81R5656 MG-D
By: Merritt H.C.R. No. 77
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Residents of Longview lost an admired community
leader and renowned philanthropist with the passing of Rose Shipton
Pickens Kirkpatrick on January 14, 2009, at the age of 79; and
WHEREAS, Born to Eudora and Jack Pickens on August 22, 1929,
the former Rose Pickens was raised in her hometown of Little Rock,
Arkansas, where her father was a political pioneer and proprietor
of one of the state's largest general contracting firms; she
graduated from Little Rock High School and later attended Ogontz
Junior College in Philadelphia, which is now part of Pennsylvania
State University; she went on to marry Kenneth L. Kirkpatrick, of
Fort Smith, Arkansas, on September 6, 1952, in Little Rock; and
WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick relocated to the Lone Star
State and lived in Lubbock and Dallas before settling in Longview in
1963; they became the owners of R&K Distributors, Inc., an
Anheuser-Busch distributor for the East Texas region, and were soon
supporting numerous charitable endeavors in Longview; the couple
hosted fund-raisers for local organizations in the "Michelob Room,"
a space in their company's warehouse that had been built for that
specific purpose; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Mrs. Kirkpatrick devoted
countless hours to serving the community of Longview; among the
many organizations that benefited from her involvement are Trinity
Episcopal Church, the Gregg County Historical Museum, the Longview
Museum of Fine Arts, the Humane Society of Northeast Texas, the
Longview Community Theatre, and the Crisman School; and
WHEREAS, This devoted volunteer was also on the board of the
Good Shepherd Foundation, and she was a loyal supporter of the
Trinity School of Texas, contributing to the construction of two
buildings and to numerous other campus projects and events;
moreover, she was active in the Daughters of the American
Revolution and the Junior League chapters of every city she lived
in, and she was a founding member of the Longview Longfellows
Debutante Ball; her civic contributions earned her various
accolades, including the East Texas Heritage Award and the Honoree
of the Year designation by the American Heart Association, and she
was selected as the honorary chair of the Cattle Baron's Ball by the
local chapter of the American Cancer Society; and
WHEREAS, Rose Kirkpatrick was committed to ensuring a bright
future for the citizens of Longview, and she leaves behind an
extraordinary legacy of generosity and community engagement that
will forever be treasured by all those who were fortunate enough to
know her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby pay tribute to the life of Rose Shipton Pickens Kirkpatrick
and extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her
daughters, Gail Elizabeth Pickens Kirkpatrick Martin and her
husband, John Carmichael Martin III, Rose Kimberly Kirkpatrick, and
Victoria Shipton Kirkpatrick and her husband, Bruce Bridges; to her
grandchildren, Victoria Kimberly Martin Bonnen and her husband,
State Representative Dennis Bonnen, Jaclyn Gail Pickens Martin
Abernathy and her husband, Clay Abernathy, John Kenneth Martin,
Alexandra Rose Cox, Ryan Kirkpatrick Cox, and Julia Shipton Cook;
to her great-grandchildren, David Jackson Carmichael Bonnen,
Gregory James Bonnen, and Jack Madison Abernathy; to her
sister-in-law, Gail Kirkpatrick Tompkins; to her brother-in-law,
Frederick Calhoun Kirkpatrick, Jr.; and to her other relatives and
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of
Rose Kirkpatrick.