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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Quintana are mourning the loss of |
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former mayor and town council member Deborah Estelle Alongis, who |
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passed away on July 26, 2021, at the age of 66; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on January 5, 1955, Deborah Alongis lived in |
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Kalamazoo, Michigan, before moving across the country to the tiny |
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seaside town of Quintana in 1981; she first operated a bar and |
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restaurant called Jeff's Jetty Burgers alongside her brother, and |
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she soon met her future husband, boat captain Steve Alongis, who |
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offered her a job as a deckhand; the two fell in love and later |
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married, sharing nearly 40 years together, and they often worked |
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side by side in behalf of their community; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Quintana had little more than a dozen |
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registered voters when she arrived, Ms. Alongis envisioned a bright |
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future for the city; setting her sights on public office, she |
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successfully ran for a seat on the town council in 1988, and she |
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went on to be elected mayor for a tenure that lasted from 1993 to |
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2001; after taking a break, she returned to the council in 2014 and |
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continued serving area citizens for another seven years until her |
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passing; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Alongis was passionate about preserving the |
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natural beauty of Quintana; she devoted her efforts to maintaining |
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its beach and sand dunes for the enjoyment of all, and she was |
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instrumental in establishing several local parks, in addition to |
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enriching the landscape with a multitude of palm trees, native |
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foliage, and wildflowers; through her leadership, the town received |
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a number of State of Texas community achievement awards and grants, |
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and it also earned the distinction of being the smallest city in the |
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state to offer curbside recycling; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Alongis was the proud mother of a daughter, Amy, |
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and she was further blessed with three precious grandchildren, |
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Jacob, Daphne, and Luke, who brought her much joy and happiness; an |
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outgoing and gregarious woman, she endeared herself to numerous |
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people and also enjoyed a wide circle of friends; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to her family and her community, |
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Deborah Alongis made a meaningful difference in the lives of her |
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loved ones and fellow citizens alike, and her contributions will be |
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fondly remembered for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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of Deborah Estelle Alongis and extend heartfelt sympathy to the |
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members of her family: to her husband, Steve Alongis; to her sister |
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and brother-in-law, Cathy and Phil Christian; to her brothers, Gigi |
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Reynolds and John Reynolds; to her daughter and son-in-law, Amy and |
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Wayne Brune; to her grandchildren, Jacob, Daphne, and Luke; and to |
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her other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Deborah |
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Estelle Alongis. |