| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 112 3262 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Resolution 514 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representative Powell of the 33 |
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| 4 | 4 | | rd |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 7 | 7 | | Honoring the life and memory of Bobby C. Pate; and for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens2 |
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| 10 | 10 | | with the passing of Bobby C. Pate on September 28, 2024; and3 |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Bobby C. Pate was born on November 29, 1936, in Jacksonville, Florida, a4 |
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| 12 | 12 | | beloved son of Richard Pate and Ada Dukes Pate Jeffries; and5 |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, he was a gifted athlete who played college football at South Georgia State6 |
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| 14 | 14 | | College under then–head coach Bobby Bowden before transferring to Presbyterian College,7 |
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| 15 | 15 | | where he was twice named Player of the Year and South Carolina Back of the Year; and8 |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, his athletic talent earned him selection in both the 1960 NFL Draft by the San9 |
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| 17 | 17 | | Francisco 49ers and the 1960 American Football League Draft by the Boston Patriots; and10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, following his playing career, he dedicated himself to coaching, beginning as an11 |
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| 19 | 19 | | assistant football coach and head track coach at Hart County High School from 1963 to 196512 |
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| 20 | 20 | | before serving as head coach and athletic director at Toccoa High School, Norcross High13 |
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| 21 | 21 | | School, and Cherokee High School between 1965 and 1974; and14 |
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| 22 | 22 | | H. R. 514 |
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| 23 | 23 | | - 1 - 25 LC 112 3262 |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, he transitioned into college coaching as an assistant coach at Western Carolina |
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| 25 | 25 | | 15 |
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| 26 | 26 | | University from 1974 to 1979 and later earned his first collegiate head coaching position at16 |
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| 27 | 27 | | the University of West Georgia, where he led the team to an NCAA Division III National17 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Championship in 1982; and18 |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, he later returned to Hart County in the mid-1980s to serve as head coach of the19 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Hart County Bulldogs, leading and mentoring young athletes for several years before his20 |
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| 31 | 31 | | retirement; and21 |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Donna, with whom he shared22 |
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| 33 | 33 | | 63 wonderful years, and the two were blessed with three remarkable children, Elliott, Kathee,23 |
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| 34 | 34 | | and Lonn; and24 |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Bobby C. Pate will long be remembered25 |
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| 36 | 36 | | for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great26 |
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| 37 | 37 | | fortune of knowing him.27 |
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| 38 | 38 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that28 |
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| 39 | 39 | | the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Bobby C. Pate and express29 |
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| 40 | 40 | | their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.30 |
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| 41 | 41 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized31 |
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| 42 | 42 | | and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the32 |
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| 43 | 43 | | family of Bobby C. Pate.33 |
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| 44 | 44 | | H. R. 514 |
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| 45 | 45 | | - 2 - |
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