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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The passing of William Parks Johnson on January 1, |
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2017, at the age of 93, has brought great sorrow to his loved ones |
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and neighbors in the city of Wimberley, where he was greatly admired |
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for his extraordinary generosity and kindness; and |
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WHEREAS, Bill Johnson was born in Houston in 1923 to Louise |
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Johnson and Parks Johnson, whose career in radio took the family to |
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nearly every state and another dozen countries during Bill's |
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childhood; after graduating from high school, he enrolled at The |
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University of Texas but interrupted his education to join the U.S. |
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Marine Corps when the United States entered World War II; as a first |
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lieutenant, he fought with his regiment in the Battle of Iwo Jima, |
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until being wounded and forced to return home with an honorable |
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discharge; and |
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WHEREAS, Resuming his studies at UT, Mr. Johnson pursued a |
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degree in geology and competed in swimming, serving as captain of |
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multiple conference championship swim teams; in 1947, following his |
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graduation, he married the love of his life, the former Mary Frances |
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Brown, with whom he shared a rewarding union that spanned nearly |
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seven decades; the couple moved to his family's ranch in Wimberley |
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and went on to raise five children, Lynn, Jock, Clay, Blake, and |
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Scott; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson first attempted to make a living through |
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ranching before taking a job as director of a start-up summer camp |
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under his old swimming coach; the environment at Camp Longhorn |
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proved to be an ideal fit for him, and he showed a special knack for |
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finding solutions to problems and a stubborn resistance to giving |
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up until a solution was found; he retired as camp director in 1978, |
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having left an indelible mark on the lives of many campers and |
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counselors, to whom he was always there to provide encouragement |
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and a sympathetic ear; and |
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WHEREAS, A proud resident of Wimberley for the better part of |
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a century, Mr. Johnson served as a longtime leader in the chamber of |
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commerce and as a founding member of Cypress Creek Church, and he |
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also dedicated a great deal of time to collecting and publishing |
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information about Wimberley history; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout the course of his life, Bill Johnson |
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seldom hesitated to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it, and |
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those he leaves behind will forever find inspiration in their |
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memories of his unfailing compassion, integrity, and friendship; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the life of William Parks Johnson and extend |
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sincere condolences to all those who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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Bill Johnson. |