83R1653 STE-D
By: Price H.R. No. 225
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Amarillo lost a respected businessman,
notable benefactor, and admired native son with the death of Bill
Ware on March 22, 2012, at the age of 63; and
WHEREAS, Born into a prominent local banking family, Mr. Ware
distinguished himself from an early age through his commitment to
excellence; he was a star tennis player at Amarillo High School and
achieved a number two state ranking in doubles; named Player of the
Year for 1966 by the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame, he won an
athletic scholarship to Southern Methodist University, where he
completed his bachelor's degree in 1971; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan worked briefly in Dallas before
joining his brother, Richard, as a member of the fourth generation
of the Ware family to lead the Amarillo National Bank; with
characteristic vision, Mr. Ware helped establish the first branch
bank in Texas in 1987, and he was also instrumental in designing
what was one of the largest drive-up banking plazas in the country
at that time; he imbued marketing campaigns with his own wry humor,
creating a memorable series of TV commercials that featured an
out-of-town banker who habitually mispronounced the word
"Amarillo"; in 1999, Texas Monthly magazine named him along with
his brother and his father as the "Texas Bankers of the Century";
and
WHEREAS, A proud champion of his hometown, Mr. Ware
generously supported local charities and beautification efforts,
and he tirelessly promoted Amarillo as an attractive place to live
and work; he lobbied for commercial billboard restrictions and
provided the design and substantial funding for signs that welcome
visitors arriving on Interstate 40; moreover, he played a key role
in the construction of the Amarillo National Tennis Center, and he
was an active booster of the minor league baseball team; Mr. Ware
served on the board of directors of numerous civic groups and
business organizations and was a trustee of the Ware Foundation,
which benefits youth sports and health care initiatives; his civic
involvement also extended to politics, and he frequently campaigned
for local office seekers by exhorting passersby through a bullhorn
while driving a truck painted to resemble the Texas flag; and
WHEREAS, Bill Ware was known for his warmth and lack of
pretension as well as for his accomplishments, and he inspired
others through his sincere appreciation for the joys of each day;
although he will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate enough
to know him, they will long remember his love for a community that
will continue to reflect his contributions in the 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 Bill Ware and extend
deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Paige;
to his children, B. D. Ware, Lizzie Mason and her husband, Brian,
Savannah Singleton and her husband, Brian, and Tol Ware and his
wife, Sloane; to his father, Tol; to his brother, Richard; and to
his seven grandchildren, other relatives, and many 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 Bill Ware.