85R31085 JGH-D

By: Anderson of McLennan H.R. No. 2248

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever treasure their memories of Billy G. McGinnis of Troy, who passed away on February 22, 2016, at the age of 89; and

WHEREAS, Bill McGinnis was born in Thurber on November 25, 1926, to William and Mildred McGinnis; he served with the U.S. Army Air Force in the Pacific theater during World War II, and he went on to earn a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Texas A&M University; and

WHEREAS, Mr. McGinnis worked for the Texas Highway Department in Clifton and served as Bell County engineer before cofounding the Ellis-McGinnis Construction Company in Eddy, where he remained as CEO until his death; over the course of his 66-year career in engineering, he was responsible for the construction of Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation projects all over the United States, including dams, reservoirs, bridges, tunnels, mines, power plants, railroads, and highways; he also worked on the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa; and

WHEREAS, A valued resident of Troy for three decades, Mr. McGinnis attended First Baptist Church; he shared his life with his wife, Ina Fay, for 62 years, and he was the proud father of four children, Robert, David, Michael, and Karen; he was further blessed with five grandchildren, Jonathan, Matthew, Patrick, Lane, and Jordan; and

WHEREAS, A devoted family man and a respected professional, Bill McGinnis lived a full and generous life, and although he is deeply missed, his spirit lives on in the hearts of 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 Billy G. McGinnis and extend heartfelt sympathy to his relatives 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 Billy G. McGinnis.