H.R. No. 2514
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends mourn the loss of U.S. Army
Colonel and Chaplain Monsignor Sidney J. Marceaux, Jr., of
Beaumont, who died on September 14, 2008, at the age of 69; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed clergyman and soldier was born in
Kaplan, Louisiana, on November 24, 1938, to Sidney Marceaux, Sr.,
and Lydie Boudoin Marceaux; in 1946, he moved with his family to
Port Arthur, where he graduated from Bishop Byrne High School; and
WHEREAS, At the age of 17, Sidney Marceaux joined the Texas
National Guard, and from 1955 to 1963, he served as a rifleman,
truck driver, and radio operator; he continued his education at
Lamar University in Beaumont and earned his bachelor's degree in
social studies from St. Edward's University in Austin in 1962; he
then taught at Stephen F. Austin High School in Port Acres for three
years before entering the seminary; and
WHEREAS, He was ordained as a priest in 1970 and worked as a
teacher and a counselor at Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in
Beaumont; he went on to play an active role in the Diocese of
Beaumont as superintendent of Catholic schools, vicar general, and
member of the college of consultors; from 1971 to 1990, Monsignor
Marceaux served in the tribunal for the diocese, and in 1989, he was
elected to a three-year term as president of the Canon Law Society
of America; he served at a number of churches in Southeast Texas,
including Immaculate Conception in Groves, St. Anne and St.
Joseph's in Beaumont, St. Charles Borromeo in Nederland, Our Lady
of Victory in Sour Lake, and Our Lady of Sorrows in China; and
WHEREAS, In 1974, Monsignor Marceaux received a commission as
a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve, and he regularly
attended weekend training until 1991, when he was called into
active duty during the Desert Storm conflict; stationed in Saudi
Arabia, he was senior chaplain at a base and headquarters for
coalition forces; and
WHEREAS, Monsignor Marceaux went on to serve as chaplain in
Fort Bragg, Cuba, Japan, and NATO Headquarters in Brussels;
although he was due to retire at the end of 2007, he requested one
more tour of duty to minister to combat troops in Kuwait; and
WHEREAS, Sidney Marceaux dedicated his life to providing
comfort, counsel, and inspiration to others, serving as a priest
for 38 years and in the military for 45 years; affectionately known
to his fellow soldiers as "Father Sid," he devoted himself
selflessly to the pastoral care of the young men and women who
defend our nation, and his fellow citizens owe him a debt of
gratitude that the passage of time can never diminish; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Army Colonel and
Chaplain Sidney J. Marceaux, Jr., and extend sincere condolences to
the members of his family: to his sister, Judy Marceaux; to his
brothers, Floyd and John Marceaux; 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 Monsignor
Sidney Marceaux.
Deshotel
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2514 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 24, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House