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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and exuberant life has drawn to a close with |
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the death of Willard Howard Hammonds Sr. of Corpus Christi on April |
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16, 2017, at the age of 87; and |
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WHEREAS, Willard Hammonds was born in Pilot Point on June 21, |
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1929, and adopted the following day by Lela and Johnnie Hammonds; |
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raised in Corpus Christi, he went to work delivering newspapers at |
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the age of 8, and at 16 he joined the merchant marine; sailing the |
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world instilled in him a lifelong love of travel and adventure; and |
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WHEREAS, After returning to Corpus Christi, Mr. Hammonds was |
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joined in matrimony to Jeannine Delores Schmidt in 1950, and the |
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couple shared a rewarding marriage that spanned 51 years, until her |
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death in 2001; he was the proud father of a daughter, Johnnie Lynn |
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Hammonds, and a son, Willard Hammonds II, and in later life, he was |
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blessed with four grandchildren, Tiller, Chase, Willard, and |
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Whitney, and six great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Starting with a house-moving business, Mr. Hammonds |
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went on to build a real estate empire that stretched from Corpus |
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Christi to Dallas; a true bon vivant, he piloted his own airplanes |
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and sailed his two pleasure boats, the Sundancer and the Jeannine D, |
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and he enjoyed gambling, fishing, and regaling listeners with |
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stories of his life; and |
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WHEREAS, Willard Hammonds was fond of saying, "I climbed to |
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the top of the mountain, and loved what I saw," and the memory of his |
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generosity and joie de vivre will continue to inspire and delight |
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all those who knew and loved him; 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 Willard Howard |
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Hammonds Sr. and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family and many |
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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 Willard |
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Howard Hammonds Sr. |