H.R. No. 3569

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, A life committed to serving the greater good drew to a close with the passing of Hurshell Hartford Hatley, the father of our esteemed colleague, the Honorable Marsha Farney, on April 19, 2015, at the age of 90; and

WHEREAS, The son of Benjamin Franklin Hatley and Emma Jeffries, Hurshell Hatley was born near San Angelo on December 29, 1924, and was raised with the companionship of eight siblings; growing up during the Great Depression, he joined his brother Shelby to work for the Civilian Conservation Corps in order to help support his family; he later served his country in World War II as a cartographer in the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hatley shared nearly six and a half decades with his wife, Shirley Hatley; over the years, the couple became the parents of three children, Gary, Marsha, and Terri, and Mr. Hatley took great pleasure in watching each of them grow into accomplished adults; he later delighted in welcoming into his family six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hatley enjoyed a fulfilling career that spanned two decades at Sperry Rand, where he was a Sperry Remington typewriter salesman and technician before he worked on early computers; his customers included the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and in his spare time, he used his skills as a master leatherworker to tailor custom belts for young patients and modified a typewriter for a boy who lost the use of his hands in an accident; and

WHEREAS, Dedicated to effecting positive change in his community, Mr. Hatley led an exemplary 15-year tenure as a reserve police officer for the Dallas Police Department, and he was on duty, assigned to crowd control several blocks away, on that fateful afternoon when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; he later served the Sunnyvale community as a member of its planning and zoning committee and as a sentinel in the Masonic Lodge; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hatley touched countless lives through his strong faith as well; while living in Paris, Texas, he served as a board member for Christians in Action, an organization that provided food, shelter, and clothing for families in need, and in 1976, he helped build the Red River Valley Bible Camp, which he managed for six years and which continues to thrive today; after residing in Paris for more than a quarter-century, he and his wife relocated to Temple to be closer to their family; and

WHEREAS, In his leisure hours, Mr. Hatley loved spending time outdoors; he spent many joyful weekends with his family at their farm in Kaufman, where he raised black Angus cattle, and he was also an avid gardener, producing bountiful harvests that he generously shared with others; and

WHEREAS, Hurshell Hatley lived a rich and purposeful life centered around his faith, his family, and his community, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Hurshell Hartford Hatley and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Shirley Hatley; to his children, Gary Hatley and his wife, Virginia, Marsha Farney and her husband, Bryan, and Terri Hatley; to his grandchildren, Ashley and her husband, Brad, and Bryan, Drew, Bret, Kristy, and Kimberly; to his great-grandchildren, Logan, Abigail, Cameron, Reid, Aria, Braden, and Ava; to his siblings, Billy and Una; 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 Hurshell Hatley.

Farney

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 3569 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on June 1, 2015.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House