2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 93
BY SENATOR REESE
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
death of Dr. Ralph Michael "Mike" Hennessee.
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the Senate of the
Legislature of Louisiana has learned of the passing of a great gentleman and family
patriarch, Ralph Michael Hennessee, better known as "Dr. Mike", on May 9, 2021, at the age
of seventy-five years; and
WHEREAS, Mike was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on May 8, 1946, to Alford and
Joyce Hennessee; and
WHEREAS, he always claimed he "was born in the wrong state" and was thankful
when his family moved to Lawton, Oklahoma, when he was but six weeks of age, thus
creating a loyal, lifetime fan of Oklahoma University; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Mike graduated from the University of Tennessee School of
Dentistry in 1969, and then joined the United States Army; and
WHEREAS, while in the Army, he attended the basic and advanced dental courses
at Health Service Command in San Antonio, Texas, and the Airborne School at Fort
Benning, Georgia; and
WHEREAS, while serving in the Army, Dr. Mike completed two overseas tours, the
first to Korea in 1969, and then deployed for eighteen months to Vietnam in 1971; and
WHEREAS, during his tour in Vietnam, he served in the 5th Infantry Division
(Mechanized), the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 101st Airborne Division; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Mike went on to receive his specialty training in pedodontics from
the University of Missouri at Kansas City and Children's Mercy Hospital, which he
completed in 1975; and
WHEREAS, in 1979, while stationed at Ft. Polk, and after serving ten years in the
Army, he was honorably discharged and returned to civilian life, opening a private practice
in Leesville; and
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WHEREAS, for more than thirty years, he proudly served the needs of the Leesville
community and looked forward to each new day; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, Dr. Mike celebrated fifty years of dentistry and continued
beyond to further pursue his passion; and
WHEREAS, while he loved dentistry, to him it was but a means to serve, and he
never stopped looking for ways to brighten the lives of others; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Mike was a member and deacon at First Baptist Church, a lifetime
member of the Leesville Lions Club, the creator of Dentist with a Heart Day, a missionary
with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International, and a member of the Sabine Mission
Team; and
WHEREAS, he was beloved by family, friends, and colleagues, and is remembered
for his incredible commitment to his practice and his generosity to all; and
WHEREAS, he is survived by his loving wife, Phylliss Bradshaw Hennessee; his
daughters, Allyson Hennessee and Michaela Hennessee; present and past staff of West
Louisiana Dental; and many extended family members and friends; and
WHEREAS, the memory of Dr. Mike will always remain in the hearts of his family
and friends, who will forever reap the benefits of his lifetime of achievement; and
WHEREAS, those who knew and loved him will continue to swell with pride when
they remember Dr. Mike as a positive force in his community; and
WHEREAS, he represented all that is good about Louisiana as a man with unique
gifts and a charitable spirit, and with his passing, Louisiana has lost one of its finest citizens,
who left an indelible mark on the lives of the many individuals whom he touched with his
truly inspiring qualities, and who is now terribly missed but will never be forgotten.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Ralph Michael
Hennessee upon the occasion of his death.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does
hereby express its appreciation for Dr. Mike's enduring contributions, which shall long
continue to be a source of deep honor for the city of Leesville, the state of Louisiana, and
beyond, and does hereby pay tribute to his remarkable legacy, which shall forever remain
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in the hearts of those who were touched by his humanity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Phylliss Bradshaw Hennessee.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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