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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The passing of Walter "Yukon" Yates of Cedar Park on |
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March 2, 2015, at the age of 90, provides a fitting occasion to |
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reflect on the extraordinary life of a remarkable man; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on October 19, 1924, to Andrew Jesse and Mae |
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Elizabeth Yates, Walter Yates was one of eight children in his |
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family; he grew up in the Ozarks, on what is now known as Yates |
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Mountain in northwest Arkansas, where he learned to hunt and fish as |
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a boy; inspired by author Jack London, he developed a true passion |
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for adventure and exploration at a young age, and he actively |
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pursued a "master's in life" for the rest of his days; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Yates joined the United States Marine Corps on |
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November 29, 1941; he completed his training on the island of Samoa |
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in the South Pacific, and had his 18th birthday on the island of |
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Guadalcanal; not long after, he was severely wounded by a mortar |
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shell, and he was discharged as fully disabled in June 1945, |
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although he refused to ever let his disability get in his way; and |
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WHEREAS, After acquiring an interest in real estate, |
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Mr. Yates began his career as a land developer; he considered his |
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proudest professional achievement to be Breakaway Park, a fly-in |
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community in Cedar Park where he lived for a number of years and |
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where many aviation enthusiasts still reside; and |
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WHEREAS, An accomplished pilot himself, Mr. Yates was |
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perhaps best known for his quests in Alaska and the Yukon Territory |
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of Canada; he spent a year exploring ghost towns and abandoned gold |
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mines, achieving access to remote areas with his helicopter; in |
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1975, he filmed a documentary called Breakaway, which captures his |
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experiences living off the land in a log cabin he built in the |
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Alaskan wilderness; when a malfunction caused his helicopter to |
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crash in an isolated part of British Columbia in 1978, he survived |
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alone for two weeks with a broken back before being rescued; and |
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WHEREAS, Eventually, Mr. Yates set about writing a memoir to |
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chronicle his expeditions in the far north as well as his years in |
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Arkansas and Texas; the book Breakaway was published in 2011, and a |
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second volume, Return to Post River The Last True Frontier, is |
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forthcoming; a man of many talents, he used his spare time to build |
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two helicopters and a two-seater airplane, and he also enjoyed |
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restoring old cars; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Walter Yates is deeply missed, memories of |
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his enthusiasm for life and adventure remain to inspire those he |
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leaves behind, and he will forever hold a special place in the |
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hearts of all those who were fortunate enough to know him; now, |
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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 Walter "Yukon" |
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Yates and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his wife of 37 years, Tracy Yates; to his first wife and the mother |
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of his children, Edith Williams; to his children, Sharolyn Yates, |
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Susan McLaughlin and her husband, Bob, and Jay Yates and his |
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fiancée, Nancy Grob; to his stepson, Greg Malone, and his wife, |
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Lisa; to his brother, Donald Yates, and his wife, Lois; to his |
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sister, Georgeanne Jones; to his 19 grandchildren and |
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great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; and, |
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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 Walter |
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Yates. |