| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 278 |
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| 2 | 2 | | In Memory |
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| 3 | 3 | | of |
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| 4 | 4 | | Gerald Lee Kunkle |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The citizens of Collin County lost an admired |
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| 6 | 6 | | public servant with the passing of Constable Gerald Lee Kunkle on |
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| 7 | 7 | | February 13, 2015, at the age of 76; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Born on February 14, 1938, in Shreveport, Louisiana, |
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| 9 | 9 | | Jerry Kunkle was the son of Benjamin and Helen Kunkle; he served for |
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| 10 | 10 | | three years with the military police in the United States Marine |
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| 11 | 11 | | Corps, where he was stationed in Honolulu and excelled at playing |
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| 12 | 12 | | football for the corps; after he was discharged in 1959, he returned |
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| 13 | 13 | | home and attended the University of North Texas on a football |
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| 14 | 14 | | scholarship; he married the former Hannah Dungan on October 3, 1961, |
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| 15 | 15 | | and the couple raised four children; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Constable Kunkle began working for Collin County |
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| 17 | 17 | | as a deputy sheriff in 1962 and was soon promoted to chief deputy; |
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| 18 | 18 | | he worked briefly as a radio station manager before returning to |
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| 19 | 19 | | work for the county as an adult probation officer in 1971, |
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| 20 | 20 | | eventually reassuming the role of chief deputy; in 1979, he was |
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| 21 | 21 | | appointed to the office of Precinct 1 constable, and he continued |
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| 22 | 22 | | to be reelected to that position until his retirement in 2008; |
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| 23 | 23 | | over the course of a tenure that spanned nearly three decades, a |
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| 24 | 24 | | number of new programs were launched, including the |
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| 25 | 25 | | establishment of the warrant division; he was named Texas |
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| 26 | 26 | | Constable of the Year in 1997; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Further contributing to his professional |
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| 28 | 28 | | community, Constable Kunkle served as president of the Justices |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas, and he received |
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| 30 | 30 | | the association's highest honor, the T. A. Vines Award, in 2003; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, A devoted family man and a dedicated public |
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| 32 | 32 | | servant, Jerry Kunkle will be deeply missed, but the integrity |
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| 33 | 33 | | and optimism with which he lived his life will forever inspire |
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| 34 | 34 | | all who had the good fortune to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th |
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| 36 | 36 | | Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Constable Gerald |
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| 37 | 37 | | Lee Kunkle and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his |
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| 38 | 38 | | family: to his wife, Hannah Kunkle; to his children, Mark, |
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| 39 | 39 | | Kimberly, and Matt Kunkle and Keri Hardin; to his grandchildren, |
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| 40 | 40 | | Mason, Morgan, Miles, and Mendel Kunkle and Hayden Hardin; to his |
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| 41 | 41 | | great-grandson, Hagen Kunkle; to his stepfather, Edward |
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| 42 | 42 | | R. McGehee; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it |
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| 43 | 43 | | further |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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| 45 | 45 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns |
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| 46 | 46 | | this day, it do so in memory of Jerry Kunkle. |
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| 47 | 47 | | Taylor of Collin |
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| 48 | 48 | | ________________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | President of the Senate |
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| 50 | 50 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 51 | 51 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 52 | 52 | | the Senate on March 2, 2015, by a |
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| 53 | 53 | | rising vote. |
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| 54 | 54 | | ________________________________ |
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| 55 | 55 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 56 | 56 | | ________________________________ |
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| 57 | 57 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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