83R11458 JGH-D
By: Hilderbran H.R. No. 1023
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a heroic Texan with the
passing of Houston McCoy on December 27, 2012, at the age of 72; and
WHEREAS, Houston Roy Chadwick was born in January 1940 in a
farmhouse near Menard to Edith Louise Davis and Bill Chadwick; he
spent his earliest years on a ranch near Goodfellow Air Force Base
in San Angelo, where his fascination with the planes overhead was
the beginning of a lifelong love of flying; and
WHEREAS, After his mother's remarriage in 1947, he became the
adopted son of Les McCoy; he was active in the Boy Scouts and served
as an altar boy and lay reader in the Episcopal Church; at Menard
High School, he was an honor student and all-district football and
basketball player, and his classmates voted him Best All Around Boy
and Class Favorite before his graduation in 1958; and
WHEREAS, Mr. McCoy attended Lamar State College of
Technology for six months before he answered his nation's call to
duty and joined the U.S. Army; stationed near Stuttgart, Germany,
he became a member of a local civilian glider club, soloing for the
first time after only five hours of training; and
WHEREAS, Returning to Texas in 1962, Mr. McCoy hitchhiked
from Menard to Austin with only two dollars in his pocket and joined
the Austin Police Department; he married the former Ruth Rosemarie
Gebhart the day after he was commissioned as a police officer in
July 1963, and during their marriage they were blessed with four
children, Kristofer, Stefan, Philip, and Monika; and
WHEREAS, Officer McCoy was one of the two men responsible for
stopping Charles Whitman, who killed 14 people and wounded 32 on
August 1, 1966, from atop The University of Texas Tower; on that
fateful day, Officer McCoy and another Austin policeman were the
first officers to reach the sniper at the top of the tower, and
together they ended his violent rampage; for his heroism, Officer
McCoy received the Austin Police Medal of Valor in 1967; and
WHEREAS, He left the Austin police force after earning his
pilot's license and took a job as a civilian flight instructor with
the U.S. Air Force in Del Rio, teaching military students to fly the
T-41 primary trainer; the flight school was later relocated to
Hondo, and Mr. McCoy moved with his family back to Menard; his
piloting skills were well known in the community, and at one point,
he was enlisted to rescue a neighbor who was trapped in a flooded
ravine; he landed his plane on a country road near the scene of the
emergency and then flew the man to a hospital; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, Mr. McCoy became the camp ranger at Boy
Scout Camp Sol Mayer near Ft. McKavett, allowing him the
opportunity to raise his children in the country; the family
delighted in fishing, swimming, canoeing, hunting, camping, and
horseback riding, among other outdoor pursuits; he also continued
to fly, appearing in air shows, working as a crop duster, and giving
flight lessons; he retired in 1987; and
WHEREAS, Houston McCoy inspired his fellow Texans and all who
knew him with his quiet courage, humility, and dedication to duty,
and he leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for years to
come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Houston McCoy and
extend sincere condolences to his many loved ones 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 Houston
McCoy.