H.R. No. 1773
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The passing of Walter "Yukon" Yates of Cedar Park on
March 2, 2015, at the age of 90, provides a fitting occasion to
reflect on the extraordinary life of a remarkable man; and
WHEREAS, Born on October 19, 1924, to Andrew Jesse and Mae
Elizabeth Yates, Walter Yates was one of eight children in his
family; he grew up in the Ozarks, on what is now known as Yates
Mountain in northwest Arkansas, where he learned to hunt and fish as
a boy; inspired by author Jack London, he developed a true passion
for adventure and exploration at a young age, and he actively
pursued a "master's in life" for the rest of his days; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Yates joined the United States Marine Corps on
November 29, 1941; he completed his training on the island of Samoa
in the South Pacific, and had his 18th birthday on the island of
Guadalcanal; not long after, he was severely wounded by a mortar
shell, and he was discharged as fully disabled in June 1945,
although he refused to ever let his disability get in his way; and
WHEREAS, After acquiring an interest in real estate,
Mr. Yates began his career as a land developer; he considered his
proudest professional achievement to be Breakaway Park, a fly-in
community in Cedar Park where he lived for a number of years and
where many aviation enthusiasts still reside; and
WHEREAS, An accomplished pilot himself, Mr. Yates was
perhaps best known for his quests in Alaska and the Yukon Territory
of Canada; he spent a year exploring ghost towns and abandoned gold
mines, achieving access to remote areas with his helicopter; in
1975, he filmed a documentary called Breakaway, which captures his
experiences living off the land in a log cabin he built in the
Alaskan wilderness; when a malfunction caused his helicopter to
crash in an isolated part of British Columbia in 1978, he survived
alone for two weeks with a broken back before being rescued; and
WHEREAS, Eventually, Mr. Yates set about writing a memoir to
chronicle his expeditions in the far north as well as his years in
Arkansas and Texas; the book Breakaway was published in 2011, and a
second volume, Return to Post River The Last True Frontier, is
forthcoming; a man of many talents, he used his spare time to build
two helicopters and a two-seater airplane, and he also enjoyed
restoring old cars; and
WHEREAS, Although Walter Yates is deeply missed, memories of
his enthusiasm for life and adventure remain to inspire those he
leaves behind, and he will forever hold a special place in the
hearts of all those who were fortunate enough to know him; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Walter "Yukon"
Yates and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to
his wife of 37 years, Tracy Yates; to his first wife and the mother
of his children, Edith Williams; to his children, Sharolyn Yates,
Susan McLaughlin and her husband, Bob, and Jay Yates and his
fiancée, Nancy Grob; to his stepson, Greg Malone, and his wife,
Lisa; to his brother, Donald Yates, and his wife, Lois; to his
sister, Georgeanne Jones; to his 19 grandchildren and
great-grandchildren; 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 Walter
Yates.
Dale
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1773 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 7, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House