81R592 BPG-D
By: Hilderbran H.R. No. 30
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A rich and generous life drew to a close with the
passing of Lester Booth Whitton of Kerrville on March 10, 2008, at
the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, The son of William Alford Whitton and Jewell Myrtle
West, Mr. Whitton was born in Nacogdoches County on February 22,
1922; during World War II, he served in the Cavalry Reconnaissance
Troop of the Third Army and was wounded in battle in Germany in
1945; his valor was recognized with a Purple Heart and two Bronze
Stars; and
WHEREAS, After his discharge, Mr. Whitton earned his
bachelor's degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas
at Austin, where he met and married Rachel Louise Stiefel; the
couple moved to Kerrville, and Mr. Whitton worked in construction
for his wife's father, Earl Stiefel, before starting his own
planning and engineering business; Mr. Whitton also supervised
construction for the San Antonio firm Noonan & Krocker; he became a
registered professional engineer in 1957 and designed banks, office
buildings, and residences across the Hill Country; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Whitton was a prominent figure in the local
community, serving on the Kerrville Board of Adjustments and
Appeals for 27 years and on the board of trustees of the Kerrville
Public Utility Board; he was also a member of the Kiwanis Club and
took an active role at the First Presbyterian Church, where he was a
deacon, an elder, and an officer of the building committee; and
WHEREAS, A loving husband and devoted father, Mr. Whitton was
proud to share in the raising of his three children, Alan, Brian,
and Pam; he relished family gatherings, where he would greet his
grandsons with a new joke, listen to their stories, and regale them
with tales of hopping freight trains to Galveston and other
adventures from his youth; he also enjoyed hunting with family and
friends, viewing the beauty of nature, and watching his favorite
football teams, the UT Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys; and
WHEREAS, Although Lester Whitton is deeply missed, he made an
indelible mark on the Kerrville area through his design work and
dedicated civic service, and his family and friends will long
remember his warmth and generosity and the many wonderful times
spent in his company; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Lester Booth Whitton
and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his
wife of 62 years, Rachel Whitton; to his sons, Alan Whitton and his
wife, Marsha, and Brian Whitton; to his daughter, Pam Whitton, and
her husband, Jim Haymes; to his grandsons, Justin, Ryan, and Kevin
Whitton and Austin and Sean Haymes; to his sister, Anne W. Hill; to
his niece, Becky Hunt; 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 Lester
Booth Whitton.