82R21213 RYA-D
By: Hilderbran H.R. No. 1436
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The certain knowledge of a life well lived may
temper the profound sadness felt by the family and friends of Emory
Chapman Thompson of Austin, who passed away on March 24, 2011, at
the age of 79; and
WHEREAS, Born in San Antonio on June 19, 1931, to Emory and
Loretta Thompson, Emory Thompson moved with his family to Austin in
1937 and grew up in the Tarrytown neighborhood; when he was a boy,
his family kept a stable in their backyard, and he enjoyed riding
his horse throughout the area; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson graduated in 1949 from Austin High
School, where he played on the Maroons football team, and he
attended Schreiner Institute in Kerrville for a year before
transferring to The University of Texas; while a student at UT, he
served as president of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity and as
company commander of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps;
after receiving a bachelor's degree in business administration in
1954, Mr. Thompson enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an ensign and served
on the USS Swift in the Pacific; when his enlistment in the navy was
finished, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and served for another 24
years, retiring with the rank of captain; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson returned to Austin in 1956 and worked
with the family-owned Austin Goodyear Company as a sales manager
until 1974, when the company was sold; he subsequently embarked on a
second career with Capitol National Bank, later known as Texas
Commerce Bank, and he remained with that financial institution
until his retirement as executive vice president in 1989; over the
years, he also served as a member of the board of directors for
Cattleman's State Bank and as an advisory director with American
Bank of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Active in his community, this esteemed Texan sat on
the board of directors for Saint Andrew's Episcopal School and
Junior Achievement of Central Texas, and he was a founding board
member for the Austin Camp Fire Girls, which recognized him with its
Distinguished Service Award and Luther Halsey Gulick Award; he also
served as president of the board for the Young Men's Business League
and the Austin Woods and Waters Club, as well as chair of the
McBride Conservation Fund Foundation; he maintained 44 years of
perfect attendance with the Rotary Club of Austin, which honored
him as a Paul Harris Fellow, and he served two terms on the Travis
County Grand Jury; moreover, he was a member of the Southwest
Cattleman's Association, the Admirals Club, the Headliners Club,
and the Austin Assembly; and
WHEREAS, When he retired from banking, Mr. Thompson
concentrated on running his farm and ranch operation, Thompson
Farms, and some of his happiest times were spent on his land in
Ellis and Navarro Counties; an avid outdoorsman and a skilled
hunter, he received the 1988 Sportsman of the Year Award from the
Austin Woods and Waters Club, and he collected the Grand Slam of
North American Wild Sheep, with one of his trophies winning
recognition for excellence by the Boone and Crockett Club; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson married the former Jean Powell on June
24, 1955, and they enjoyed a rewarding 46 years together, until her
passing on December 30, 2001; he was blessed with three children,
Emory, Ann, and Kate, as well as five grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Emory Thompson enjoyed a life that was rich in
family, friends, and accomplishments, and those who were privileged
to share in his love and friendship will forever remember him with
great admiration and affection; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Emory Chapman
Thompson and extend sincere condolences to the members of his
family: to his children, Emory Powell Thompson and his wife, Jodie,
Ann Bauer and her husband, Meade, and Kate Thompson; to his
grandchildren, Taylor Amanda Thompson, Emory Archer Thompson,
Louis Thompson Bauer, Martin Chapman Bauer, and Wilson Thornton
Bauer; to his friend, Mary Lou Fitzpatrick; 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 Emory
Chapman Thompson.