82R18657 MGR-F
By: Madden H.R. No. 1180
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Edward and Alda Nahas of Plano, Texas, are
celebrating a notable milestone on April 30, 2011, as that date
marks the 40th anniversary of Mr. Nahas's arrival in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, The son of Lebanese citizens Gabriel and Mary Nahas,
Edward Gabriel Nahas was living with his family in Libya, where his
father held a sensitive communications position, when on September
1, 1969, a military coup overthrew the government; both foreigners
and Christians, Edward Nahas, his parents, and his brothers, Tony
and Maurice, were expelled from Libya with just 24 hours' notice and
forced to leave behind their friends, home, and livelihoods; after
several months of uncertainty, the family received the support of
the American Embassy and secured their new home in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Alda Butros, the daughter of John and Mary Butros of
Beirut, Lebanon, came to the United States in 1975 to marry Edward
Nahas; shortly thereafter, her parents and her siblings, Rima and
Laurine Butros, lost their home in the turbulence of the Lebanese
civil war and joined her in America; and
WHEREAS, Settling in Pasadena, California, the Nahas family
opened their own service stations, and Edward Nahas registered for
the Selective Service, enrolled in the local community college, and
took a second job working nights as a crane operator; he then
advanced to a sales position in a Los Angeles-based steel company
while Mrs. Nahas worked as a coordinator for Walt Disney Studios
post-production services; Mr. Nahas became a U.S. citizen in 1977
and Mrs. Nahas followed suit in 1984; and
WHEREAS, The couple moved to Texas in 1985, and Mrs. Nahas
focused on raising their two treasured children, Cynthia Marie and
John Mark, as her husband accepted an offer at a home-building
company and later founded his own construction enterprise, American
Homes; he went on to open a granite import and fabrication business
in 2003, and Mrs. Nahas went to work for a hotel management and
purchasing company, advancing to become a senior project manager;
Mr. and Mrs. Nahas were active during this time in their children's
school, church, and extracurricular endeavors, including youth
soccer, and they also helped create a crime watch program in their
neighborhood; in addition, Mr. Nahas volunteered to assist local
law enforcement in antiterrorism investigations; and
WHEREAS, This inspiring pair experienced the joy of seeing
their children graduate from The University of Texas at Austin;
continuing her education, their daughter, Cynthia, earned a degree
from the UT School of Law, while their son, John Mark, earned a
master's degree in real estate development from the University of
Southern California; and
WHEREAS, Edward and Alda Nahas appreciated the value of their
newfound life and liberty and capitalized on every opportunity to
attain success and happiness for their family, and their hard work
and perseverance in pursuit of these goals are truly worthy of
recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 40th anniversary of Mr. Nahas's
immigration to the United States and extend to Edward and Alda Nahas
sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Nahas as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.