H.R. No. 1527 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the passing of Roy DeWitt Deen of Wills Point on December 14, 2014, at the age of 102; and WHEREAS, Born on November 24, 1912, DeWitt Deen was the second child of John and Duron Deen; he graduated from Wills Point High School in 1931 and subsequently moved to Fort Worth, where he worked as a grocery clerk at his uncle's store; he later returned to Wills Point and was employed as a dump truck operator for a local Works Progress Administration project; and WHEREAS, Mr. Deen went on to pursue his calling as an entrepreneur and branched out into other endeavors; he enjoyed a fulfilling career in agriculture, growing cotton and grain and tending cattle, and he was also a land developer and the owner of a marina, a grocery store, and a water company; and WHEREAS, Active in his community, Mr. Deen served on the boards of the Van Zandt County Farm Bureau, the Van Zandt County Appraisal District, and the Kaufman-Van Zandt-Rockwall Soil and Water Conservation District; he further distinguished himself as a founding member of the Wills Point Rodeo Club and as a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and he was a valued congregant of the First Baptist Church in Wills Point for more than 90 years; and WHEREAS, Mr. Deen shared nearly six decades of marriage with his wife, the former Mary Sue Hall, until her passing in 2001; he was the proud father of six children, Susie, Donna, David, Roy, Tommy, and Eddie, and over the ensuing years, he also had the pleasure of seeing his family grow to include three additional generations; and WHEREAS, Although DeWitt Deen will be deeply missed, cherished memories of time spent in his company will long endure in the hearts of his family and friends; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Roy DeWitt Deen and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his daughters, Susie Hagler and Donna Gunter and her husband, Sammy; to his sons, David Deen, Roy Deen and his wife, Kelly, Tommy Deen and his wife, Jeanne, and Eddie Deen and his wife, Allison; to his brothers, Billy Deen and Ted Deen and his wife, Nancy; to his grandchildren, Kim, Krisann, Sammi, Dustin, Chad, Brent, Raleigh, Jana, Clay, Abigail, Eli, and Edison; to his step-grandchildren, Sidney, Dan, and Shannon; to his 8 great-grandchildren, 10 step-great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-granddaughters; and to his other loved ones; 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 DeWitt Deen. Flynn ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1527 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 16, 2015. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House