H.R. No. 2756
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Houston lost an admired civil rights
leader with the passing of Ernest Eguia on May 3, 2015, at the age of
95; and
WHEREAS, Born to Narciso and Maria Eguia in Lockhart on
November 7, 1919, Ernest Eguia grew up in Houston; he was the oldest
of six children, and he began working as a boy, shining shoes at a
barbershop and selling newspapers; although he excelled
academically, he left school in the 10th grade for a job at a
menswear store, Buck's Dry Goods; during World War II, he served as
a forward artillery observer in the United States Army, and he
fought in the Battle of the Bulge and took part in the liberation of
the Nordhausen concentration camp; he rose to the rank of staff
sergeant, and among other decorations, he was awarded a Bronze
Star; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Eguia returned from four years in the military
to find that discrimination against Mexican Americans remained a
serious problem, and he joined a fledgling advocacy organization,
the League of United Latin American Citizens; as an early leader, he
helped make the Houston council one of the most prominent and
effective chapters; the organization opened the way for Hispanics
to serve in the fire and police departments, and it expanded the
participation of Latinos in all aspects of city government; and
WHEREAS, In 1963, he was involved in arranging an address to
Houston activists by President John F. Kennedy, which represented
one of the first outreaches to Latinos by a sitting U.S. president;
over the course of 67 years of active membership in LULAC, Mr. Eguia
held offices at the national level as well, and he helped create
such programs as the Little School of the 400, a precursor to Head
Start, and Service, Education, and Redeployment; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Eguia was employed for a time by Warren
Petroleum Company; later, he returned to Buck's Dry Goods and made
his career in retail as a salesman and manager; moreover, he was a
proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American
Legion; and
WHEREAS, Through his profound commitment to social justice,
Ernest Eguia made a lasting, positive difference in Houston and
beyond, and those he leaves behind will continue to find
inspiration in his accomplishments for years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Ernest Eguia and
extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of
67 years, Maria Eguia; to his children, Diane DeYoung, Rebecca
Eguia Curry, David Ernest Eguia and his wife, Sylvia, and Mark
Steven Eguia and his wife, Debbie; to his grandchildren, Mark
Andrew Schlossberg, Kimberly Curry Kersten, Madelyn E. DeYoung,
Matthew James Curry, Michael B. Eguia, and Sam Ernest Eguia; to his
great-grandchildren, Addison and Brody; 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 Ernest
Eguia.
Farrar
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2756 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 14, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House