88R14955 BPG-D
 
  By: Lujan H.R. No. 370
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The life of a legendary Texas business leader and
  philanthropist drew to a close with the passing of B. J. "Red"
  McCombs of San Antonio on February 19, 2023; and
         WHEREAS, Born Billy Joe McCombs in Spur on October 19, 1927,
  Red McCombs learned the importance of giving at an early age as his
  parents made weekly donations at their church and helped people of
  even more modest means survive the Great Depression; he attended
  Southwestern University on a football scholarship before serving in
  the army during World War II; subsequently, he studied business and
  law at The University of Texas at Austin under the G.I. Bill; his
  monumental career in auto sales began almost by accident; after
  agreeing to take a corporate job, he found himself with time on his
  hands before it started, and so he joined a friend who was selling
  cars at a Corpus Christi Ford dealership; the work perfectly suited
  his high energy, bigger-than-life personality, and he quickly
  became a star salesman and then struck off on his own, opening
  McCombs Used Cars in Corpus Christi in 1953; and
         WHEREAS, When his former boss asked for his help with a
  struggling San Antonio dealership, he restored it to profitability
  and became the owner; Mr. McCombs also kept his promise to set up
  his five founding salesmen with their own dealerships; eventually,
  he expanded his auto holdings to more than 60 stores; applying his
  business expertise to other fields, he cofounded a radio empire,
  Clear Channel Communications, now known as iHeartMedia, and his
  portfolio grew to include more than 400 businesses in such
  industries as real estate, energy, and sports; and
         WHEREAS, Having adopted San Antonio as his hometown,
  Mr. McCombs sought to raise its profile; he used his connections to
  enhance HemisFair '68 and began his quest to bring professional
  sports to the city; with a group of bold speculators, he made a deal
  to acquire an NBA team, and although the San Antonio Spurs endured
  some difficult early years, they became a source of pride for local
  residents; Mr. McCombs owned the team two separate times, finally
  selling it when he had secured its future in the community; in
  addition, he owned the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Vikings,
  and he was a major investor in the Circuit of the Americas racetrack
  in Austin, site of the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix; and
         WHEREAS, Mr. McCombs was an extraordinarily generous
  benefactor to UT Austin; in 1999, he gave $50 million to the
  business school, which was renamed in his honor; he also helped fund
  the UT softball stadium, which was named for him and his wife,
  Charline, and the renovation and expansion of the north side of
  DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, which was rebranded as the Red McCombs
  Red Zone; he received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Texas
  Exes in 1998; named a Distinguished Alumnus by Southwestern
  University as well, he chaired its board of trustees from 1992 to
  2000, and he and his family made the largest alumni gift in the
  school's history to build the Red & Charline McCombs Campus Center;
  and
         WHEREAS, In 2005, Mr. and Mrs. McCombs donated $30 million to
  MD Anderson to establish the Institute for the Early Detection and
  Treatment of Cancer; moreover, he gave tens of millions of dollars
  to San Antonio organizations, often to alleviate a dire need he had
  read or heard about; learning of a fire at Mary Hull Elementary
  School, which was already in danger of closure, he became an
  enthusiastic supporter of the campus, hosting pep rallies before
  school tests and mentoring teachers; and
         WHEREAS, Mr. McCombs shared a deeply fulfilling marriage of
  69 years with the love of his life, the former Charline Hamblin;
  they made every major decision as partners, whether in business
  ventures or charitable endeavors; the couple were the proud parents
  of three daughters, Lynda, Marsha, and Connie, and through the
  years, their treasured family grew to include 8 grandchildren and
  11 great-grandchildren; Mrs. McCombs passed away in 2019; and
         WHEREAS, While the death of Red McCombs has deprived the
  state of one of its foremost entrepreneurs and philanthropists, his
  remarkable legacy will resonate for years to come, and those he
  leaves behind will forever treasure their memories of time spent in
  his company; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of B. J. "Red" McCombs
  and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
  daughters, Lynda McCombs, Marsha Shields and her husband, John H.,
  and Connie McNab and her husband, Sandy; to his grandchildren,
  Carson Rubey IV and his wife, Cristina, Chloe Shands and her
  husband, Matt, Anna Turner and her husband, Chris, Joe Shields and
  his wife, Andrea, Charles McNab, Sita McNab, Ian McNab and his wife,
  Alicia, and Easton McNab and his wife, Claire; to his
  great-grandchildren, Carson Rubey V, Townsend Shands, Christopher
  Turner, Zachary Turner, Charlotte Shields, Stella McNab, Wylie
  McNab, Ewan McNab, Billie McNab, Marianne McNab, and Isabella
  McNab; to his sister, LaWanda McCombs; and to his other relatives
  and many 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Red
  McCombs.