| |
|
|
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 8
|
| |
| |
|
|
In Memory |
|
|
of |
|
|
Tom Reid |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, The city of Pearland lost a greatly admired civic |
|
|
leader with the passing of Mayor Emeritus Tom Reid on |
|
|
June 24, 2023, at the age of 97; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born in Houston in 1925, Tom Reid was the son of |
|
|
Thomas Joel and Hazel Nichols Reid; after proudly serving his |
|
|
country as a member of the United States Navy during World War II, |
|
|
he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from The |
|
|
University of Texas in 1951, and as a student there, he held |
|
|
membership in the Texas Cowboys and Chi Phi Fraternity; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1965, Mr. Reid moved to Pearland, where he |
|
|
enjoyed a 32-year career as a contractor for NASA's Johnson Space |
|
|
Center; over the course of his tenure with NASA, he was |
|
|
responsible for overseeing and managing the budgets for the |
|
|
Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, and Space Shuttle |
|
|
programs; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Reid served Pearland as mayor from 1978 to |
|
|
1990 and again from 1993 to 2020, and his long tenure coincided |
|
|
with a number of major developments, including the expansion of |
|
|
the city's western border and improvements to its public safety |
|
|
services and parks and trails systems; during that time, Pearland |
|
|
also experienced a significant increase in new businesses and |
|
|
large residential properties that contributed to its economic |
|
|
growth; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mayor Reid's active involvement in the community |
|
|
further included service as a city planning commissioner and as |
|
|
chair of the Pearland Library board and Brazoria Drainage |
|
|
District No. 4; an Eagle Scout, he also contributed to the Boy |
|
|
Scouts organization as a scoutmaster and Scout Troop Committee |
|
|
chair, and he volunteered his time in behalf of Pearland ISD, the |
|
|
Pearland Historical Society, the Pearland Arts League, the C. F. |
|
|
Spencer Masonic Lodge No. 1384, and other organizations; he was |
|
|
the first citizen to be awarded the title of mayor emeritus, and |
|
|
his outstanding record of service was further recognized with the |
|
|
naming of a U.S. Post Office in his honor; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Reid enjoyed the love |
|
|
and support of a fine family that included his two children, |
|
|
Trisha and Carl, and his granddaughter, Nikki; and |
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, The life of Tom Reid stands as an inspiring |
|
|
example of the good that one person can accomplish, and he leaves |
|
|
behind a legacy that will resonate in the Pearland community for |
|
|
many years to come; now, therefore, be it |
| |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
|
|
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
|
|
of Mayor Emeritus Tom Reid and extend sincere sympathy to all |
|
|
those 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 Senate adjourns |
|
|
this day, it do so in memory of Tom Reid. |
| |
|
|
Middleton |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
|
President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I hereby certify that the |
|
|
|
above Resolution was adopted by |
|
|
|
the Senate on June 30, 2023, by a |
|
|
|
rising vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
________________________________ |
|
|
|
Member, Texas Senate |