SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 58
In Memory
of
Ramón C. Samilpa, Sr.
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the
citizens of Austin in mourning Ramón C. Samilpa, Sr., who died
January 5, 2013, at the age of 93; and
WHEREAS, Born September 3, 1919, to an immigrant couple from
Guanajuato, Mexico, Mr. Samilpa was the first and only of their six
children to be born in the United States; he was exceedingly proud
of both his American and Mexican heritages; and
WHEREAS, As a young man, he joined the United States Army and
fought in World War II, serving with distinction in the Aleutian
Islands, the Pacific Theater, and the Battle of the Bulge; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Samilpa continued to show
leadership off the battlefield; as the president of Local 456 of
the Upholsterers International Union, he helped to engineer the
1968 strike known as the Austin Chicano Huelga, which sparked the
Chicano movement in Austin in the 1970s and gained the support of
national labor leader César Chávez; and
WHEREAS, This exemplary war veteran and activist was also a
man of faith; he served as an usher at San Jose Catholic Church
and was a member of the Catholic War Veterans Post and a supporter
of Saint Vincent de Paul; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Samilpa was a tireless advocate who appeared in
public service announcements promoting higher education and who
worked to secure a historical marker for Cementerio Mexicano de
Maria De La Luz, one of Austin's oldest Hispanic cemeteries; and
WHEREAS, Ramón C. Samilpa, Sr., was a community leader who
inspired change during a pivotal period in Austin's history; he
was a champion of the underserved, the overlooked, and the rarely
heard; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
family of Ramón C. Samilpa, Sr.; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
the members of his family as an expression of esteem from the
Texas Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so
in memory of Ramón Samilpa, Sr.
Watson
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on January 28, 2013, by
a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate