| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, The city of Houston lost an admired civil rights |
|
|
leader with the passing of Ernest Eguia on May 3, 2015, at the age of |
|
|
95; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born to Narciso and Maria Eguia in Lockhart on |
|
|
November 7, 1919, Ernest Eguia grew up in Houston; he was the oldest |
|
|
of six children, and he began working as a boy, shining shoes at a |
|
|
barbershop and selling newspapers; although he excelled |
|
|
academically, he left school in the 10th grade for a job at a |
|
|
menswear store, Buck's Dry Goods; during World War II, he served as |
|
|
a forward artillery observer in the United States Army, and he |
|
|
fought in the Battle of the Bulge and took part in the liberation of |
|
|
the Nordhausen concentration camp; he rose to the rank of staff |
|
|
sergeant, and among other decorations, he was awarded a Bronze |
|
|
Star; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Eguia returned from four years in the military |
|
|
to find that discrimination against Mexican Americans remained a |
|
|
serious problem, and he joined a fledgling advocacy organization, |
|
|
the League of United Latin American Citizens; as an early leader, he |
|
|
helped make the Houston council one of the most prominent and |
|
|
effective chapters; the organization opened the way for Hispanics |
|
|
to serve in the fire and police departments, and it expanded the |
|
|
participation of Latinos in all aspects of city government; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1963, he was involved in arranging an address to |
|
|
Houston activists by President John F. Kennedy, which represented |
|
|
one of the first outreaches to Latinos by a sitting U.S. president; |
|
|
over the course of 67 years of active membership in LULAC, Mr. Eguia |
|
|
held offices at the national level as well, and he helped create |
|
|
such programs as the Little School of the 400, a precursor to Head |
|
|
Start, and Service, Education, and Redeployment; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Eguia was employed for a time by Warren |
|
|
Petroleum Company; later, he returned to Buck's Dry Goods and made |
|
|
his career in retail as a salesman and manager; moreover, he was a |
|
|
proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American |
|
|
Legion; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Through his profound commitment to social justice, |
|
|
Ernest Eguia made a lasting, positive difference in Houston and |
|
|
beyond, and those he leaves behind will continue to find |
|
|
inspiration in his accomplishments for years to come; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Ernest Eguia and |
|
|
extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of |
|
|
67 years, Maria Eguia; to his children, Diane DeYoung, Rebecca |
|
|
Eguia Curry, David Ernest Eguia and his wife, Sylvia, and Mark |
|
|
Steven Eguia and his wife, Debbie; to his grandchildren, Mark |
|
|
Andrew Schlossberg, Kimberly Curry Kersten, Madelyn E. DeYoung, |
|
|
Matthew James Curry, Michael B. Eguia, and Sam Ernest Eguia; to his |
|
|
great-grandchildren, Addison and Brody; and to his 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 Ernest |
|
|
Eguia. |
| |
|
|
Farrar |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 2756 was unanimously adopted by a |
|
|
rising vote of the House on May 14, 2015. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |