SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 57
In Memory
of
William Douglas Jefferson
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
commemorates the life of William Douglas Jefferson, who died
recently at the age of 81; and
WHEREAS, Bill Jefferson was born January 30, 1932, in
Chicago; he grew up in Milwaukee and attended the University of
Wisconsin, where he was a member of the football team; and
WHEREAS, He enlisted in the United States Air Force during
the Korean War and was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in San
Antonio; the discipline of military life and its attendant
emphasis on merit helped him cope with the segregation and
prejudice of life in the South; and
WHEREAS, He married his high school sweetheart, Joyce
Virginia Olivier, in 1954, and the couple raised six children
together, Roxanne, Darrell, Lamont, Celeste, Wallace, and
Leah; they were blessed with numerous grandchildren and
great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Jefferson served in the United States Air
Force with distinction for 21 years, retiring with the rank of
major; while in the armed forces, he returned to college and
earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Puget Sound and
a master's degree from Saint Mary's University; and
WHEREAS, After his military career, he served as an adjunct
professor of political science at Saint Philip's College and San
Antonio College; he was a volunteer for many years with the
Salvation Army, and he served on the board of Saint Peter-Saint
Joseph Children's Home; and
WHEREAS, His genealogical studies led him to the discovery
that he was a descendant of a Waco slave, Shedrick Willis, whose
owner was a state court judge, and he greatly appreciated the
irony of the fact that his son, Wallace B. Jefferson, is now chief
justice of the Supreme Court of Texas; and
WHEREAS, A devout Christian who practiced his faith in his
daily life, he served as a Eucharistic minister for more than 40
years at the Catholic church at Lackland Air Force Base; and
WHEREAS, A man of courage, strength, and compassion, he
gave unselfishly to others, and his patriotism, his devotion to
duty, and his enthusiasm for living each day to the fullest will
not be forgotten; and
WHEREAS, He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather,
and he leaves behind memories that will be treasured forever by
his family and many friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby extend sincere
condolences to the bereaved family of William Douglas Jefferson;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
memory of William Douglas Jefferson.
Ellis
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on July 17, 2013, by a
rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate