82R25724 BPG-D
By: Madden H.R. No. 1806
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Collin County lost an admired civic leader with the
passing of Joseph Allen Hill on January 15, 2011, at the age of 84;
and
WHEREAS, Born in Gordonsville, Virginia, on March 18, 1926,
Joe Hill was the son of Picollia Dade Hill and Robert A. Hill; he
graduated from Orange County High School and served his country in
the Navy Reserve for two years; after earning his bachelor's degree
in chemistry from Clark University, he worked as a chemist for
General Electric in Schenectady, New York, for 13 years and won
numerous awards for product and company improvements; he went on to
join the Xerox Corporation in Rochester, New York, before
transferring to the Dallas area; over the course of a distinguished
tenure spanning three decades with the company, he also worked in
California for a year; and
WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his community, Mr. Hill gave
generously of his time and talents to benefit the elderly; he
organized and led the Senior Coalition, which was instrumental in
the construction of the Plano Senior Center, conducting petition
drives and advocating for the center at innumerable meetings; he
served as president of the advisory council for the center and as
co-chair of its capital improvements program, and he frequently
gave seniors rides to the center, drove them to appointments, and
helped them in myriad ways; in addition, he took photos of almost
every event at the center and assisted with daily bread donations;
he further served on the boards of the Collin County Committee on
Aging, the Plano Community Home, and the Maurice Barnett Geriatric
Wellness Center, and he organized the Collin County White House
Conference on Aging; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan was a member of Volunteers in
Plano, the Martin Luther King Community Center, and the Dallas
Independent School District's Safety and Excel programs; moreover,
he was a member of the Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce and
the Plano Chamber of Commerce and served as a consultant for both;
the recipient of numerous accolades, he was named Plano Man of the
Year and Plano Volunteer of the Year, and he was accorded the Andre
Davidson Spirit of Volunteerism Award, the Plano Senior Coalition
Award, and the Plano Community Forum Award, among other honors; and
WHEREAS, A man of many interests, Mr. Hill enjoyed
photography, track, and baseball, and he was a member of the semipro
baseball team the Troy Haymakers; and
WHEREAS, Joe Hill made a positive difference in countless
lives through his tremendous kindness, and his contributions to his
community will continue to resonate in the years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Joseph Allen Hill and
extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife,
Kay; to his daughter, Cheryl; to his sons, Mark, Mike, and Ronald;
to his grandchildren, Aja, Shahn, and Markus; to his
brother-in-law, David Walker; and to his many 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 Joseph
Allen Hill.