82R25725 BPG-D
By: Madden H.R. No. 1807
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Memories of a life filled with joyful times and
meaningful accomplishments remain to comfort the loved ones of
former Plano mayor Robert Lee Harrington, Jr., who passed away on
February 17, 2010, at the age of 76; and
WHEREAS, Born in Plano on March 7, 1933, Rob Harrington was
the son of Robert Lee Harrington and Donna Boggess Harrington; he
graduated from Plano High School and Texas Technological College;
in 1953, he married the former Ann Cordell, and they later became
the parents of four children, Robin, Ginger, Bill, and Suzan; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Harrington was devoted to his family, and he
abandoned his own early career plans to return home and care for his
brother after a car accident; Mr. Harrington took on management of
the family farm, which his great-grandfather had received in a land
patent from Sam Houston in 1842, and he tended selflessly to his
parents as well; and
WHEREAS, After the birth of his two oldest children, Mr.
Harrington entered the insurance business and met immediate
success; he cofounded Harrington-Patton Insurance Agency in 1964,
and he also excelled as a real estate broker; the Collin County
Board of Realtors named him Outstanding Director four times; during
the 1980s, he helped found United City Corp., and he maintained
ranching and farming interests around the state; and
WHEREAS, This visionary leader began his tenure in public
service in 1964 when he became the youngest mayor in Texas; during
his two terms, he led efforts to create a master plan, making Plano
one of the first cities to adopt such a blueprint for managing
future growth, and he worked to establish many departments,
including the parks department, and to set aside land for public
parks to benefit future generations; he was a member of the city
council from 1971 to 1972, and he further served the community as
the charter president of the Plano Jaycees and as organizer of the
Plano YMCA; he gave generously of his time and talents to numerous
other organizations, and he was an active member of First Christian
Church; and
WHEREAS, Committed to civic engagement, Mr. Harrington
joined with other citizens to found the Republican Party in Collin
County; he served as judge in the county's first GOP primary
election since Reconstruction; John Connally presented him with the
John McVeigh Award in 1979, and he received numerous other
accolades; a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, he
was an avid hunter, and he enjoyed gardening and spending time with
his family and faithful dog; his warmth and compassion won him
myriad friends, and he had the rare ability to make everyone he
encountered feel special; and
WHEREAS, Through his enduring dedication to his family and
his community, Rob Harrington made a lasting, positive difference
in the lives of his neighbors and loved ones, and he will long be
remembered with 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 Robert Lee
Harrington, Jr., and extend sincere condolences to the members of
his family: to his wife, Ann Cordell Harrington; to his children,
Robin Brady and her husband, Scott, Ginger Ellis and her husband,
Kirby, Bill Harrington and his wife, Evelyn, and Suzan Zakrzewski
and her husband, Devin; to his grandchildren, Matthew and Caroline
Brady, Meredith Ellis, Shara, Tori, and Heather Harrington, and
J. D. and Julia Zakrzewski; 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 Robert Lee
Harrington, Jr.