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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the |
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passing of admired entrepreneur and philanthropist Thomas Sharpe |
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Wilmeth of Daingerfield on January 5, 2015, at the age of 101; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Leona and Delbert Wilmeth, Tom Wilmeth |
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was born in Chicago on October 2, 1913, and grew up in Indianapolis; |
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he demonstrated remarkable business acumen at an early age, selling |
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hot-roasted peanuts and strawberries door-to-door, and by the age |
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of 15, he had established Tom Wilmeth Radio Repair; he enrolled at |
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Purdue University when he was 16 and went on to complete his |
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bachelor's degree in electrical engineering magna cum laude; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Wilmeth and his wife, Margaret, became the |
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parents of two children, Steven and Suzanne; after he was widowed, |
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he was fortunate enough to find love a second time with the former |
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Benette Laiken, and they shared a fulfilling marriage of more than |
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15 years; and |
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WHEREAS, During the Great Depression and World War II, |
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Mr. Wilmeth worked for IBM, Allis Chalmers, and A. O. Smith |
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Company; he and his brother, Harvey, founded Scot Industries in |
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Milwaukee in 1949, and with his engineering, design, and business |
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skills, Mr. Wilmeth built the company into an international |
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specialty tubing supplier with 13 plants across the country and in |
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Canada; even after his son, Steven, took over as president, |
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Mr. Wilmeth worked every day, excited to seek solutions to new |
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challenges; he also remained an avid sailor until the age of 99; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to education, Tom Wilmeth gave |
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generously of his time and resources to his alma mater; he helped |
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fund the library's first electronic database, and he served on the |
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Libraries Dean's Advisory Council for a decade; in 2004, Purdue |
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conferred on him its President's Council Distinguished Pinnacle |
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Award, and in 2013, he received an honorary doctorate of |
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engineering information literacy; the university will dedicate the |
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Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Library of Engineering and Science |
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upon its completion in 2017; over the years, Mr. Wilmeth was a |
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benefactor of the Boy Scouts, the Mayo Clinic, and other charities |
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as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Tom Wilmeth set an inspiring example through his |
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active lifestyle, his generosity, and his love of learning, and his |
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contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come; 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 Thomas Sharpe |
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Wilmeth and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Benette Laiken Wilmeth; to his sister, |
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Rosemary Wilmeth Reeves; to his son, Steven Lytton Wilmeth, and his |
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wife, Victoria Berglund; to his daughter, Suzanne Wilmeth Anderson; |
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to his four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; and to his |
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other relatives and 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 Tom |
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Wilmeth. |