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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever treasure their |
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memories of David Austin Griffin of Prosper, who passed away on |
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April 8, 2012, at the age of 76; and |
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WHEREAS, David Griffin was born in Paris, Texas, on November |
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15, 1935, to James and Leaffy Griffin; after graduating from Paris |
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High School in 1954, he attended The University of Texas and earned |
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a bachelor's degree at East Texas State University; he went on to |
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pursue graduate studies at Southeastern State College in Durant, |
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Oklahoma; from 1957 to 1962, he served his nation as a member of the |
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U.S. Navy Reserve; and |
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WHEREAS, After working as a teacher in Oklahoma, Mr. Griffin |
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worked for the City of Paris before joining a tax consulting firm in |
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Houston and then serving as finance director for the City of |
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McKinney; in 1970, he became the finance director of Plano, and the |
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following year, he was appointed city manager; over the course of |
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his tenure from 1971 to 1985, Plano grew from a farming community of |
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17,000 to a bustling suburb of more than 100,000; Mr. Griffin later |
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served as executive director of the Dallas Regional Mobility |
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Coalition before retiring in 1996; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed civic leader was named Management |
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Innovator of the Year by the International City/County Management |
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Association in 1981, and he earned further recognition as a Paul |
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Harris Fellow from Rotary International and as a Texas Road Hand |
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from the Texas Department of Transportation; he was a founder and |
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emeritus board member of the Hendrick Scholarship Foundation; an |
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admirer of Thomas Jefferson, he also loved the works of Mark Twain, |
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and he enjoyed debating politics, listening to classical music, |
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playing golf, and tending the seven acres of his retirement home in |
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Prosper; and |
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WHEREAS, A skilled and devoted public servant, David Griffin |
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was energetic and intellectually curious, and those fortunate |
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enough to have known him will remember the way he touched their |
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lives with his easy smile and quick wit; 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 David Austin Griffin |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife of 50 years, Claudine Brackeen Griffin; to his sons and their |
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spouses, Mark and Elaine Sena and J. and Laurie Sena; to his |
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daughter and her husband, Leanne and Dave R. Williams; to his 13 |
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grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; and to his other |
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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 David |
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Austin Griffin. |