| |
| |
|
|
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The Honorable Walter David Counts Jr. of Knox City, |
|
|
a former state representative and brevet brigadier general in the |
|
|
Texas Army National Guard, passed away on August 18, 2023, at the |
|
|
age of 87; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born in Munday on July 14, 1936, David Counts was the |
|
|
son of Walter and Alma Counts; he grew up in Rule and attended West |
|
|
Texas State College and North Texas State College; in 1953, he |
|
|
joined the Texas Army National Guard, and over the course of 32 |
|
|
years in the military, he attained the rank of colonel; |
|
|
then-governor George W. Bush promoted him to brevet brigadier |
|
|
general following his retirement; among other honors, he received |
|
|
the General K. L. Bailey Award for heroism and the Minute Man Award |
|
|
for outstanding service; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Counts wed the love of his life, the former Mary |
|
|
Mullins, on July 15, 1956; they became the proud parents of two |
|
|
children, Patti and David, and through the years, their family grew |
|
|
to include four grandchildren, Seth, Jennifer, Sarah, and Matthew, |
|
|
as well as eight great-grandchildren; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Settling in Knox City, Mr. Counts established Counts |
|
|
Insurance Agency in 1960; he operated the business for 35 years, and |
|
|
he also founded Counts Real Estate; in addition, he owned a |
|
|
bookkeeping and tax service for a decade and grew wheat and cotton |
|
|
in Knox, Stonewall, and Haskell Counties; he served as vice |
|
|
president and director of Rolling Plains Well Service, as president |
|
|
and chair of Chap Operating Company, as director and treasurer of |
|
|
Perry Pump Service, and as a director of both First Bank of West |
|
|
Texas and Western Bancshares; moreover, he was a member of the board |
|
|
of the Texas Association of Realtors; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Counts was first elected to the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives in 1988, and for the next 15 years, he worked |
|
|
tirelessly in behalf of his constituents, who resided primarily in |
|
|
the North Central Plains region; he chaired the Natural Resources |
|
|
Committee for a decade, co-chaired the Water Resources Committee, |
|
|
and served on many other committees, including the Insurance, |
|
|
Redistricting, and State Affairs Committees; he authored a |
|
|
constitutional amendment to exempt Masonic lodges from ad valorem |
|
|
taxes; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A member of the Masons for more than six decades, Mr. |
|
|
Counts was raised to the degree of Master Mason in 1961, and he |
|
|
served three separate terms as Worshipful Master; he began his |
|
|
association with the Grand Lodge of Texas in 1971 and rose to become |
|
|
Most Worshipful Grand Master, the highest office in Texas Masonry, |
|
|
in 2008; he gave generously of his time and talents to a host of |
|
|
Masonic groups, and he served as treasurer of Masonic Children & |
|
|
Family Services of Texas and as a trustee of Scottish Rite for |
|
|
Children; the recipient of numerous honors, he was inducted into |
|
|
the Masonic Grand Lodge Library and Museum of Texas Sam Houston Hall |
|
|
of Fame and served as a patron of the library and museum; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Counts also contributed to the greater community |
|
|
through his longtime service as a director of the Knox City Chamber |
|
|
of Commerce and as a member of the Knox City Lions Club; he |
|
|
benefited higher education as a member of several boards, including |
|
|
the development board of Hardin-Simmons University; he was a valued |
|
|
congregant of First Baptist Church of Knox City and gave generously |
|
|
of his time and resources to Gideons International; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, David Counts lived a life that was rich in public |
|
|
service and in personal and professional achievements, and his |
|
|
contributions will be remembered and admired for years to come; |
|
|
now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
|
|
4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Walter David |
|
|
Counts Jr. and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
|
|
family: to his wife, Mary Counts; to his children, Patti Counts |
|
|
Holmes and her husband, Steve, and David Counts III and his wife, |
|
|
Jill; to his grandchildren, Seth Barnett and his wife, Jenni, |
|
|
Jennifer McCann and her husband, Josh, Sarah Grace and her husband, |
|
|
Jacob, and Matthew Counts and his wife, Allie; to his eight |
|
|
great-grandchildren; to his sister, Cheryl Robinson, and her |
|
|
husband, Bobby; and to his many other relatives and friends; and, be |
|
|
it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
|
|
David Counts. |