other |
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achievements was the establishment of the Valley Workers Assistance |
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Committee and the coordination of a 1966 farmworkers' march on the |
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State Capitol; he additionally took part in a voting-rights |
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initiative in South Texas and helped to create the Zavala County |
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Mental Health Outreach Program in a partnership with The University |
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of Texas Health Science Center; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1973, Mr. Andrade and his family relocated to |
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Austin so that he could become a staff member for the Joint |
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Committee on Prison Reform of the 63rd Texas Legislature; he |
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subsequently joined the Austin Independent School District to |
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direct a community education program and soon found his way back |
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into the classroom, teaching economics, government, and history at |
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Austin and Lanier High Schools; during his time at those schools, he |
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helped students to form peer mediation teams and assisted them with |
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an effort to rename a downtown street in honor of Cesar Chavez; in |
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1993, he and his family moved to El Paso, where he taught social |
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studies at Riverside High School until 2002; in each of his teaching |
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assignments, he was known as someone who cared deeply about his |
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students and who encouraged them to further their studies and |
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pursue their dreams; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan volunteered with a number of |
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social service organizations in each city where he lived; he was |
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president of the Austin Child Guidance Center Board and helped |
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chair the Tri-Ethnic Desegregation Community Committee for Austin |
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schools, and he worked with groups supporting seniors, immigrants, |
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and persons with disabilities; in El Paso, he was appointed to the |
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city government civil service commission, and he was a member of the |
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appraisal review board for the El Paso Central Appraisal District |
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at the time of his death; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Andrade was active in the Democratic Party as |
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well and held the posts of precinct chair and election judge in the |
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El Paso area; previously, he was a member of the Travis County |
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Democratic Party Executive Committee, assisted with the |
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presidential campaigns of John Kerry and Barack Obama, and was |
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honored to be part of the inaugural committee for Governor Ann |
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Richards; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, he enjoyed the love and |
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support of his wife, Sally, with whom he shared a rewarding marriage |
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that spanned four decades; he was also the proud father of two |
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children, Marisa and Carlos, and had four beloved grandchildren; |
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moreover, Mr. Andrade was a parishioner at Cristo Rey Catholic |
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Church, where he was an usher and a member of the parish council and |
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finance committee for many years; and |
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WHEREAS, Erasmo Andrade made a profound and positive |
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difference in countless lives through his dedication to the city |
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and state he was proud to call home, and his legacy will forever |
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endure in the hearts of those who were privileged to know him; now, |
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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 Erasmo Wilivaldo |
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Andrade and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his wife, Sally Andrade; to his children, Marisa and Carlos |
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Andrade; to his grandchildren, Lucas, Isabel, Emma, and Joaquin; to |
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his sisters, Lupe Sanchez, Maria Dominguez, Paula Cervantes, Eva |
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Franks, Oralia Moran, Velia Perez, Alicia Wolfshol, and Helen |
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Guzman; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it |
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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 Erasmo |
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Wilivaldo Andrade. |