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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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passing of admired San Angelo businessman and philanthropist David |
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Louis Hirschfeld on February 28, 2025, at the age of 88; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of L. W. and Odie Hirschfeld, David |
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Hirschfeld was born in San Angelo on December 19, 1936; he earned |
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his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech |
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University and served in the U.S. Army before going to work at his |
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father's welding shop; in 1963, he became president of Hirschfeld |
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Steel, and he built the small family company into one of the largest |
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structural steel fabricators in the United States; it was involved |
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in a host of major projects, from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to |
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major league stadiums across the country; a titan of his industry, |
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he remained humble and mentored innumerable people, and he was a |
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longtime member of the board of the American Institute of Steel |
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Construction; he retired in 2002, only to acquire a new business, |
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Wendland Manufacturing; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Hirschfeld was the devoted father of four |
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children, David, Shawnee, Kendall, and Wendall, and he shared a |
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fulfilling marriage of more than three decades with his wife, |
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Judith, until her passing in 2023; the couple often hosted military |
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families in their home and supported the Goodfellow Air Force Base |
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whenever possible; dedicated to animal rescue, they established the |
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Judith & David Hirschfeld Adoption Center at Concho Valley PAWS; |
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Mr. Hirschfeld also worked with Angelo State University to found |
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the David L. Hirschfeld Department of Engineering; a man of faith, |
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he was an active member of First Methodist Church in San Angelo and |
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the San Angelo Philosophical Society; he took on the rebuilding of |
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the old Catholic chapel adjacent to the family ranch in Fort |
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McKavett, now known as the Hirschfeld Chapel; his civic and |
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charitable contributions earned him numerous honors, including the |
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Citizen of the Year Award from the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, |
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and the Texas Tech University System inducted him into its Spur |
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Society; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the loss of David Hirschfeld is keenly felt |
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by all who were privileged to share in the richness of his life, his |
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tremendous warmth and kindness will remain a lasting source of |
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inspiration; 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 David Louis |
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Hirschfeld and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his children, David Louis Hirschfeld Jr. and his wife, |
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Betty, Shawnee Hirschfeld Ingrum, Kendall Kyle Hirschfeld and his |
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wife, Lisa, and Wendall Wayne Hirschfeld and his wife, Scarlet; to |
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his 12 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren; and to his many |
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other relatives and 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 David |
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Hirschfeld. |