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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Kerrville lost an admired citizen with |
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the passing of Joe Benham on June 30, 2016, at the age of 82; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on March 13, 1934, to Buell and Lucille Benham |
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in Amarillo, Joe Benham began working for the Amarillo Times as a |
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sportswriter and general news reporter while still in high school, |
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launching a career in journalism that would span 65 years; after a |
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stint with the Dallas Times Herald and the Associated Press, he |
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joined the U.S. Army and proudly served his country as an infantry |
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platoon sergeant and air defense command public information |
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supervisor from 1954 to 1958; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his return to civilian life, Mr. Benham |
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was rehired by the AP in 1959, working in Austin and New York before |
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becoming bureau chief for Chile and Bolivia in 1965; while living in |
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Santiago, he met and married his wife, Verna, with whom he shared |
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more than 48 rewarding years, and they were blessed with a treasured |
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family that included two children, Stephanie and David, and four |
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grandchildren, Dallas, Madeleine, J. B., and Dax; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Benham accepted a position with U.S. News & |
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World Report in 1967 and spent the next 13 years covering South |
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America from offices in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires; after |
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returning to Texas, he worked as regional bureau chief for |
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U.S. News in Houston for the following two decades; in 1998, he |
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settled in the Hill Country, where he wrote for the Kerrville Daily |
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Times and volunteered as a publicist for numerous nonprofit groups; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, This civic-minded Texan served as president of |
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myriad organizations over the years, including the Symphony of the |
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Hills Association, Friends of the Kerrville Library, and the Hill |
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Country Chapter of the Texas Society, Sons of the American |
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Revolution; he held a variety of other leadership positions with |
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such groups as the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department, the Hill |
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Country Youth Orchestra, and the Kerrville Rotary Club; in |
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recognition of his many contributions to the community, he was |
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presented with a 2016 Life's Treasures award by the Kerrville Daily |
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Times; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to his family, his profession, and |
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his community, Joe Benham lived a life filled with meaningful |
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achievements, and he leaves behind a legacy that will long be |
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treasured by all those who held him dear; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Joe Benham and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Verna Benham; to his daughter, Stephanie Benham-Dickey, and |
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her husband, David; to his son, David Benham, and his wife, Bennet; |
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to his grandchildren, Dallas and Madeleine Dickey and J. B. and Dax |
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Benham; and to his other relatives and friends; and, 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 Joe Benham. |