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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A life filled with heroic service and meaningful |
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| 6 | 7 | | accomplishments drew to a close with the passing of Joseph Ray Perry |
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| 7 | 8 | | of Paint Creek on April 27, 2017, at the age of 92; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The son of Hoyt Perry and Thelma Dinsmore Perry, Ray |
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| 9 | 10 | | Perry was born in the Paint Creek community on April 23, 1925; he |
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| 10 | 11 | | was educated at the Post School and in the Paint Creek Independent |
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| 11 | 12 | | School District, which his grandfather, Wayne Perry, helped |
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| 12 | 13 | | establish while Ray was growing up; with his country at war at the |
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| 13 | 14 | | time of his graduation in 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, |
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| 14 | 15 | | and while still a teenager, he accepted the perilous assignment of |
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| 15 | 16 | | being the tail gunner on a B-17 bomber; he ultimately completed 35 |
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| 16 | 17 | | combat missions over Nazi Germany, including one in which his |
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| 17 | 18 | | crew's heavily damaged plane barely made it back to its base in |
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| 18 | 19 | | England, and he was awarded a number of medals for his valorous |
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| 19 | 20 | | service; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, After demobilization, Mr. Perry returned to Haskell |
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| 21 | 22 | | County and soon had the good fortune to meet Amelia June Holt on a |
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| 22 | 23 | | blind date; the couple married on June 29, 1947, beginning a |
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| 23 | 24 | | rewarding marriage that would span almost 70 years; they settled in |
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| 24 | 25 | | Paint Creek and worked as tenant farmers until they were able to |
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| 25 | 26 | | purchase their own property, and Mr. Perry's deep love of farming |
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| 26 | 27 | | and the land where he lived and worked were essential touchstones in |
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| 27 | 28 | | his life; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, The Perrys became the parents of two children, Milla |
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| 29 | 30 | | Perry Jones and James Richard "Rick" Perry; Mr. Perry took great |
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| 30 | 31 | | pride in the accomplishments of his children, including his son, |
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| 31 | 32 | | who was inspired by his father's example to become an officer in the |
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| 32 | 33 | | U.S. Air Force and whose career in public office has included |
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| 33 | 34 | | service as the Texas commissioner of agriculture and lieutenant |
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| 34 | 35 | | governor, as the state's longest-serving governor, and as the |
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| 35 | 36 | | United States secretary of energy; and |
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| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, A prominent member of his community, Ray Perry |
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| 37 | 38 | | served for a decade on the Paint Creek ISD school board, and in |
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| 38 | 39 | | 1968, he was first elected as a county commissioner; he held that |
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| 39 | 40 | | office for 28 years, and his achievements made a lasting and |
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| 40 | 41 | | positive difference in the lives of his fellow citizens; he also |
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| 41 | 42 | | distinguished himself during his six-year tenure on the West |
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| 42 | 43 | | Central Texas Council of Governments, which included two years as |
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| 43 | 44 | | the president of the board; moreover, he was a member and two-time |
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| 44 | 45 | | president of the Paint Creek Water Corporation board, after having |
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| 45 | 46 | | played an instrumental role in the corporation's founding; and |
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| 46 | 47 | | WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Mr. Perry retired, and he spent his |
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| 47 | 48 | | time enjoying the love and laughter of his grandchildren and his |
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| 48 | 49 | | great-grandchildren; through the years, he was an avid hunter, and |
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| 49 | 50 | | a highlight of his hunting excursions was a trip to Alaska on which |
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| 50 | 51 | | he shot a world record caribou; and |
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| 51 | 52 | | WHEREAS, Ray Perry was a courageous airman, a caring husband |
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| 52 | 53 | | and father, and a respected community leader, and the contributions |
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| 53 | 54 | | he made in each of these roles will long inspire those who were |
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| 54 | 55 | | fortunate enough to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 55 | 56 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 56 | 57 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Joseph Ray Perry and |
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| 57 | 58 | | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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| 58 | 59 | | wife, Amelia Perry; to his children, Milla Perry Jones and James |
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| 59 | 60 | | Richard "Rick" Perry and his wife, Anita; to his grandchildren, |
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| 60 | 61 | | Griffin Perry and his wife, Meredith, Caitlyn Jones, and Sydney |
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| 61 | 62 | | Perry Harrison and her husband, Brett; to his great-granddaughters, |
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| 62 | 63 | | Ella and Piper Perry; to his brothers, Gene Perry and Don Perry and |
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| 63 | 64 | | his wife, Nanette; to his sister, Frances Blacklock; to his nieces |
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| 64 | 65 | | and nephews; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it |
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| 65 | 66 | | further |
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| 66 | 67 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 67 | 68 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 68 | 69 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joseph Ray |
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| 69 | 70 | | Perry. |
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