H.R. No. 1983

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Friends, loved ones, and television fans across the
	nation will forever treasure their memories of actor Sherman
	Hemsley, who died in El Paso on July 24, 2012, at the age of 74; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Philadelphia on February 1, 1938, Sherman
	Alexander Hemsley studied as a teenager at the Philadelphia Academy
	of Dramatic Arts; he dropped out of high school to serve in the
	U.S. Air Force for four years, then returned to Philadelphia to
	work for the U.S. Post Office while continuing to study acting at
	night; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Hemsley moved to New York to pursue an acting
	career, and as a member of the Negro Ensemble Company and the Urban
	Arts Company, he appeared in a number of productions, including The
	Lottery, Old Judge Mose Is Dead, and Step Lively Boys; in 1970, he
	made his Broadway debut as Gitlow in the musical Purlie; and
	WHEREAS, During a national tour of the show, Mr. Hemsley was
	approached by television producer Norman Lear to play a character
	on the groundbreaking situation comedy All in the Family; he joined
	the cast in 1973 as the blustering and pompous George Jefferson;
	this character and his wife, Louise, played by Isabel Sanford, were
	such a success that they became the stars of their own show, The
	Jeffersons, which ran for 11 seasons, earning Mr. Hemsley
	nominations for the Emmy and the Golden Globe; and
	WHEREAS, The Jeffersons went off the air in 1985, and
	Mr. Hemsley went on to play a scheming church deacon on the sitcom
	Amen, voice a triceratops on the live-action puppet series,
	Dinosaurs, and make guest appearances on The Fresh Prince of
	Bel-Air, Sister, Sister, Family Guy, and Tyler Perry's House of
	Payne; as one of the most beloved fictional couples in TV history,
	he and Ms. Sanford reprised their signature roles in commercials
	for The Gap, Old Navy, and Denny's, and they toured together in the
	stage show The Real Live Jeffersons; he was inducted into the
	Television Hall of Fame in 2012; and
	WHEREAS, In later years, Mr. Hemsley, who was more reserved
	than the character who made him famous, enjoyed a quiet life in El
	Paso, where he made many friends and became active in local
	charities; after his death, befitting his service to his country,
	he was buried with military honors at Fort Bliss National Cemetery;
	and
	WHEREAS, A gifted and energetic performer on the stage and
	the screen, Sherman Hemsley was in private life a modest and deeply
	spiritual man who took great pleasure in music and the company of
	his friends, and he leaves behind a legacy of laughter that
	continues to delight countless fans; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and career of Sherman
	Hemsley and extend sincere condolences to his friends and loved
	ones; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That when the Texas House of Representatives
	adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Sherman Hemsley.
	Pickett
	Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira
	Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr
	Alonzo Gooden Otto
	Alvarado Guerra Paddie
	Anchia Guillen Parker
	Anderson Gutierrez Patrick
	Ashby Harless Perez
	Aycock Harper-Brown Perry
	Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips
	Bohac Herrero Pickett
	Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts
	Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price
	Branch Huberty Raney
	Burkett Hughes Ratliff
	Burnam Hunter Raymond
	Button Isaac Reynolds
	Callegari Johnson Riddle
	Canales Kacal Ritter
	Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar
	Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis
	Clardy King of Parker Rose
	Coleman King of Taylor Sanford
	Collier King of Zavala Schaefer
	Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets
	Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell
	Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell
	Creighton Krause Simmons
	Crownover Kuempel Simpson
	Dale Larson Smith
	Darby Laubenberg Smithee
	Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer
	J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson
	S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland
	Deshotel Longoria Strama
	Dukes Lozano Taylor
	Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria
	Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris
	Elkins Martinez Toth
	Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin
	Farias McClendon Turner of Harris
	Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant
	Farrar Miles Villalba
	Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal
	Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo
	Frank Moody Walle
	Frullo Morrison White
	Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman
	Giddings Murphy Wu
	Goldman Naishtat Zedler
	Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1983 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on May 17, 2013.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House