85R1336 LD-D
By: Murr H.R. No. 28
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Kerrville lost an admired citizen with
the passing of Joe Benham on June 30, 2016, at the age of 82; and
WHEREAS, Born on March 13, 1934, to Buell and Lucille Benham
in Amarillo, Joe Benham began working for the Amarillo Times as a
sportswriter and general news reporter while still in high school,
launching a career in journalism that would span 65 years; after a
stint with the Dallas Times Herald and the Associated Press, he
joined the U.S. Army and proudly served his country as an infantry
platoon sergeant and air defense command public information
supervisor from 1954 to 1958; and
WHEREAS, Following his return to civilian life, Mr. Benham
was rehired by the AP in 1959, working in Austin and New York before
becoming bureau chief for Chile and Bolivia in 1965; while living in
Santiago, he met and married his wife, Verna, with whom he shared
more than 48 rewarding years, and they were blessed with a treasured
family that included two children, Stephanie and David, and four
grandchildren, Dallas, Madeleine, J. B., and Dax; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Benham accepted a position with U.S. News &
World Report in 1967 and spent the next 13 years covering South
America from offices in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires; after
returning to Texas, he worked as regional bureau chief for
U.S. News in Houston for the following two decades; in 1998, he
settled in the Hill Country, where he wrote for the Kerrville Daily
Times and volunteered as a publicist for numerous nonprofit groups;
and
WHEREAS, This civic-minded Texan served as president of
myriad organizations over the years, including the Symphony of the
Hills Association, Friends of the Kerrville Library, and the Hill
Country Chapter of the Texas Society, Sons of the American
Revolution; he held a variety of other leadership positions with
such groups as the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department, the Hill
Country Youth Orchestra, and the Kerrville Rotary Club; in
recognition of his many contributions to the community, he was
presented with a 2016 Life's Treasures award by the Kerrville Daily
Times; and
WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to his family, his profession, and
his community, Joe Benham lived a life filled with meaningful
achievements, and he leaves behind a legacy that will long be
treasured by all those who held him dear; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Joe Benham and
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
wife, Verna Benham; to his daughter, Stephanie Benham-Dickey, and
her husband, David; to his son, David Benham, and his wife, Bennet;
to his grandchildren, Dallas and Madeleine Dickey and J. B. and Dax
Benham; 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 Joe Benham.