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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of John |
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| 6 | 7 | | Edward Softly of DeSoto, who passed away on March 30, 2015, at the |
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| 7 | 8 | | age of 71; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The son of Ralph and Rose Ann Softly, John Softly was |
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| 9 | 10 | | born in Hearne on September 25, 1943; he attended Blackshire High |
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| 10 | 11 | | School, where he played football and basketball and sang in a |
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| 11 | 12 | | quartet; in 1964, he joined the United States Army, and he served |
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| 12 | 13 | | his country in the Vietnam War; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Following his discharge from the armed forces, |
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| 14 | 15 | | Mr. Softly returned to Texas and settled in Dallas; he was joined in |
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| 15 | 16 | | matrimony to Ermon L. Thompson, and they became the parents of a |
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| 16 | 17 | | daughter, Kendra; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Determined to continue his education, Mr. Softly |
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| 18 | 19 | | completed his bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Bishop |
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| 19 | 20 | | College; he worked for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department and |
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| 20 | 21 | | the district attorney's office, and he later became a special |
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| 21 | 22 | | investigator; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, In 2007, Mr. Softly exchanged wedding vows with |
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| 23 | 24 | | Mattie P. Thomas, and they shared a rewarding marriage until his |
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| 24 | 25 | | passing; he was a valued member of Antioch Missionary Baptist |
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| 25 | 26 | | Church, and in his leisure, he enjoyed travel, sports, helping |
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| 26 | 27 | | veterans, and spending time with his treasured family; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, John Softly achieved a purposeful life of faith and |
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| 28 | 29 | | service, and those who were blessed to share in his love and |
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| 29 | 30 | | affection will forever hold him close in their hearts; now, |
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| 30 | 31 | | therefore, be it |
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| 31 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 32 | 33 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of John Edward Softly and |
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| 33 | 34 | | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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| 34 | 35 | | wife, Mattie P. Thomas; to his children, Kendra Diane Softly, |
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| 35 | 36 | | Sabrina Worthy and her husband, Andre, Terri Thomas, and Kevin |
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| 36 | 37 | | Thomas and his wife, Joy; to his grandchildren, Mason, Chad, |
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| 37 | 38 | | Airell, Steven, Tessa, Ayo, and Kayla; to his sister, Dr. Mary H. |
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| 38 | 39 | | Softly-Welch; to his brothers, the Reverend Robert G. Softly and |
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| 39 | 40 | | his wife, Josephine, and Charles Softly and his wife, Carolyn; and |
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| 40 | 41 | | to his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 43 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 43 | 44 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of John Edward |
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| 44 | 45 | | Softly. |
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