H.R. No. 1217
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of Therese
Fitzgerald Deats of Dickinson, who died on March 18, 2009, at the
age of 89; and
WHEREAS, Therese Fitzgerald was born in Cleveland, Texas, on
February 9, 1920, to Ernest and Fannie Havard Fitzgerald; after
spending her early years on her grandparents' farm near Cleveland,
she also lived for a time in the Mojave Desert in California; and
WHEREAS, In 1935, Miss Fitzgerald moved to Dickinson, Texas,
with her family, and in 1937 she graduated from Dickinson High
School and married Malcolm Deats; Mr. and Mrs. Deats shared their
lives together for 47 years, until his death; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Deats worked at several local banks, including
Citizens State Bank in Dickinson and Bank of the Mainland in La
Marque; in the early 1970s, she started her own business, Deats
Flower Shop, and she later went on to run a shop with her husband;
and
WHEREAS, An active member of her community, Mrs. Deats
attended First United Methodist Church in Dickinson for 74 years,
where she was a teacher and superintendent of the Sunday school; she
was also a scout leader, a member of the PTA, and a founder of the
55-Plus organization; and
WHEREAS, Affectionately known to her friends as "Deatsie,"
she was a vivacious woman who found great pleasure in trying new
things at an age when many people are content to take it easy; after
retirement, she took a job selling programs at Gulf Greyhound Park,
and she began writing a column for the Galveston County Daily News,
"Dots by Deatsie"; she also played the tough-talking "Mama" of the
owners of an automobile dealership in a series of commercials that
ran on local television for nearly 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Therese Deats lived a caring and accomplished life,
and memories of many happy times spent in her company remain to
comfort all those who knew and loved her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Therese Fitzgerald
Deats and extend sincere condolences to the members of her family:
to her son, Ernie Deats, and his wife, Kathy; to her daughter, Jane
Hayley, and her husband, Jimmy; to her grandchildren and their
spouses, Lori and Lynn Honeycutt, Jerry and Cindy Hayley, and Jason
Hayley; to her great-grandchildren, Colton Honeycutt, Catelyn
Honeycutt, Clay Honeycutt, Amanda Hayley, Abby Hayley, Allyson
Hayley, Zack Hayley, and Jacob Hayley; 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Therese
Fitzgerald Deats.
Taylor
Eiland
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1217 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 14, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House