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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends were deeply saddened by the |
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deaths of former Texas secretary of state George William Strake Jr. |
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and his wife, Annette DeWalch Strake; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Strake passed away on February 9, 2024, at the |
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age of 88; the son of George William Strake Sr. and Susan Kehoe |
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Strake, George Strake was born in Houston on June 10, 1935; he was |
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an honor roll student at St. Thomas High School and went on to |
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become president of his class at the University of Notre Dame; after |
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completing his bachelor's degree in economics, he served two years |
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as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and earned an MBA from |
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Harvard University; he followed in his father's footsteps, |
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embarking on a noteworthy career in the oil business, and rose to |
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become chair and CEO of Strake Energy, Inc.; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Strake was preceded in death by his wife on |
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November 16, 2023, when she was 86; born in Houston on June 20, |
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1937, the former Annette DeWalch was the daughter of Frank Anthony |
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DeWalch and Gladys King DeWalch, and she grew up with two brothers, |
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Donald and Robert; after graduating from St. Agnes Academy, she |
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attended the University of St. Thomas; and |
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WHEREAS, George and Annette Strake were joined in matrimony |
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on January 10, 1959, in a ceremony conducted at St. Anne Catholic |
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Church; through the years, they were blessed with six children, |
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George, Stephen, Michele, Melanie, Gregory, and Melissa, as well as |
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17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; they also welcomed a |
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host of friends into their home, especially at holidays and for |
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Mrs. Strake's famous Dancing with the Stars parties; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1961, Mr. Strake became involved in state and |
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national politics; he was appointed Texas secretary of state in |
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1979 and served as chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1983 |
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to 1988; subsequently, he was named to the Texas Task Force on |
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Public Education; he further served his fellow citizens as a member |
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of the boards of numerous civic and charitable organizations, among |
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them the Rotary Club of Houston, Boy Scouts of America, the Albert & |
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Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, the San Jacinto Museum and |
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Battlefield, and the "C" Club of Houston, of which he was a founding |
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member; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Strake was the recipient of myriad accolades, |
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and he took special pride in his selection as one of Community |
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Partners' "Fathers of the Year"; in 1993, he and his wife were |
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recognized as "Houstonians of the Year" by The Center for Hearing |
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and Speech; and |
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WHEREAS, Faithful parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel |
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Catholic Church, Mr. and Mrs. Strake supported Catholic education |
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through the Strake Foundation, which has provided capital and |
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programmatic support for initiatives at Mrs. Strake's alma mater, |
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the University of St. Thomas; Mr. Strake served on its board, and he |
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received an honorary doctorate; in addition, he was a longtime |
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benefactor of the University of Notre Dame, and he worked to advance |
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its mission as a Catholic institution and served on the College of |
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Arts and Letters Advisory Council; Mrs. Strake served on the boards |
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of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women and St. Agnes Academy; in |
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addition, she volunteered extensively and benefited her community |
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in numerous leadership roles, including as a member of the boards of |
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the Houston Aphasia Recovery Center and the Barbara Bush Houston |
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Literacy Foundation; the Strakes were loyal supporters of the |
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foundation's annual A Celebration of Reading event; proud of her |
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Italian heritage, she was also a member of the Donne di Domani club; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, George and Annette Strake inspired innumerable |
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people through their great devotion to each other, as well as |
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through their wide-ranging civic contributions, and they are |
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remembered with tremendous admiration and affection by all who were |
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privileged to know them; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of George William |
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Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake and extend sincere |
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condolences to all who mourn their passing; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for their family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of George |
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William Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake. |