84R21623 BPG-D

By: Bohac H.R. No. 2290

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The life of an admired civic leader drew to a close with the passing of Earl Charles Lairson of Houston on April 2, 2015, at the age of 87; and

WHEREAS, Born and raised on a farm in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Mr. Lairson graduated from Tecumseh High School as valedictorian of his class; he joined the United States Army at the age of 17, as World War II was drawing to a close, and he subsequently served for two years in the Oklahoma Air National Guard; while completing his bachelor's degree in accounting at the University of Oklahoma, he enrolled in ROTC, and he achieved the rank of first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Lairson settled in Houston and was employed by Ernst & Ernst; in 1970, he founded his own CPA firm, Earl Lairson and Company, which became Null-Lairson following a merger in 1997; dedicated to the advancement of his profession, he was a charter member of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, and he served on its board and as president of its Houston Chapter; he was also a founding member of the Texas Association of CPAs, and during two terms on the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, he served for a year as chair; moreover, he was a life member of many CPA organizations, among them the American Institute of CPAs and the Texas Society of CPAs; and

WHEREAS, Active in the Republican Party from 1960 onward, Mr. Lairson worked on the Draft Goldwater campaign and on the first congressional campaign of George H. W. Bush; he served as a precinct chair for 35 years and as a member of the Texas State Republican Executive Committee for a decade; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Lairson further benefited his community through his involvement in numerous organizations; he was a director of the Houston Club and chair of its finance committee, and he was a charter member of the Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce and of the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club; the founding president of the Pachyderm Club of Northwest Houston, he received the group's Tough Tusk Award; for many years, he served as president and program chair of the Northwest Executive Round Table, and he was a charter member and vice president of the Magic Circle Exchange Club of Houston; he was also a trustee of the Educational Advancement Foundation and a longtime advisory board member and accountant for the Free Enterprise Institute; and

WHEREAS, Deeply committed to serving others, Mr. Lairson was a life member of the American Legion and an endowed member of the Oak Forest Masonic Lodge No. 1398, and he belonged to Arabia Temple Shriners, Tranquility Lodge 2000, the Sam Houston Hall of Fame, Ruthven Commandery No. 2, the Washington Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and Houston Council No. 1; he was an active member of First Methodist Church of Houston as well, and he served as a Sunday school teacher and as a member of the administrative board and the finance and audit committees; in 2008, he joined Candlelight Church of Christ, which he served as a trustee; and

WHEREAS, Above all, Mr. Lairson was devoted to his wife, Virginia, with whom he shared 63 years, and their cherished family; and

WHEREAS, Earl Lairson gave generously of his time and talents to better his community, and he leaves behind a record of service that his loved ones can remember with pride; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Earl Charles Lairson and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Virginia Lou Cagle Lairson; to his children, Karen Hurst and her husband, Randy, Mark Earl Lairson, Eric Charles Lairson, and Dawn Welch and her husband, David; to his grandchildren, Erin Hencey and her husband, Edward, Steven Hurst and his wife, Stephanie, Dr. Candace Powell and her husband, Erik, William Wells III, Carrie Hurst, Michael Earl Hurst and his wife, Grace, and Hannah, Josh, and Rachel Welch; to his great-grandchildren, Erik and Emily Hencey, Carson, Wyatt, and Claire Powell, and Steven, Sophia, and Kate Hurst; to his sisters, Earline Ellen Childers and Rosie Brightwell; and to his many other relatives and 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 Earl Charles Lairson.