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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Nueces County lost an admired public servant with |
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the passing of retired district clerk Oscar Soliz of Corpus Christi |
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on December 15, 2014, at the age of 80; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Corpus Christi on March 8, 1934, Oscar Soliz |
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was the son of Joe A. Soliz and Anita Gonzales Soliz; he excelled at |
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both football and baseball as a high school student at Corpus |
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Christi College-Academy; subsequently, he attended Texas Christian |
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University on a football scholarship before completing bachelor's |
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degrees in political science and law enforcement at Texas A&M |
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University-Corpus Christi; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Soliz married his high school sweetheart, the |
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former Ola Mae Trammell, in 1954; devoted to his family, he took |
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great pride in his children, Joseph, Jesse, Jackie, and Jennifer, |
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and steadfastly encouraged them to pursue their dreams; and |
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WHEREAS, After working alongside his father for a number of |
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years at the S&G Sales auto dealership, Mr. Soliz was elected |
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Nueces County district clerk in 1970, becoming one of the first |
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Latinos to win a countywide race in the area; his outstanding tenure |
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in office spanned 32 years, and during that time, he not only |
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excelled in fulfilling the duties of his position but also promoted |
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good governance by taking on a range of additional |
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responsibilities; he was appointed by Governor Preston Smith to the |
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Criminal Justice Council and the Criminal Justice Board, and he |
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represented Texas district clerks on task forces dealing with a |
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host of issues, including child support enforcement and information |
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technology; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic leader was the longest-serving member |
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of the National Association of County Officials board, and for more |
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than a quarter-century, he was a member of the boards of the Texas |
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Association of Counties and the Texas Association of Regional |
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Councils; in addition, he served as chair of the Coastal Bend |
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Council of Governments and as president of the National Association |
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of Regional Councils, the National Association of Hispanic County |
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Officials, and the National Association of County Recorders, |
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Election Officials and Clerks; highly respected by his peers, he |
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was the recipient of a long list of prestigious accolades from |
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national and state professional organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to his other achievements, Mr. Soliz |
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held leadership positions in such organizations as the Boy Scouts |
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of America, the Camp Fire USA Coastal Bend Council, the National |
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Conference of Christians and Jews, and the United Way of the Coastal |
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Bend; he belonged to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and was |
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active in the Knights of Columbus and the International Order of |
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Alhambra; an enthusiastic political activist, he supported |
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Democratic candidates at the local, state, and national levels, |
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served on the Democratic National Committee, and was a super |
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delegate at a number of the party's national conventions; moreover, |
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he was elected by the Area Council on Aging to represent the Coastal |
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Bend Region in the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature; and |
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WHEREAS, A warmhearted, humble, and engaging man, Oscar Soliz |
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is deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues, but they |
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will continue to find inspiration in the outstanding contributions |
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he made to his community and state; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Oscar Soliz and extend |
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sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife of 60 |
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years, Ola Mae Soliz; to his sons, Joseph Soliz and his wife, |
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Juanita, and Jesse Soliz and his wife, Judy Pokorny; to his |
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daughters, Jackie Soliz-Chapa and her husband, Mario Chapa, and |
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Jennifer Soliz; to his grandchildren, Lauren and Michael Soliz; and |
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to his other relatives and many 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 Oscar |
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Soliz. |