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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost an accomplished native son |
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with the passing of the Honorable Richard C. Slack of Pecos, a man |
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who retired as Dean of the Texas House after 28 years of outstanding |
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service only to later share his leadership again to the benefit of |
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all as a member of the Texas Ethics Commission for more than a |
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decade; and |
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WHEREAS, The grandson of Henry Slack, one of the contestants |
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in the world's first rodeo, held in Pecos, Dick Slack was also a |
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trailblazer; he was born on December 20, 1914, to Ruby Stephens and |
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Henry Clay Slack, Jr., and as a young man earned his bachelor's |
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degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University; he |
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returned to his hometown and worked as a roughneck before |
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purchasing the Magnolia Oil distributorship there, and in 1940, he |
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joined the U.S. Army as a member of the Texas 36th Division; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Slack saw combat during World War II, on |
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deployments to North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany, and he was |
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awarded the Bronze Star for valor for his courageous actions during |
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an artillery exchange in Italy in 1944; after the war, he joined the |
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Texas National Guard and helped organize and lead the 124th Cavalry |
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Recon Squadron headquartered in Pecos, and in 1965, he entered the |
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Retired Reserve with the rank of colonel; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Slack began his career in public service in |
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1948, when he was elected to the first of two terms as county judge |
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of Reeves County; he successfully ran for state representative in |
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1952 and soon became known among his fellow legislators for his dry |
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wit, his intelligence, and his independent conservative thinking; |
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juggling the demands of his new role with his professional |
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responsibilities, he added law school to his priorities, and |
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following graduation from St. Mary's, he was admitted to the state |
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bar in 1956; he was chosen as speaker pro tem for the 64th and 65th |
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Legislative Sessions, and he was recognized as Dean of the House |
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during his last years in office; along the way, he served on more |
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than 35 committees, chairing many, and he helped to establish The |
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University of Texas of the Permian Basin and the Texas Tech |
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University Health Sciences Center in Odessa; and |
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WHEREAS, A leader in business and civic life as well, Mr. |
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Slack was the founder of Presidio Bank and a member of the board of |
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directors of the First National Bank of Pecos and the Red Bluff |
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Water Power Control District; he returned to statewide service in |
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1992 with his appointment to the Texas Ethics Commission, which he |
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served on for 11 years and chaired for two of those years before |
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stepping down in 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan met his wife, the former |
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Charlotte Tonroy, during his freshman year in the house of |
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representatives, where she was a third-year law student working as |
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a legislative clerk; the couple married in August 1953, and through |
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the years, they were blessed with three children, Anne, Clay, and |
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Cynthia; they later delighted in welcoming into their family seven |
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grandchildren and a great-granddaughter; and |
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WHEREAS, Vibrant and engaged, Dick Slack lived life to the |
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fullest, pursuing his love of skeet shooting even in his late |
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nineties, and his penchant for storytelling spoke volumes about the |
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enthusiasm he brought to all his endeavors over the course of nearly |
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a century of purposeful achievement; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas benefited immensely from the |
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vision, initiative, and dedication of Dick Slack, and he leaves |
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behind a record of public service that will continue to inspire |
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others for many years to come; 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 the Honorable |
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Richard C. Slack and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Charlotte Tonroy Slack; to his children, Anne |
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Mackey and her husband, Doug, Clay Slack and his wife, Ann, and |
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Cynthia Shaw and her husband, Stan; to his grandchildren, Sarah |
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Faulkner Staley and her husband, Mark, Dugger Faulkner, Trey and |
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Robert Slack, and Margaret, David, and Sara Shaw; to his |
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great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Staley; and to his other relatives |
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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 former |
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state representative Dick Slack. |