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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Corpus Christi lost an admired citizen |
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with the passing of oilman and philanthropist C. C. Winn on February |
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20, 2015, at the age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, Charles Coleman Winn was born on June 18, 1928, in |
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Long Beach, California, to a family of Texans who soon followed the |
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oil boom back to their home state; while a student at William Adams |
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High School in Alice, "Charlie" Winn took his first job as an oil |
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field roughneck; the salary he earned allowed him to attend Texas |
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A&M University--Kingsville and The University of Texas at Austin |
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before he was forced to abandon his studies due to lack of funds; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Winn later became an oil scout and enjoyed his |
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first professional success while drilling a well in Karnes County; |
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the discovery proved to be the start of a prosperous career in the |
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oil industry, and he went on to establish what would become a highly |
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lucrative international oil firm in Corpus Christi; under his |
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leadership, Winn Exploration Company, Inc., eventually operated |
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oil and gas wells across Texas and nine other states, as well as in |
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Canada and Australia; and |
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WHEREAS, Excelling at nearly every project he took on, |
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Mr. Winn pursued interests in banking, real estate, |
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nanotechnology, and medical research and development; he was named |
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an All-American Wildcatter in 1993, and in 1996, he accepted the |
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M. B. Rudman Outstanding Wildcatter Award; he served on the |
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National Petroleum Council until 1999, and in 2006, he received the |
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Texas Oil and Gas Association's highest honor, the Distinguished |
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Service Award; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Winn treated those who worked for him as family, |
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and he made it a point to share his good fortune with them; he was |
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known to buy his employees' lunches out of his own pocket almost |
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every single day, and remembering the difficulties he had faced as a |
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student of limited means, he helped put several of their children |
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through college; his extraordinary generosity extended beyond his |
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company, and each year he purchased Christmas presents for orphans |
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in Piedras Negras in Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, A prominent civic leader, Mr. Winn served on |
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trustee, development, and advisory boards for a multitude of |
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businesses and organizations in South Texas, including American |
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Bank in Corpus Christi, Baptist Children and Family Services, and |
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CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio; repeatedly honored for |
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his philanthropy, he was recognized by the International Good |
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Neighbor Council in 1984 and 1999 for his efforts to promote |
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friendly relations between the people of the United States and |
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Mexico; he also received praise for his commitment to conservation |
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and wildlife research, and he helped fund a program that would |
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enable area teachers to use the Texas State Aquarium as an |
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educational resource; and |
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WHEREAS, This kind and caring gentleman cherished his family |
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above all else; he shared a deep bond of love with his wife of nearly |
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65 years, Patsy, and he derived great joy from the time he spent |
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with their five children, Stephanie, C. A., Tom, Southern, and |
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Sissy, as well as with their nine grandchildren and their |
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great-granddaughter; his faith was also a source of great comfort |
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and inspiration to him throughout his days; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Charlie Winn's hard work and ingenuity made |
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him a classic American success story, it is perhaps his honesty and |
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integrity and the close ties of affection he nurtured with his loved |
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ones that speak most eloquently to the immeasurable impact of his |
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life; 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 memory of C. C. Winn and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, |
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Patsy Winn; to his children, Stephanie Winn, C. A. Winn and his |
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wife, Nancy, Tom Winn and his wife, Melissa, and Southern Winn and |
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his wife, Cathy; to his grandchildren, Megan Winn and her husband, |
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Chris Mei, and Cathleen, Dillon, Southern, Cody, Amy, Trey, Sissy, |
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and Nicole Winn; to his great-granddaughter, Vivian Marie Winn; to |
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his nieces, Caroline Szepessy, and her husband, Andy, and Charlcie |
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Goodman; to his nephew, Sedge Middleton; and to his other |
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relatives, employees, and many dear 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 C. C. Winn. |
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Herrero |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1772 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 7, 2015. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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