H.R. No. 343
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The people of Richardson lost an admired civic
leader with the passing of former state representative Richard
Floyd Reynolds on February 17, 2014, at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, Born in Flint, Ohio, on September 21, 1927, Dick
Reynolds was raised by an aunt and uncle following the untimely
death of his mother; he became interested in politics as a high
school student and was elected to the student council; coming of age
as World War II was ending, he enlisted in the United States Army
and served as an x-ray technician in the Medical Corps;
subsequently, he joined the Ohio National Guard and served until
1954; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Reynolds graduated from Bliss Business College
and completed his bachelor's degree in business administration at
Ohio State University; he worked in accounting for several
companies before moving to Texas in 1960 to manage the Collins Radio
audit department; later, he embarked on a long tenure as an
executive with Ben Griffin Enterprises, a diversified industrial
and manufacturing company, and he eventually began his own
consulting firm; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing a lack of youth sports in his adopted
hometown, Mr. Reynolds founded RSI Richardson Sports in 1963; he
served for seven years as director and president of the
organization, which provided opportunities for thousands of
youngsters to participate in athletic competition; in addition, he
coached baseball for several years, and he helped found the Spring
Valley Athletic Association; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan was elected to the first of four
consecutive terms on the Richardson City Council in 1963; he served
as mayor pro tempore, and he played an instrumental role in the
creation of Sherrill Park; in 1972, he won a seat in the Texas
house, where he was one of just 13 Republicans; he served as vice
chair of the Reapportionment Committee, and he was a member of the
Intergovernmental Affairs and Revenue and Taxation Committees; he
also participated in a feasibility study for the establishment of a
state park on the Trinity River in Dallas County; a staunch
conservative, he was a delegate to the Texas Constitutional
Convention of 1974 and a Reagan delegate to the 1976 Republican
National Convention; and
WHEREAS, Although career demands prevented him from running
for a third term in the legislature, Mr. Reynolds continued to
serve his fellow citizens in numerous leadership roles; he was a
founding member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments,
and he was appointed to both the State Board of Insurance and the
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission, which he served as chair;
he also chaired the Parkland Memorial Hospital board; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Reynolds was the devoted father of seven
children, Christopher, Brad, Guy, Jack, Eric, Ann Marie, and Holly,
and he took great pride in his 11 grandchildren; he shared a
fulfilling marriage of 36 years with his wife, Donna Reynolds; and
WHEREAS, While the death of Dick Reynolds brought great
sorrow to his family and friends, his contributions to Richardson
and to this state continue to resonate, and his record of
accomplishments will long be treasured by all who held him dear;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Richard
Floyd "Dick" Reynolds and extend sincere sympathy to his loved
ones; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas House
of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the
Honorable Richard Floyd Reynolds.
Craddick
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 343 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on February 19, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House