H.R. No. 2725
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Amarillo lost an admired civic leader
with the death of Keith Roger Williams on May 19, 2017, at the age of
65; and
WHEREAS, The son of L. Keith and Bonnie Williams, Roger
Williams was born on September 10, 1951, and grew up in Kansas City,
Missouri; he completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees at
Brigham Young University; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Williams was the proud father of three children
by his first marriage, Stewart, Marissa, and Marshall, and
following his marriage to Ana Estevez on December 26, 2003, he
welcomed two more children, Nikki and Alexis, into his treasured
family; moreover, he took great delight in his role as grandfather
to Bailee, Ethan, Kai, and Landree; and
WHEREAS, The face of Bell Helicopter in the community,
Mr. Williams was one of the first staff members at the plant when it
opened; over the course of his long tenure, he served in a number of
key roles, including site leader, director of administration,
executive director, and head of human resources; he was a kind
mentor to numerous colleagues, and he was known in the wider
community for his leadership in charitable organizations;
dedicated to the United Way of Amarillo and Canyon, he helped raise
more than $5 million as co-chair of its 2008 annual campaign, and he
served on the executive board for a dozen years; he was a member of
many other nonprofit boards as well; and
WHEREAS, Sustained by a profound faith, Mr. Williams was an
active member of First Baptist Church, where he even helped out in
the nursery; following his retirement in 2012, he became deeply
involved in the church refugee programs and drove vans to bring ESL
students to their classes at First Baptist; he also devoted
considerable time, effort, and resources to help people in need in
Haiti; an avid scholar and voracious reader, he studied a wide range
of subjects; he also loved travel and music and was a great
supporter of the Amarillo Symphony; and
WHEREAS, The life of Roger Williams stands as an inspiring
example of service to others, and though he will be deeply missed by
those he has left behind, they will forever treasure their memories
of his magnificent smile, sharp wit, and boundless generosity; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of K. Roger Williams and
extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn his passing; 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 Roger
Williams.
Smithee
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2725 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 29, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House