| |
| |
|
|
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost a much admired lawmaker and |
|
|
friend to many with the death of former House Speaker Pro Tempore |
|
|
D. R. "Tom" Uher of Bay City on March 9, 2019, at the age of 81; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The son of Alfonso A. Uher and May Bittick Uher, Tom |
|
|
Uher was born in Bay City in 1937, and he grew up with the |
|
|
companionship of three siblings, Doris, LaVerne, and Myrna; he |
|
|
earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 1960 |
|
|
followed by earning his Doctor of Jurisprudence at The University |
|
|
of Texas in 1962; he then returned home to open his law practice; |
|
|
for 55 years, he continued to serve his clients, truly enjoying work |
|
|
both as an attorney and spending time outdoors, coaching Little |
|
|
League and in his final year of coaching in 2012, his team won the |
|
|
Little League Minors Championship, teaching Bible study at the |
|
|
First Presbyterian Church, and watching football, especially his |
|
|
beloved Longhorns; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Representative Uher shared a rewarding marriage of |
|
|
more than 55 years with his wife, Ann Hagaman Uher, and they |
|
|
welcomed into their family two daughters, Christi Joe and Catherine |
|
|
Ann, and a son, Robert, as well as two grandsons, Christopher Joseph |
|
|
and the late Noah Carl Uher; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1967, Representative Uher won a special election |
|
|
to the House on his 30th birthday, December 16; his constituents in |
|
|
Matagorda, Wharton, and Brazoria Counties would reelect him 17 |
|
|
times; serving over three decades and eight Presidents, he served |
|
|
as Speaker Pro Tempore from the 73rd through 77th Legislatures, and |
|
|
upon leaving the Legislature was Dean of the House; he held numerous |
|
|
leadership roles, serving as Chair of the House Committee on State |
|
|
Affairs, Chair of the Higher Education Subcommittee on Budget and |
|
|
Oversight, and Chair of the committees on Redistricting, Degree |
|
|
Plans, and Regions, Compacts, and Districts, as well as Chair of the |
|
|
Animal Health Commission; in addition, he was Vice Chair of the |
|
|
General Investigating Committee, the Public Health Committee, and |
|
|
the Select Committee on Child Pornography; he further served as a |
|
|
member of such committees as Public Education, Higher Education, |
|
|
and Ways and Means; moreover, he was instrumental in the passage of |
|
|
Senate Bill 438, exempting the expansion of Darrell K. Royal Texas |
|
|
Memorial Stadium from the Capitol view corridor guidelines; this |
|
|
pivotal legislation allowed for the expansion of the facility to |
|
|
provide seating for more than 100,000 guests; in addition, he took |
|
|
special pride in the passage of a bill he authored that granted MD |
|
|
Anderson Cancer Center patients access to care without referrals; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Charming and collegial, Representative Uher earned |
|
|
the affection of all his colleagues; he commonly ended |
|
|
conversations by calling others "Great American," and he himself |
|
|
became fondly known as the "Great American"; after leaving the |
|
|
House in 2003, he continued to share his wisdom and experience as a |
|
|
mentor whether to a young person, friend or colleague, or fellow |
|
|
elected officials, both in Austin and his hometown of Bay City; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Through his steadfast dedication to public service, |
|
|
Tom Uher made a lasting, positive impact in the lives of innumerable |
|
|
Texans, and his contributions will be remembered for years to come; |
|
|
now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
|
hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable D. R. "Tom" Uher |
|
|
and extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing; 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
|
|
former House Speaker Pro Tempore D. R. "Tom" Uher. |