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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 attorney and civic leader James Reed Lovell of |
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Amarillo on July 4, 2023, at the age of 96; and |
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WHEREAS, The oldest son of Benjamin Reed Lovell and Reta |
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Eudora Poovey Lovell, Jim Lovell was delivered at home in Ashtola on |
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April 8, 1927, with the help of his grandmother, Johnnie Mae |
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Blackburn Poovey, the local midwife; he grew up with the loving |
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guidance of his parents and both his maternal and paternal |
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grandparents; along with his brother, Joe Thomas, he worked and |
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played at the Lovells' combination service station, grist mill, |
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country store, and post office; he graduated as president of |
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Clarendon High School's Class of 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy |
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at the end of World War II; following basic training in San Diego, |
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he served on shore patrol in the Philippines; his duties included |
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guarding men under court-martial, and his observations of military |
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lawyers inspired his career choice following his honorable |
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discharge in 1946; and |
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WHEREAS, The G.I. Bill enabled Mr. Lovell to become a |
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first-generation college student; he attended Clarendon Junior |
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College and Southern Methodist University, where he earned both his |
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bachelor's degree in business administration and his law degree; |
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after establishing a solo law practice in Dumas, he formed a |
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partnership with Hugh T. Lyle in 1953; although Mr. Lyle died in |
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1976, Mr. Lovell continued to call the firm Lovell & Lyle in honor |
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of his partner until 2016, when he moved to Amarillo to be closer to |
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family and medical care; he became of counsel to the firm of his |
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sons before fading eyesight obliged him to conclude his remarkable |
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69-year career; and |
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WHEREAS, Devoted to his profession, Mr. Lovell was a mentor |
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to many and held membership with numerous local, state, and |
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national associations; he was a director of the State Bar of Texas |
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for many years and served as chair of the State Bar of Texas |
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Insurance Trust; among other accolades, he received the 1979 |
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President's Award and special recognition for his leadership in the |
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founding and continued operation of the Texas Lawyers' Insurance |
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Exchange; in order to launch the TLIE, he signed a personal bank |
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loan for $165,000, and he served as president and chair of the board |
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for three decades; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lovell was also an investor and developer of |
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farm and ranch land in the 1970s; initially enjoying considerable |
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success, he showed great tenacity, courage, and diligence as he |
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weathered the crushing interest rates and deflation of agricultural |
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land values in the 1980s; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to Dumas and Moore Counties, Mr. Lovell |
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was highly engaged in civic life; for over 25 years, he was Dumas |
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city attorney, and he served other North Plains towns in this role |
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as well; he was a bank director in Dumas and Sunray, and he |
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completed multiple terms as a trustee of the Dumas Independent |
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School District; in 1975, he was appointed to the West Texas State |
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University Board of Regents, and he held the office of chair in |
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1978; he led the Dumas Chamber of Commerce, the Moore County |
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Development Corporation, and similar groups for many years and |
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spearheaded efforts to bring American Beef to the Schroeter |
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Industrial Park at Cactus; in addition, he was very active in local |
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politics; a man of deep faith, he was a valued member of First |
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Presbyterian Church of Dumas for seven decades and served as an |
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elder; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lovell married his high school sweetheart, the |
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former Louva Hunt, in 1951, and they were blessed with eight |
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children, Lynnita, John, Jimmy, Joe, Jeff, Laura, Leslie, and |
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Jesse; he instilled in them good manners, a strong work ethic, and a |
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sense of responsibility while also encouraging them to find their |
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own paths; during summers, the Lovells broadened the horizons of |
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their offspring on road trips to 48 states, including Alaska; that |
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first marriage ended with three children still at home, and |
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Mr. Lovell saw to their upbringing; he sent all of his sons and |
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daughters through college; and |
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WHEREAS, Fortunate to find love a second time, Mr. Lovell met |
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Betty King through a friend and dancing class, and they wed on |
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December 28, 1991; the couple traveled extensively and enjoyed |
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spending time at the cabin they built on the Cimarron River in Ute |
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Park, New Mexico; they shared a fulfilling relationship until her |
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passing in 2014; in his later years, Mr. Lovell was surrounded by |
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the love of a fine family that grew to include many grandchildren |
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and great-grandchildren, as well as three stepdaughters and their |
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extended families; and |
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WHEREAS, Jim Lovell was an engaged citizen, a devoted family |
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man, and an admired member of the legal profession, and his |
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wide-ranging contributions will remain a lasting source of |
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inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to know him; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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James Reed "Jim" Lovell and extend sincere condolences to the |
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members of his family: to his children, Nita Dyslin, John H. Lovell, |
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Jim Lovell, Joe L. Lovell, Laura Taylor, Leslie Hawkins, and Jesse |
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Lovell; to his grandchildren, Johnny Lovell, Whitney Chairez, |
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Derrick Dyslin, Chad Dyslin, Esther Beagles, Rachel Lovell, Lindy |
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Waldrip, David Lovell, Heath Lovell, Ben Lovell, Bristen Rodriguez, |
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Nicole Blessen, Tiffany Vandergriff, Jace Bennett, Jancee Bennett, |
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Jayton Bennett, Matthew Hawkins, Andrew Hawkins, Michael Hawkins, |
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Mattie Kate Lovell, and Hunter Lovell; to his great-grandchildren, |
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Ashton, Brooklyn, Raygan, Jameson, Docia, Adi, Darcy, Brayden, |
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Berkeley, Celia, Caleb, Olivia, Samantha, CJ, Emmeline, Eleanor, |
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Caylor, Dayton, Finleigh, Reagan, Davey, Brooklyn, Baker, and |
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Maeve; to his stepdaughters, Carol Colunga, Linda Wolever, and |
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Jenny Zeller; to his step-grandchildren, Adriana Vincent, Ari |
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Wolever, Jiles Wolever, Lakin Wolever, Emma Zeller, and Evan |
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Zeller; to his step-great-grandchildren, Lily and Taya; to his |
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brother, Joe T. Lovell; and to his many other relatives and friends; |
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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 James Reed |
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Lovell. |