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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Brownwood lost a greatly admired civic |
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leader with the passing of former mayor Bert V. Massey II on |
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November 13, 2024, at the age of 81; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Brownwood on October 3, 1943, Bert Massey II |
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was the son of Bert and Audree Massey; following his graduation from |
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Brownwood High School in 1961, he went on to receive bachelor's and |
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juris doctor degrees from The University of Texas at Austin; he then |
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found employment with the Veterans Land Board and the Brown County |
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Abstract Company before becoming a partner in the law firm of |
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Massey, Shaw & West, with a concentration on real estate and probate |
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law; his career further included work as president of the Brown |
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County Abstract Company and as general counsel to the Independent |
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Title Agents of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his community, Mr. Massey |
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served on the Brownwood City Council from 1978 to 1984 and as mayor |
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from 1984 to 2010; his 32-year tenure represented the longest |
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continuous municipal service of any city official, and his time in |
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public office coincided with the successful completion of numerous |
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capital improvement projects; under his leadership, the city also |
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implemented its 2003 Downtown Master Plan, and he oversaw the |
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passage of an economic development sales tax that resulted in the |
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city attracting several major employers; he also played a pivotal |
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role in securing upgrades to the Brown County Water Improvement |
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District treatment plant, and he later joined its board in 2021; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of his years of public service, |
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Mayor Massey held other prominent titles as a board member for the |
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Texas Municipal League, as president of the Texas Land Title |
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Association, and as president of the Brownwood Area Chamber of |
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Commerce, which recognized him with its Lifetime of Service Award |
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in 2010; he was involved in TLTA in many capacities, and his |
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accolades from the organization included being named an honorary |
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life member and its Title Man of the Year in 1984; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mayor Massey was blessed with |
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the love and support of his wife of 55 years, Melinda Massey, and he |
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was the proud father of their children, Sarah, Rachel, and Bert; he |
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was also devoted to their grandchildren, Cora, Liam, Rory, Sammy, |
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and Nate; a man of devout faith, he was a longtime active member of |
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First Baptist Church Brownwood; and |
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WHEREAS, Bert Massey dedicated himself wholeheartedly to |
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making Brownwood a better place to live for his fellow citizens, and |
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he leaves behind a legacy of good works that will long be |
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remembered; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bert V. Massey II and extend |
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deepest sympathy to his family 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 Senate adjourns this |
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day, it do so in memory of Bert Massey. |