| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Austin residents lost an esteemed community leader |
|
|
with the passing of Andrew Reyes Ramirez on April 17, 2015, at the |
|
|
age of 73; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The son of David and Oralia Ramirez, Andy Ramirez |
|
|
was born in Austin on February 13, 1942; he was raised by his mother |
|
|
in the tight-knit Mexican American community on the city's East |
|
|
Side while his father served in the military during World War II; as |
|
|
a boy, he worked long hours shining shoes, but he still succeeded in |
|
|
making straight A's; in 1961, he married Nellie Ancira, and they |
|
|
became the parents of twins, Andrew and Annette; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez worked at the Glastron Boat Factory |
|
|
before serving his country in the United States Navy; subsequently, |
|
|
he majored in math at The University of Texas at Austin, where he |
|
|
became acutely aware of discrimination against Mexican Americans; |
|
|
in the course of helping his parents run the Chuck Wagon Barbecue, |
|
|
he met many political leaders, and he developed strong loyalties to |
|
|
both the Mexican American and African American communities; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Determined to advance social justice, Mr. Ramirez |
|
|
became one of the organizers of the historic Economy Furniture |
|
|
strike; he then joined the staff of the governor's office to provide |
|
|
technical assistance and oversight to War on Poverty Community |
|
|
Action programs in South Texas; later, he was appointed to |
|
|
supervise the Austin Community Action Agency, and when it was |
|
|
incorporated into city government, he became Austin's director of |
|
|
human development programs; he administered antipoverty projects |
|
|
as well as initiatives in manpower development, economic |
|
|
development, and juvenile justice, and he secured millions of |
|
|
dollars in grants to benefit his fellow citizens; moreover, he |
|
|
increased the employment of minorities and women, and he was |
|
|
involved in such organizations as the National League of Cities; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In the early 1970s, Mr. Ramirez urged his friend, |
|
|
Buddy Ruiz, to run for the city council, and together, they waged a |
|
|
spirited campaign that helped energize political activism among |
|
|
Mexican Americans; Mr. Ramirez married Dr. Blandina Cardenas in |
|
|
1978, and while she served in the Carter administration, he studied |
|
|
public administration and policy at George Washington University; |
|
|
after helping to found the National Hispanic Housing Coalition, he |
|
|
served as its assistant director; he also gave generously of his |
|
|
time, talents, and resources to Democratic candidates for office at |
|
|
all levels; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez worked in nonprofit development for |
|
|
Solar America, an alternative energy company, before transitioning |
|
|
to the private sector; as a founder of the Avante Corporation, he |
|
|
engaged in commercial real estate development in San Antonio and |
|
|
Austin; he went on to establish several companies, including Rz and |
|
|
Associates and Rz Communications, and he was active in the U.S. |
|
|
Hispanic Contractors Association de Austin and the Greater Austin |
|
|
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; in 1995, he received the Lifetime |
|
|
Achievement Award from the chamber, and five years later, he was |
|
|
named a special advisor to the governor of Texas; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Committed to expanding opportunity in Austin, he |
|
|
mentored dozens of aspiring entrepreneurs, and he counseled young |
|
|
Latinos seeking to start nonprofit organizations; in 2010, he |
|
|
founded the Bellas Artes Alliance to promote Latino arts and |
|
|
culture; with his wife, Linda Wolf Ramirez, he sponsored the |
|
|
popular annual Pan Americana Festival, which the alliance produced |
|
|
in cooperation with the city and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican |
|
|
American Cultural Center; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Andrew Ramirez devoted himself wholeheartedly to |
|
|
making Austin a more equitable and inclusive place, and his life |
|
|
stands as an inspiring example of positive civic engagement; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Andrew Reyes |
|
|
Ramirez and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
|
|
his wife, Linda Wolf Ramirez; to his children, Dorothy Lopez, |
|
|
Andrew Ramirez Jr. and his wife, Sara, Annette Kjar and her husband, |
|
|
Michael, and Alexandro Rudolpho Ramirez; to his stepdaughter, |
|
|
Avelon Pang; to his brothers, David Ramirez and Robert Loera; to his |
|
|
sisters, Yolanda Blanco and Mary Jane Haros; to his grandchildren |
|
|
and great-grandchildren; 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 Andrew |
|
|
Ramirez. |
| |
|
|
Huberty |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 2566 was unanimously adopted by a |
|
|
rising vote of the House on May 21, 2015. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |