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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, John M. Turner of Dallas has rendered exceptional |
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| 6 | 7 | | service to visually impaired individuals in his community and |
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| 7 | 8 | | across the state, and his efforts have enriched the lives of |
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| 8 | 9 | | countless Texans; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, After losing his sight completely by age 17, |
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| 10 | 11 | | Mr. Turner earned a bachelor of business administration degree in |
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| 11 | 12 | | marketing from the University of North Texas, where he was elected |
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| 12 | 13 | | student body president; he went on to become one of the most |
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| 13 | 14 | | successful insurance agents in Dallas, working first with |
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| 14 | 15 | | Massachusetts Mutual and since 1970 as an independent broker; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, A tireless advocate for the visually impaired, |
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| 16 | 17 | | Mr. Turner served for more than three decades on the Texas |
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| 17 | 18 | | Commission for the Blind, and he was appointed chair of the board by |
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| 18 | 19 | | Governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush; he also served for 21 |
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| 19 | 20 | | years on the board of Dallas Services for Visually Impaired |
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| 20 | 21 | | Children, for 22 years on the board of Dallas Lighthouse for the |
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| 21 | 22 | | Blind, and for 23 years on the board of the Retina Foundation of the |
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| 22 | 23 | | Southwest; in addition, he has been a member of the boards of Dallas |
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| 23 | 24 | | Taping for the Blind and The Seeing Eye, as well as a member of the |
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| 24 | 25 | | Texas Committee on Purchases of Products and Services of Blind and |
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| 25 | 26 | | Severely Disabled Persons; moreover, he has mentored a number of |
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| 26 | 27 | | young men who are blind, encouraging them to persevere in realizing |
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| 27 | 28 | | their full potential; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, John Turner has further given of his time and |
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| 29 | 30 | | energies to the YMCA, coaching the Park Cities boys baseball team, |
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| 30 | 31 | | chairing a membership drive for the downtown Y, and assisting Camp |
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| 31 | 32 | | Grady Spruce as a membership quota buster; he has also served on the |
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| 32 | 33 | | board of trustees of the Leukemia Society of America Dallas |
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| 33 | 34 | | Chapter; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, In recognition of his outstanding civic engagement, |
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| 35 | 36 | | Mr. Turner has received a number of well-deserved accolades; The |
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| 36 | 37 | | Seeing Eye presented him with the 1995 Morris Frank Award, which |
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| 37 | 38 | | honors graduates of The Seeing Eye who have achieved professional |
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| 38 | 39 | | success and who have helped to create opportunities for the |
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| 39 | 40 | | visually impaired, and in 1997, KRLD News Radio in Dallas named him |
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| 40 | 41 | | Citizen of the Week; in 2000, this esteemed Texan received the |
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| 41 | 42 | | Catherine T. "Kay" Gallagher Award from the American Foundation for |
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| 42 | 43 | | the Blind Southwest; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Throughout his life, John Turner has set an |
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| 44 | 45 | | inspiring example of leadership and professional excellence, and |
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| 45 | 46 | | his significant efforts in behalf of his fellow citizens are truly |
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| 46 | 47 | | deserving of commendation; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby honor John M. Turner for his extensive service |
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| 49 | 50 | | to those who are visually impaired and for his many other civic |
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| 50 | 51 | | contributions and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; |
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| 51 | 52 | | and, be it further |
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| 52 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 53 | 54 | | prepared for Mr. Turner as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 54 | 55 | | House of Representatives. |
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