H.R. No. 2161
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the
death of former Lufkin city councilman Percy Alvin Simond Jr. on
April 8, 2015, at the age of 97; and
WHEREAS, Percy Simond was born on February 22, 1918, to Percy
A. Simond Sr. and Amanda Thomas Simond; he graduated from Dunbar
High School in Lufkin in 1939, and he went on to attend Texas
College in Tyler and to serve his nation in the United States Army;
and
WHEREAS, In the late 1940s, Mr. Simond moved to Los Angeles,
where he met his future wife, Princella, known affectionately as
"Princess"; they shared nearly 67 years together and were blessed
with a daughter, Sharon; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Simond worked for the U.S. Postal Service, an
automobile dealership, and, for 23 years, for Golden State Mutual
Life Insurance Company; in 1978, he and his wife left California to
return to Lufkin, and he worked as an apartment manager for nearly
three decades until his retirement in 2007; and
WHEREAS, A lifetime member of the NAACP, Mr. Simond was
thought to be the first African American city councilman in the
history of Lufkin, and during his exemplary 18-year tenure on the
council, he played a leading role in the building of a new city
hall, increasing the salaries of municipal employees, the
improvement of infrastructure, and many other programs and
initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Simond was also an active member of the Angelina
Citizens Chamber of Commerce, the Deep East Texas Council of
Governments, the Voters League, and the Urban League, among others;
a man of strong religious faith, he was the chair of the board of
trustees and a member of the steward board at Long Chapel CME
Church; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Simond's long record of civic engagement was
honored on numerous occasions; he received the Humanitarian Award
from the Top Ladies of Distinction and the Citizens Chamber Award,
and he was named one of Nine Who Make a Difference by KTRE-TV in
Lufkin; in 2009, three recreation pavilions at the Inez Tims
Village Apartments were named in his honor, in recognition of his
long service as the apartment complex's manager, and on Martin
Luther King Jr. Day in 2010, he was inducted into the Dunbar Hall of
Honor; and
WHEREAS, An engaged citizen, a devoted husband, and an
admired community leader, Percy Simond leaves behind a legacy of
good works that will long resonate in the Lufkin community; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Percy Alvin Simond Jr.
and extend sincere condolences to his wife, Princella Parsons
Simond; to his sisters, Lillie B. Simond Davis and Christa B. Simond
Ingram; 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 Percy Alvin
Simond Jr.
Ashby
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2161 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 21, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House