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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Amarillo lost an admired civic leader |
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with the death of Keith Roger Williams on May 19, 2017, at the age of |
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65; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of L. Keith and Bonnie Williams, Roger |
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Williams was born on September 10, 1951, and grew up in Kansas City, |
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Missouri; he completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees at |
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Brigham Young University; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Williams was the proud father of three children |
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by his first marriage, Stewart, Marissa, and Marshall, and |
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following his marriage to Ana Estevez on December 26, 2003, he |
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welcomed two more children, Nikki and Alexis, into his treasured |
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family; moreover, he took great delight in his role as grandfather |
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to Bailee, Ethan, Kai, and Landree; and |
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WHEREAS, The face of Bell Helicopter in the community, |
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Mr. Williams was one of the first staff members at the plant when it |
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opened; over the course of his long tenure, he served in a number of |
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key roles, including site leader, director of administration, |
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executive director, and head of human resources; he was a kind |
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mentor to numerous colleagues, and he was known in the wider |
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community for his leadership in charitable organizations; |
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dedicated to the United Way of Amarillo and Canyon, he helped raise |
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more than $5 million as co-chair of its 2008 annual campaign, and he |
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served on the executive board for a dozen years; he was a member of |
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many other nonprofit boards as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Sustained by a profound faith, Mr. Williams was an |
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active member of First Baptist Church, where he even helped out in |
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the nursery; following his retirement in 2012, he became deeply |
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involved in the church refugee programs and drove vans to bring ESL |
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students to their classes at First Baptist; he also devoted |
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considerable time, effort, and resources to help people in need in |
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Haiti; an avid scholar and voracious reader, he studied a wide range |
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of subjects; he also loved travel and music and was a great |
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supporter of the Amarillo Symphony; and |
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WHEREAS, The life of Roger Williams stands as an inspiring |
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example of service to others, and though he will be deeply missed by |
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those he has left behind, they will forever treasure their memories |
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of his magnificent smile, sharp wit, and boundless generosity; now, |
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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 K. Roger Williams and |
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extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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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 Roger |
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Williams. |