83R5370 BK-D
By: Nevarez H.R. No. 387
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, An eminent jurist and a respected civic leader,
State District Judge Carl Pendergrass, Jr., passed away on January
13, 2013, at the age of 69; and
WHEREAS, Born in Victoria on October 29, 1943, to Carl
Pendergrass, Sr., and Belle Matthews, Carl Pendergrass played
defensive tackle for Palacios High School and helped guide his team
to the state championship football game; he was offered a football
scholarship but instead chose to attend Texas A&M University, where
he majored in accounting and became a proud member of the Corps of
Cadets and the Marine Corps Reserve; during his summers, he
supported himself in the oil field, picking cotton on Southeast
Texas farms, and shrimping in the Gulf of Mexico before hitchhiking
his way back to College Station to continue his studies; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, Mr. Pendergrass married Carol Halamicek,
and after his graduation from A&M, the couple moved to Houston;
there, Mr. Pendergrass worked at Superior Oil Company by day and
attended law school at South Texas College of Law at night; and
WHEREAS, He began his law career in Del Rio in 1970; in
addition to serving as county attorney from 1971 to 1978, he opened
a private practice; he had accumulated nearly three decades of
experience when he was tapped to serve as the 83rd Judicial District
Court judge by Governor George W. Bush in 1999, and he remained in
that post until his passing; during his time on the bench, he was
committed to ensuring that all who entered his court received a fair
and compassionate decision; and
WHEREAS, This dedicated public servant further distinguished
himself through his involvement in his community; he served as the
Worshipful Master of the Val Verde Masonic Lodge No. 646, and he
shared his time and expertise with the Val Verde Hospital Board and
the Del Rio Housing Authority; moreover, he was a member of the
Lions Club and the Elks Lodge, and he was an enthusiastic supporter
of local 4-H youth; and
WHEREAS, A man of numerous talents and hobbies, he raised
cattle and goats on his farm, owned several racehorses, and earned a
pilot's license; he also took pleasure in fishing, hunting,
gardening, and barbecuing, and he always delighted in cheering on
his beloved Aggies; in all of his endeavors, Judge Pendergrass
enjoyed the love and support of his wife and their 4 children, and
he was proud to welcome 12 grandchildren into his family; and
WHEREAS, Carl Pendergrass served the people of South Texas
with dedication and integrity, and he leaves behind a legacy that
will forever be treasured by all those whose lives he touched; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Carl Pendergrass,
Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
his wife, Carol Pendergrass; to his children, Lisa Rogenes and her
husband, Dr. Vince Rogenes, Dr. Douglas Pendergrass and his wife,
Toni, David Pendergrass, and John Pendergrass and his wife,
Rebecca; to his grandchildren, Jenson, Jonathan, and Mila Rogenes,
and Douglas, Raylee, Hadley, Savannah, Kati, Aiden, Bannon,
Elizabeth, and John Reed Pendergrass; to his mother, Belle
Matthews; to his sisters, Patsy Metting and Carol Ann Petrakos; to
his aunt, Josie Lenz; to his uncle, Arthur Lenz, and his wife, Mary;
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 the
Honorable Carl Pendergrass, Jr.