H.R. No. 2256
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost an admired business leader,
conservationist, and public servant with the passing of former
railroad commissioner and state representative Arthur "Buddy"
Temple III of Lufkin on April 14, 2015, at the age of 73; and
WHEREAS, Born in Texarkana, Arkansas, on February 26, 1942,
Buddy Temple was the son of Mary Temple and Arthur Temple Jr.; he
grew up in Lufkin, where he began his education, and he later
attended St. Stephens Episcopal School in Austin before graduating
from the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey; after studying at The
University of Texas at Austin, he enlisted in the United States Army
in 1961; he served in the First Cavalry Unit of the First Armored
Division as a crew chief and helicopter copilot; and
WHEREAS, Following his military service, Mr. Temple returned
to East Texas to join Temple Industries and other family-owned
businesses; he served on the board of Temple-Eastex and
Temple-Inland, and he was president and chair of the Exeter
Investment Company and chair of First Bank and Trust East Texas;
moreover, he served on the Memorial Health System board, and as
chair of the T. L. L. Temple Foundation, he guided numerous
philanthropic efforts; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Temple was dedicated to the betterment of East
Texas, and he began his career in public service in 1966 as a member
of the Diboll school board; during his tenure, he helped marshal the
integration of local schools; he went on to represent District 6 in
the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1981, and in
addition to serving on numerous committees, he was a cosponsor of
the 1973 State Code of Ethics and Financial Disclosure for Elected
and Appointed Officials, instituted in response to the Sharpstown
banking scandal; subsequently, he was a member of the Texas
Railroad Commission for five years, and he served a term as its
chair; one of his strengths as a leader was his willingness to
listen to others; and
WHEREAS, After leaving public office, Mr. Temple worked ever
more diligently in behalf of his great passion, the preservation of
the natural environment in East Texas; he coordinated with the
Conservation Fund and International Paper to protect more than
19,000 acres of the hardwood forest and wetlands known as Boggy
Slough, and he was also on the advisory board of the Caesar Kleberg
Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville; in 2014, he received
both the Texas Forest Country Silver Bucket Award from the Texas
Forest Country Partnership and the R. E. Jackson Conservation
Award from the Big Thicket Association, and his myriad accolades
also included the Award for Lifetime Conservation Achievement from
the Texas Conservation Alliance, the Texas Leopold Conservation
Award for the Temple Ranch from the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, and the Award for Outstanding Achievement for Neches
River Bottomland Conservation from the Houston Audubon Society; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Temple was devoted to his family; he shared
nearly 45 years of marriage with his wife, Ellen Clarke Temple, and
he was the proud father of four children, Whitney, Susan, Hannah,
and John; above all, he treasured time spent with his six
grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, A visionary steward of Texas lands and a
distinguished public servant, Buddy Temple left a tremendous legacy
for generations to come, and his life was an inspiring example of
all the good that one person can accomplish; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable
Arthur "Buddy" Temple III and extend sincere condolences to the
members of his family: to his wife, Ellen Clarke Temple; to his
children, Whitney Sage Temple, Susan Helen Temple and her husband,
Rob Feagin, Hannah Lea Temple and her husband, Christopher Sanders,
and John Clark Hurst Jr.; to his grandchildren, Lillian Katherine
Duquette, Walter Temple Duquette, Helen Terrell Feagin, Margaret
April Grace, Mary Ellen Sanders, and Robert Abney Sanders; to his
mother, Mary Denman; to his sister, Charlotte "Chotsy" Temple; and
to his many 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 Buddy
Temple.
Ashby
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2256 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 21, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House