SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 575

In Memory

of

Esther Gonzalez-Arroyo Buckley

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the citizens of Laredo as they mourn the passing of beloved leader and education advocate Esther Gonzalez-Arroyo Buckley, who died February 11, 2013, at the age of 64; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Buckley was a champion of education for all who took learning seriously from a very young age; at the age of 15, she was graduated as salutatorian from Martin High School in Laredo; her last act, urging Texas lawmakers to restore funding to the state's school system, occurred earlier on the day she died; and

WHEREAS, This mother, grandmother, wife, and mentor came from generations of educators, and she followed in that proud tradition; she began as a teacher at Christen Middle School in 1970 and worked for the Laredo Independent School District until her death; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Buckley believed politics and education were intertwined; a Republican party organizer, she spoke at national conventions and local district meetings; former Texas Governor Bill Clements valued her insights and appointed her to the Governor's Commission on Women and the Texas Hispanic Advisory Practices and Ethics Commission; and

WHEREAS, This tireless advocate also commanded national respect; in 1983, President Ronald Reagan assigned her to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, where she served for nine years, and in 1984, she was named one of six outstanding Hispanic educators by the United States Department of Education and was recognized in a ceremony at the White House; locally, she was active in the Association of Texas Professional Educators and served as a charter member of the Webb County Commission on Higher Education; and

WHEREAS, A doting mother to her seven children, Trina E. Bratton, James J. Buckley, Catherine E. Buckley, Christopher E. Buckley, Rebecca A. Buckley, George A. Buckley, and Jennifer Buckley Torres, and a proud grandmother to her nine grandchildren, Samuel J. Bratton, Sean E. Bratton, Rene A. Peña, Enrique Buckley, Luke Buckley, Emma Buckley, Maximilliano D. Torres, Elizabeth A. Torres, and Joseph E. Buckley, Mrs. Buckley left a lasting legacy in Laredo; it was to her hometown that she returned after being graduated cum laude from The University of Texas at Austin; she went on to obtain a master's degree from Texas A&M International University, and she also was pursuing a doctoral degree at Texas A&M University in College Station; her achievements will long be remembered, and those who knew her will forever cherish her warmth, wisdom, and wise counsel; and

WHEREAS, She spent the last day of her life at the Texas Capitol advocating for the schoolchildren of Texas; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved family of Esther Gonzalez-Arroyo Buckley; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for them as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns on this day, it do so in memory of Esther Buckley.

Zaffirini

________________________________

President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 2, 2013, by a rising vote.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate