H.R. No. 2239
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family, friends, and residents of Edinburg are
mourning the loss of former mayor Alfonso Rene Ramirez, who died on
April 22, 2009, at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, A native of Edinburg, Al Ramirez was the son of
Rafael and Emilia Ramirez; after attending schools in Edinburg, Rio
Grande City, and Hidalgo, he went on to earn a degree at Texas A&M
University; and
WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War
II, Mr. Ramirez served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a copilot in a
B-24 bomber, flying dangerous missions over Europe; Mr. Ramirez
received the Purple Heart and the Air Medal for his valiant service,
and he also earned the lasting respect of his crew; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez held a master's degree in education from
The University of Texas at Austin; over the course of his career as
an educator, he was a teacher and a principal, and from the late
1960s until his retirement in 1978, he was the director of
instruction and curriculum for the Edinburg Independent School
District; and
WHEREAS, While serving as curriculum director of Region One,
he and a team of 10 coworkers developed ROLL (Region One Literacy
Lessons) to help Spanish-speaking students read in their native
language, and he later was instrumental in the development of ROCK
(Region One Curriculum Kit) to help the same students learn to read
in English; and
WHEREAS, Also a dedicated civic leader, Mr. Ramirez became
Edinburg's first Mexican American mayor in 1963, winning a
hard-fought election by only 14 votes; in one of his first acts as
mayor, he tried to fulfill a campaign promise by desegregating the
city's swimming pool; the parks board refused to obey his order, so
he arranged to have the African American basketball star Luscious
Jackson, then a player for The University of Texas--Pan American,
escort a group of children to the pool; no one dared turn Mr.
Jackson away, so the pool was effectively desegregated; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Ramirez went on to win reelection two years
later by a considerable margin, and he continued as mayor until
1967, when he left office to dedicate himself to education; he also
came to be widely respected as the author and publisher of
historical and genealogical works; and
WHEREAS, Known for his integrity, keen intelligence, deep
spirituality, and lifelong commitment to others, Al Ramirez has
left behind a legacy that will continue to resonate in the Edinburg
community for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Alfonso Rene Ramirez
and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
wife, Betty R. Ramirez; to his sons, David Ramirez and his wife,
Gracie, Robert Ramirez and his wife, Elvia, Steven Ramirez and his
wife, Valerie, and Dan Ramirez and his wife, Maria; to his sisters,
Edna Ramon and Delia Gleber; to his 11 grandchildren and 5
great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and 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 Al Ramirez.
Pea
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2239 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 25, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House