|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The life of a respected public servant drew to a |
|
close with the passing of former state representative Phillip R. |
|
Cates of Dripping Springs on July 13, 2014, at the age of 67; and |
|
WHEREAS, Phil Cates was born in Pampa on January 6, 1947, to |
|
Herman and Lavern Cates, and he grew up in Lefors, which he was fond |
|
of calling "a town of 500 kinfolks, and they're all mine"; after |
|
graduating from high school, he attended West Texas A&M University, |
|
where he began his career in politics by winning four elections to |
|
the Student Senate; during his university years, he was also a |
|
member of the Baptist Student Union and Lambda Chi Alpha |
|
fraternity; and |
|
WHEREAS, At the age of 23, Mr. Cates was elected to his first |
|
term in the Texas House of Representatives after winning a tightly |
|
contested primary by two votes; he went on to represent his Texas |
|
Panhandle constituents for four terms, from 1971 to 1979; during |
|
that time, he furthered the work of the chamber through his |
|
membership on a variety of committees, and he served as chair of the |
|
Environmental Affairs Subcommittee on Pollution Control and as vice |
|
chair of the Business and Industry and Human Resources Committees, |
|
working with former speaker Rayford Price; and |
|
WHEREAS, After leaving the Texas Legislature, Mr. Cates |
|
moved with his family to Shamrock, where he worked as the director |
|
of the chamber of commerce, became part owner of the Shamrock Texan |
|
newspaper, and helped to establish Red River Savings and Loan; |
|
eager to get back into politics, he moved with his family again to |
|
Houston, where he worked for former speaker Byron Tunnell at |
|
Tenneco, Inc., serving as a lobbyist in nine Southeastern states |
|
for nine years; from 1980 to 1981, he lobbied for the Texas |
|
Association of Business, and then he worked as a lobbyist with |
|
former speaker Bill Clayton for eight years; and |
|
WHEREAS, In 1989, Mr. Cates started his own lobbying firm, |
|
Texas Stakeholders, which he operated until the time of his death; |
|
he and his team created the well-known "Paint the Capitol Day," |
|
promoting the paint and coatings industry; in recognition of his |
|
legislative and professional accomplishments, he received the |
|
Distinguished Alumnus Award from the West Texas A&M University |
|
Alumni Association; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Cates met his future wife, Nancy Holt, while |
|
they were students at WTAMU, and they were married in 1970; the |
|
couple shared a rewarding marriage that spanned four and a half |
|
decades, and they raised two sons, Andrew and John; and |
|
WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to his family and to the Lone Star |
|
State, Phil Cates made a positive difference in the lives of |
|
countless Texans, and he will be fondly remembered by his |
|
colleagues at the Texas Capitol and by all those who had the good |
|
fortune to know him; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Phillip |
|
R. Cates and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
|
family: to his wife, Nancy Cates; to his sons, Andrew Cates and John |
|
Cates and his wife, Ruth; to his grandchildren, Ty Quincy and |
|
Elisabeth Carmen; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, |
|
be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Phillip R. |
|
Cates. |
|
|
Thompson of Harris |
|
Israel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anderson of Dallas |
Hernandez |
Phillips |
|
|
Anderson of McLennan |
Herrero |
Pickett |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bonnen of Brazoria |
Johnson |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
|
|
Bonnen of Galveston |
Kacal |
Rodriguez of Travis |
|
|
Burkett |
Keffer |
Romero, Jr. |
|
|
|
|
Burrows |
King of Hemphill |
Sanford |
|
|
Button |
King of Parker |
Schaefer |
|
|
Canales |
King of Taylor |
Schofield |
|
|
Capriglione |
King of Uvalde |
Schubert |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Craddick |
Landgraf |
Simpson |
|
|
|
|
Cyrier |
Laubenberg |
Smithee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Davis of Dallas |
Lozano |
Stephenson |
|
|
Davis of Harris |
Lucio III |
Stickland |
|
|
Deshotel |
Márquez |
Thompson of Brazoria |
|
|
Dukes |
Martinez |
Thompson of Harris |
|
|
Dutton |
Martinez Fischer |
Tinderholt |
|
|
Elkins |
McClendon |
Turner of Collin |
|
|
Faircloth |
Metcalf |
Turner of Harris |
|
|
Fallon |
Meyer |
Turner of Tarrant |
|
|
|
|
Farney |
Miller of Comal |
Villalba |
|
|
Farrar |
Miller of Fort Bend |
Vo |
|
|
|
|
Flynn |
Morrison |
White of Bell |
|
|
Frank |
Muñoz, Jr. |
White of Tyler |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Speaker of the House |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 1591 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
|
vote of the House on April 9, 2015. |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
|