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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of Sam |
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Bernard Raia Jr. of Sugar Land, who passed away on March 1, 2015, at |
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the age of 80; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Sam Raia Sr. and Mary Francis Raia, Sammy |
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Raia was born and raised in Houston and grew up with the company of |
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his brothers, Carl and Russell; he graduated from St. Thomas High |
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School and earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the |
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University of Houston before joining the U.S. Air Force Reserve; |
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while stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, he was |
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known to hitchhike home to the Bayou City to enjoy his mother's |
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homemade pasta and ricotta; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Raia demonstrated an exceptional work ethic |
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throughout his life; at the age of 13, he got his first job at a |
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grocery store, and he later installed air conditioners and was |
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employed by the U.S. Postal Service; after working as a draftsman |
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at Fish Engineering, he joined the Gaido-Lingle Pipe Coating |
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Company in 1959, and he rose to the rank of executive vice president |
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of sales during his notable 42-year career with that business; he |
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also shared his time and expertise with the National Association of |
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Pipe Coating Applicators, which he served as president; and |
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WHEREAS, An engaged citizen and dedicated supporter of the |
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Fort Bend County Republican Party, Mr. Raia was active in many GOP |
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precinct, senatorial, and state conventions, and he was excited to |
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have the opportunity to attend the party's national convention in |
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1999; in recognition of his contributions, he was named an honorary |
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life member of the Spirit of Freedom Republican Women's Club; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Raia was a valued parishioner at St. Laurence |
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Catholic Church; in his leisure time, he enjoyed playing tennis and |
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golf, and he was a member and a past president of the Sugar Creek |
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Country Club; and |
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WHEREAS, Above all else, Mr. Raia was devoted to his loved |
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ones, including his wife, Terese, his children, Deborah, Sam, |
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Elizabeth, and Mary, and his grandchildren, Hannah, Regis, Scott, |
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Andrea, Zachary, Robert, Teresa, Corrine, and Melissa; and |
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WHEREAS, Sammy Raia lived a rich and purposeful life centered |
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around his family, his faith, and his community, and he will forever |
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be remembered with great admiration and affection by all who had the |
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good fortune to know him; 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 Sam Bernard Raia Jr. |
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and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Terese Raia; to his children, Deborah Smith and her husband, |
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Rix, Sam B. Raia III and his wife, Mary Lynn, Elizabeth Backiel, and |
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Mary Margaret Giles and her husband, Doug; to his grandchildren, |
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Hannah Basel, Regis Giles, Scott Nunez, Andrea and Zachary Spruill, |
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Robert and Teresa Backiel, and Corrine and Melissa Smith; to his |
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brother, Russell; and to his other relatives and many 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 Sammy Raia. |