| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, A full and exuberant life has drawn to a close with |
|
|
the death of Willard Howard Hammonds Sr. of Corpus Christi on April |
|
|
16, 2017, at the age of 87; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Willard Hammonds was born in Pilot Point on June 21, |
|
|
1929, and adopted the following day by Lela and Johnnie Hammonds; |
|
|
raised in Corpus Christi, he went to work delivering newspapers at |
|
|
the age of 8, and at 16 he joined the merchant marine; sailing the |
|
|
world instilled in him a lifelong love of travel and adventure; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, After returning to Corpus Christi, Mr. Hammonds was |
|
|
joined in matrimony to Jeannine Delores Schmidt in 1950, and the |
|
|
couple shared a rewarding marriage that spanned 51 years, until her |
|
|
death in 2001; he was the proud father of a daughter, Johnnie Lynn |
|
|
Hammonds, and a son, Willard Hammonds II, and in later life, he was |
|
|
blessed with four grandchildren, Tiller, Chase, Willard, and |
|
|
Whitney, and six great-grandchildren; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Starting with a house-moving business, Mr. Hammonds |
|
|
went on to build a real estate empire that stretched from Corpus |
|
|
Christi to Dallas; a true bon vivant, he piloted his own airplanes |
|
|
and sailed his two pleasure boats, the Sundancer and the Jeannine D, |
|
|
and he enjoyed gambling, fishing, and regaling listeners with |
|
|
stories of his life; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Willard Hammonds was fond of saying, "I climbed to |
|
|
the top of the mountain, and loved what I saw," and the memory of his |
|
|
generosity and joie de vivre will continue to inspire and delight |
|
|
all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Willard Howard |
|
|
Hammonds Sr. and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family 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 Willard |
|
|
Howard Hammonds Sr. |
| |
|
|
Hunter |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 2051 was unanimously adopted by a |
|
|
rising vote of the House on May 25, 2017. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |