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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of East Texas lost an admired jurist with |
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the death of the Honorable Bascom William Bentley III on December |
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11, 2017, at the age of 66; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Dr. Bascom Bentley Jr. and Kelly Bentley, |
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Bascom Bentley was born on March 27, 1951; he grew up with a sister, |
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Belle, and a brother, Newell; after attending Palestine High |
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School, he completed his bachelor's degree at The University of |
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Texas at Austin and went on to graduate from the University of |
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Houston Law Center in 1976; he married the former Carol Swift, and |
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they were blessed with four children, Bonnie, Bascom, Hunter, and |
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Matthew; later in life, he experienced the joy of welcoming into his |
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family a granddaughter, Scarlett; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Bentley was appointed Palestine city attorney |
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in 1977, and he went on to serve Anderson County as county attorney |
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and court at law judge; in 1989, he was appointed as the first judge |
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of the newly created 369th District Court, and he fulfilled the |
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duties of that position with distinction until his retirement in |
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2017; serious but unpretentious, he knew when to introduce levity |
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to the proceedings, and he was a mentor to many; he taught at |
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Trinity Valley Community College for 37 years and served on the |
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faculty of the Texas Center for the Judiciary; in addition, he was a |
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member of the Texas College for New Judges and president of the |
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Anderson County Bar Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his community, Judge Bentley |
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benefited many charitable organizations and served as president of |
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the United Way of East/Central Texas, Salvation Army, and Red |
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Cross; he was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church of |
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Palestine, where he was chair of the board and taught the Judge EV |
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Swift Men's Bible Study; among numerous honors, he received the |
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Citizen of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the |
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Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce and the Outstanding Local Leader |
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Award from the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute and |
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The University of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Bascom Bentley earned the respect and admiration of |
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innumerable people over the course of his long career in public |
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service, and those who were privileged to know him will forever |
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cherish their memories of his warmth, kindness, and wonderful sense |
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of humor; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Bascom William |
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Bentley III and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn his |
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passing; 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 Judge |
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Bascom William Bentley III. |
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Harris |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1235 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on April 26, 2019. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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