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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the |
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passing of admired civic leader Clive Runnells Jr. of Houston on |
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April 26, 2019, at the age of 93; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Clive Runnells Sr. and Mary Withers |
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Runnells, Clive Runnells was born in Chicago on January 16, 1926, |
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and grew up with a brother, John; he interrupted his education at |
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Yale University to train as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Navy, |
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graduating after the end of World War II; in 1950, he moved to |
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Texas, where he worked for Pure Oil and Wilson Supply Company; like |
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his famous great-grandfather, Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce, he went |
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into ranching, becoming chair and CEO of Runnells Peters Cattle |
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Company and Runnells Peters Feedyards; he also became a pioneer in |
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both the mutual fund and cable television industries; in the |
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mid-1970s, he organized Gulf Coast Cable Television; he served on |
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the boards of the National Cable Television Association and the |
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Investment Company Institute, often advocating before the U.S. |
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Congress on their behalf; moreover, he was director of Criterion |
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Funds and Criterion Group, and he served on the board of the Federal |
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Reserve Bank of Dallas; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Runnells benefited his fellow citizens through |
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his philanthropic endeavors and leadership roles in many realms; he |
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served as chair of the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority |
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of Harris County and as president of the Gulf Coast Medical |
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Foundation; in addition, he was a life member of the Development |
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Board of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston |
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and a director of the Mental Health Association; he was a director |
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of TIRR Memorial Hermann, a trustee of the Hermann Eye Fund, and a |
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member of the honorary advisory council of the Memorial Hermann |
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Foundation; he established the Nancy, Clive, and Pierce Runnells |
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Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience at The University of Texas |
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Health Science Center at Houston, and he generously supported stem |
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cell research at UTHealth as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Committed to protecting and preserving coastal |
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wetland and upland prairie, Mr. Runnells donated to The Nature |
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Conservancy in Texas more than 3,000 acres of land now known as the |
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Clive Runnells Family Mad Island Marsh Preserve; he promoted |
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education as a trustee and longtime benefactor of St. Paul's School |
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and as a member of the Associates Program at Rice University; |
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working to improve transportation, he served as chair of the Texas |
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Turnpike Authority and as a director of the Grand Parkway |
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Association and of Texas High-Speed Rail; he was also a member of |
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the Houston chamber of commerce's regional mobility committee; his |
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love of aviation led him to serve on the advisory board of the |
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Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, and |
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he was vice chair of the Smithsonian National Board; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Runnells shared a fulfilling marriage with his |
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wife, Kathryn Smyth Runnells; he was the devoted father of three |
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children, Helen, Clive, and Pierce, and stepfather of Amy, Jeff, |
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Calvin, Samuel, David, and John; through the years, he welcomed |
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into his treasured family 14 grandchildren, Clive, Pierre, Mary, |
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Stephen, Grace, Andrew, Katie, Kolin, Dessie, Dudley, Elisa, |
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Matthew, Camille, and Marguerite, as well as 3 great-grandchildren, |
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Baxter, JD, and Ella; he was preceded in death by his first wife and |
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the mother of his children, Winifred Trimble Carter, his second |
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wife, Nancy Morgan Runnells, his son Pierce, and his stepsons David |
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and John; and |
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WHEREAS, Loyal, kind, unfailingly honest, and deeply |
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compassionate, Clive Runnells gave freely of his time and expertise |
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to better his community, and his contributions will be remembered |
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and admired for years to come; 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 Clive Runnells Jr. and |
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extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; 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 Clive |
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Runnells Jr. |
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Davis of Harris |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1452 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 2, 2019. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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