81R601 MDM-D
By: Hilderbran H.R. No. 20
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Fair Oaks Ranch lost a beloved neighbor
and admired community leader with the death of Erwin Louis Gaubatz
on September 20, 2007, at the age of 75; and
WHEREAS, Born on October 31, 1931, in San Antonio, to Erwin
Louis Gaubatz, Sr., and Rosa Lee Gaubatz, "Boots" Gaubatz graduated
with the Class of 1949 from Thomas Jefferson High School, where he
had served as student council president; the recipient of a
baseball scholarship to Southern Methodist University, he played
third base for the Mustangs and participated in the ROTC program
before graduating in 1953 with a business administration degree;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gaubatz served as a first lieutenant in the
United States Air Force and for a nine-month span directed the DEW
(Distant Early Warning) Line radar site on the ice cap near Thule,
Greenland, during the final stages of the Korean War; and
WHEREAS, After returning to civilian life, Mr. Gaubatz began
dating June Meredith Durst, and the sweethearts were married on
September 14, 1957; at about the same time, he joined Southwestern
Bell Telephone, for which he had worked previously during college;
his distinguished 38-year tenure with that company culminated in
his appointment as general manager of network distribution
services; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gaubatz and his family moved frequently over the
course of his career, with his work taking him to a number of
different cities in Texas, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas, as well
as to Washington, D.C.; in each new "hometown," Mr. Gaubatz and his
wife maintained a busy schedule volunteering at their church and
their children's schools; Mr. Gaubatz coached many of the youth
baseball, football, and basketball teams on which his sons played,
and he also maintained an active role in the Southwestern Bell
Pioneers, serving in the post of president; Mr. Gaubatz and his
family returned to the Alamo City in 1980; and
WHEREAS, This civic-minded gentleman was subsequently
elected president of the Fair Oaks subdivision homeowners
association, and when the community was chartered as Fair Oaks
Ranch in 1988, he became mayor, an office he continued to hold until
his passing; his unfailing dedication to the duties of his office
and responsiveness to the concerns of his fellow residents helped
to make Fair Oaks Ranch an even nicer place in which to live; and
WHEREAS, Boots Gaubatz left behind a record of immeasurable
service to his country and his community; he is greatly missed, and
he will forever be remembered with deep affection by countless
individuals whose lives were enriched by his kindness and
encouragement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Erwin Louis "Boots"
Gaubatz and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
his wife, June Gaubatz; to his sons, Glen, Dean, Brad, and Dale
Gaubatz; to his grandchildren, Katie, Emily, Trae, Gina, Darby, and
Antonio; to his brother, Dan Gaubatz, and his wife, MaryEllen; to
his nephews, Danny and Andrew; and to his other relatives and many
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Erwin Louis
"Boots" Gaubatz.