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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, Countless lives were touched by the faith and |
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| 6 | 7 | | leadership of Elder Cecil Ray Proctor of DeSoto, who passed away on |
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| 7 | 8 | | April 10, 2015, at the age of 69; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The son of Herman and Esther Alexander Proctor, |
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| 9 | 10 | | Elder Proctor was born on August 11, 1945, in Marquez and was |
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| 10 | 11 | | educated in the Frost school district; he married the love of his |
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| 11 | 12 | | life, the former Mollie Sharper, on April 25, 1970, and they became |
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| 12 | 13 | | the parents of five treasured children, Dawn, Yolanda, LaKitsha, |
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| 13 | 14 | | Rachel, and Gilbert; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 1978, Cecil Proctor felt called to the ministry |
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| 15 | 16 | | and began hosting a small Bible study group in his home; he became a |
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| 16 | 17 | | licensed minister in the Church of God in Christ in 1987 and an |
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| 17 | 18 | | ordained elder in 1989; shortly afterward, he organized the |
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| 18 | 19 | | Neighborhood House of Prayer in Dallas, a church he guided with |
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| 19 | 20 | | selfless devotion for close to four decades; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Seeking additional ways to serve the community, |
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| 21 | 22 | | Elder Proctor established the Neighborhood Christian Learning |
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| 22 | 23 | | Center of Dallas, a licensed early childhood facility that partners |
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| 23 | 24 | | with the Dallas Independent School District pre-K school readiness |
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| 24 | 25 | | initiative; known to youngsters at NCLC of Dallas as "PaPa," Elder |
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| 25 | 26 | | Proctor led the center as its administrator until his health |
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| 26 | 27 | | declined, and he saw it recognized by the Texas Education Agency as |
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| 27 | 28 | | a Pre-K Center of Excellence; to date, the center has provided |
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| 28 | 29 | | services to more than 2,500 children in Dallas County; Elder |
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| 29 | 30 | | Proctor was also responsible for founding the Neighborhood Outreach |
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| 30 | 31 | | Center of Hope, a 24-hour, faith-based rehabilitation facility and |
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| 31 | 32 | | shelter for former inmates and individuals recovering from |
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| 32 | 33 | | substance abuse; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed clergyman also rendered outstanding |
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| 34 | 35 | | service to the Texas East Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church |
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| 35 | 36 | | of God in Christ; in 1984, he became the first adjutant to Bishop |
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| 36 | 37 | | James Edward Lee Sr., and he served additionally as assistant to |
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| 37 | 38 | | Superintendent Robert L. Nichols Sr. in the Spiritual Life |
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| 38 | 39 | | District; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Elder Proctor endeared himself to those in and |
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| 40 | 41 | | outside his congregation with his sunny demeanor and contagious |
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| 41 | 42 | | smile; he reached a wide audience in the Dallas/Fort Worth area |
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| 42 | 43 | | through his weekly "Prayer of Faith" radio broadcast, and he often |
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| 43 | 44 | | gathered with other pastors, politicians, and local leaders to |
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| 44 | 45 | | enjoy a meal and discuss how they could make their community |
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| 45 | 46 | | stronger; in 2006, he was honored for his myriad good works with his |
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| 46 | 47 | | induction into the Elite News Religious Hall of Fame; and |
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| 47 | 48 | | WHEREAS, With his kind and caring ways, Elder Cecil Ray |
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| 48 | 49 | | Proctor uplifted the hearts of numerous people, and he will long be |
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| 49 | 50 | | remembered with deep affection by his loved ones and by the dear |
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| 50 | 51 | | friends he made along life's journey; now, therefore, be it |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 52 | 53 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Elder Cecil Ray |
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| 53 | 54 | | Proctor and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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| 54 | 55 | | his wife, Mollie M. Proctor; to his daughters, Dawn Washington, |
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| 55 | 56 | | Yolanda Coleman and her husband, Anthony, LaKitsha Lee and her |
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| 56 | 57 | | husband, James, and Rachel Proctor; to his grandchildren, Keithan |
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| 57 | 58 | | Proctor, Jacniqua Washington, Christopher Washington, Shaquira |
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| 58 | 59 | | Walker, Jaya Lee, and James Lee III; to his great-grandchildren, |
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| 59 | 60 | | Niriyah Gahagan and Khrist'jan Walker; to his siblings, Christine |
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| 60 | 61 | | Cotton, Vernel Smith, Eloise Fields, and Johnny Proctor; to his |
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| 61 | 62 | | special son, the Reverend Mark Proctor, and his wife, Michelle; and |
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| 62 | 63 | | to his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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| 63 | 64 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 64 | 65 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 65 | 66 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Elder Cecil |
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| 66 | 67 | | Ray Proctor. |
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