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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life filled with meaningful achievements drew to a |
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close with the passing of former state representative Richard James |
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Burnett of San Angelo on September 17, 2016, at the age of 94; and |
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WHEREAS, Dick Burnett was born in Toledo, Ohio, on January |
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15, 1922, to Rollo and Margaret Burnett; after graduating from |
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Toledo Central Catholic High School in 1940, he attended Toledo |
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University until 1943, when he answered his nation's call to duty |
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and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces; he trained as a pilot at a |
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number of bases in Texas, including Goodfellow Air Force Base in San |
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Angelo, and he served with the 310th Fighter Squadron, flying a P-47 |
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"Thunderbolt" in the Pacific theater; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his return to civilian life in 1945, |
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Mr. Burnett earned a bachelor's degree in business from Toledo |
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University in 1947, and that same year, he was joined in matrimony |
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to the former Margery Hurt; the couple shared their lives for 41 |
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years until her death in 1989, and together they raised three sons, |
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William, Thomas, and John; their treasured family later grew to |
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include four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1947, Mr. Burnett embarked on a three-decade |
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career with the FBI, and he went on to serve in New York, Toledo, |
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Tucson, and Puerto Rico; he was assigned to Dallas in 1964 to help |
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investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the |
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following year he settled with his family in San Angelo, where he |
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worked his final assignment; after retiring from the FBI in 1978, he |
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won election as the city's chief of police and headed the department |
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for two years; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1980, Mr. Burnett was elected to the Texas House |
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of Representatives, and he ultimately served a total of four terms |
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in office; during his tenure in the legislature, he frequently drew |
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on his expertise with police operations and the legal system, |
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chairing the Public Safety Committee, serving as vice chair of the |
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Law Enforcement Committee, and holding membership on the Criminal |
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Jurisprudence Committee, in addition to taking on numerous other |
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responsibilities at the State Capitol; he retired from the house in |
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1989; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan further contributed to San |
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Angelo through his work as president of the Community Justice |
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Council, Adult Daycare, Crime Stoppers, Family Shelter, and the |
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Retired Volunteer Program and as director of the Tom Green County |
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Tax Appraisal Board, the Public Responsibility Committee, and the |
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United Way; and |
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WHEREAS, A proud veteran, an accomplished law enforcement |
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professional, and a dedicated elected official, Dick Burnett will |
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be deeply missed, but his integrity, patriotism, and generosity of |
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spirit will continue to inspire all those who knew and loved him; |
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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 life of the Honorable Richard |
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James Burnett and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his sons, William Burnett and his wife, Pamela, Thomas |
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Burnett, and John Burnett; to his grandchildren, Michael Burnett |
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and his wife, Ella, Catherine Fierbaugh and her husband, Stephen, |
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and Macary and Macy Burnett; to his great-grandchildren, Conner and |
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Julianne Burnett and Ezra Fierbaugh; and to his other relatives and |
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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 Richard |
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James Burnett. |