H.R. No. 2956

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, A life filled with meaningful service drew to a
	close with the passing of Senior Chief Petty Officer (Ret.) Terry
	Bruce Burkett of Dublin, Texas, on May 9, 2015, at the age of 69; and
	WHEREAS, The youngest child of Edith Gabel and Lowell
	Burkett, Terry Burkett was born in Le Mars, Iowa, on April 26, 1946;
	he graduated from Cooper High School in Abilene in 1964 and enlisted
	to serve his country as a member of the U.S. Navy; in the course of a
	distinguished military career that spanned more than 22 years, he
	completed three tours of duty in Vietnam as a naval aircrewman and
	logged more than 6,000 flight hours as an aircrew chief; he received
	numerous accolades for his service, including the Air Medal, two
	Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals, two Navy
	Meritorious Unit Commendations, the Battle Effectiveness Award,
	and five Good Conduct Medals; and
	WHEREAS, After retiring, Mr. Burkett worked tirelessly in
	behalf of his fellow veterans, serving as commander and
	quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3377 in Manchaca and
	as an active member of the Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans and
	the Vietnam Veterans of America; and
	WHEREAS, In one of Mr. Burkett's most notable efforts to
	honor former members of the armed forces, he spent eight years on
	the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Executive Committee;
	his dedicated support for the project also included service as
	chair of the Veterans Outreach Committee, monitoring production and
	casting of the bronze sculpture, maintaining a list of over 600
	donors who contributed to the initiative, and helping construct an
	educational companion website; moreover, he was a member of the
	Groundbreaking and Dedication Ceremony Subcommittees and
	participated in a historic reading of the names of all 3,417 Texans
	who were killed or went missing in Vietnam; and
	WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Burkett enjoyed the
	love and support of his wife, Karen, and he was the proud father of
	four children, Christopher, Kelly, Jeffrey, and Lowell, and four
	stepchildren, Franklin, Charles, Douglas, and Samantha; over the
	years, his family grew to include 20 grandchildren and 3
	great-grandchildren; and
	WHEREAS, A respected military veteran who devoted himself to
	ensuring that service members were properly honored for their
	sacrifice, Terry Burkett touched many lives during his journey on
	this earth, and those who had the good fortune to know him will
	forever hold him close in their hearts; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Senior Chief Petty
	Officer (Ret.) Terry Bruce Burkett and extend sincere sympathy to
	the members of his family: to his wife, Karen Ayn Burkett; to his
	children, Christopher Leigh Burkett, Kelly Ann Fanelli, Jeffrey
	Allen Burkett, and Lowell David Burkett; to his stepchildren,
	Franklin James Barnard, Charles Michael Barnard, Douglas Gene
	Moore, and Samantha Kay Graham; to his 20 grandchildren and 3
	great-grandchildren; to his sisters, Marge Barnhill and Linda
	Smith; and to his other relatives and many 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 Terry Bruce
	Burkett.
	Smith
	King of Taylor
	Straus González Otto
	Allen Guerra Paddie
	Alonzo Guillen Parker
	Alvarado Gutierrez Paul
	Anchia Harless Peña
	Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan
	Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips
	Ashby Howard Pickett
	Aycock Huberty Price
	Bell Hughes Raney
	Bernal Hunter Raymond
	Blanco Isaac Reynolds
	Bohac Israel Riddle
	Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi
	Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar
	Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis
	Burns Keough Romero, Jr.
	Burrows King of Hemphill Rose
	Button King of Parker Sanford
	Canales King of Taylor Schaefer
	Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield
	Clardy Klick Schubert
	Coleman Koop Shaheen
	Collier Krause Sheets
	Cook Kuempel Sheffield
	Craddick Landgraf Simmons
	Crownover Larson Simpson
	Cyrier Laubenberg Smith
	Dale Leach Smithee
	Darby Longoria Spitzer
	Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer
	Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson
	Deshotel Márquez Stickland
	Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
	Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
	Elkins McClendon Tinderholt
	Faircloth Metcalf Turner of Collin
	Fallon Meyer Turner of Harris
	Farias Miles Turner of Tarrant
	Farney Miller of Comal VanDeaver
	Farrar Miller of Fort Bend Villalba
	Fletcher Minjarez Vo
	Flynn Moody Walle
	Frank Morrison White of Bell
	Frullo Muñoz, Jr. White of Tyler
	Galindo Murphy Workman
	Geren Murr Wray
	Giddings Naishtat Wu
	Goldman Nevárez Zedler
	Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 2956 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on May 27, 2015.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House