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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of Jack |
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R. Wade, a longtime Killeen-area business leader, who passed away |
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on August 19, 2025, at the age of 82; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Webb City, Missouri, on January 31, 1943, |
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Jack Wade was the son of Kenneth and Bessie Wade; he grew up with |
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three sisters, Sue, Donna, and Kezia; after graduating from Miami |
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Edison Senior High School in Florida and North Texas State |
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University, he joined the U.S. Army; he flew helicopters and served |
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in both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm; among other |
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decorations, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and a |
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Meritorious Service Medal; he retired in 1991 at the rank of chief |
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warrant officer 4; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Wade began the next chapter of his life by |
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earning a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of |
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Central Texas; he went on to work with the chambers of commerce in |
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Harker Heights and Copperas Cove before serving as executive vice |
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president of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce from 1996 |
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until his retirement in 2014; in addition to overseeing events and |
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providing assistance to local entrepreneurs, he was involved in |
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efforts to expand retail along Interstate 14, and he was |
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instrumental in developing the chamber's Military Relations |
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Council; he was also a member of the noon Rotary and served on |
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several city committees; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted family man, Mr. Wade shared a fulfilling |
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relationship of nearly five decades with his wife, the former Carol |
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Henderson Bell; they became the parents of four children, Susan, |
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Blake, Kenneth, and Christina, and through the years, the family |
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grew to include 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; |
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Mr. Wade was an active member of First Baptist Church of Killeen, |
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where he sang in the choir and served on committees; after he and |
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his wife moved to College Station, near two of their children, he |
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joined the congregation at First Baptist Bryan; and |
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WHEREAS, Jack Wade was admired by all for his dedication to |
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his family, his community, and his country, and he will forever be a |
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source of inspiration to those he left behind; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Jack R. Wade and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Carol Wade; to his children, Susan Buckley and |
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her husband Brad, Blake Bell and his wife, Dawn, Kenneth Wade and |
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his wife, Laura, and Christina Wade Rich and her husband, Nathan; to |
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his grandchildren, Emily, Erin, Bo, Lindsey, Logan, Brady, Tiffany, |
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Brittany, Tyler, Mary Kathryn, Chad, William, Wesley, Nolan, and |
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Lauren; to his great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and |
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many friends; 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 Jack Wade. |