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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The city of El Paso lost an admired civic leader |
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and social justice advocate with the passing of Pete T. Duarte on |
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February 4, 2023, at the age of 84; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Moorpark, California, on June 9, 1938, |
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Pete Duarte was the son of Eduardo Simon and Maria Jesus Duarte; |
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he labored in the fields alongside his parents and became the |
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first college graduate in his family, earning degrees from |
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California State College and The University of Texas at El Paso |
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and completing the Harvard University Hispanic Health Leadership |
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Program; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Duarte served with the Peace Corps in the |
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Dominican Republic and then became a health care organizer in El |
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Paso for the War on Poverty; recognizing the importance of a |
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holistic approach, he united other leaders in founding what |
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became the Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe clinic and served for 12 |
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years as its executive director; in the early 1990s, he became |
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CEO of Thomason General Hospital, later University Medical |
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Center of El Paso, which was twice named among America's Top 100 |
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Hospitals during his tenure as "chief servant," his preferred |
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title; he also led Project Upward Bound at UTEP, where he helped |
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establish Chicano Studies; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Mr. Duarte garnered numerous |
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accolades, and the Pete Duarte Head Start center was named in his |
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honor; he returned the prestigious Golden Nugget alumni award to |
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UTEP in 2011 in solidarity with students protesting the |
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cancellation of the holiday honoring Cesar Chavez, a personal |
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hero and role model; the university quickly restored the |
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observance; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to his family, Mr. Duarte was a |
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loving husband to Joy, and thereafter Irma, and proud father of |
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four children, Eduardo, Pedro, Marean, and Lilia; as the adoring |
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"Lito" of 13 grandchildren, he shared countless besos and ice |
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cream cones; and |
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WHEREAS, Pete Duarte made a lasting, positive difference |
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in El Paso through his vision and leadership, and those he left |
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behind will treasure their memories of his warmth, wit, and |
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passion for service; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby pay tribute to the life of Pete T. Duarte and extend |
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sincere sympathy to the members of his family; and to all who |
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mourn his passing; 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 Senate adjourns |
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this day, it do so in memory of Pete Duarte. |