| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The city of Kerrville lost an admired citizen with |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | the passing of Joe Benham on June 30, 2016, at the age of 82; and |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Born on March 13, 1934, to Buell and Lucille Benham |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | in Amarillo, Joe Benham began working for the Amarillo Times as a |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | sportswriter and general news reporter while still in high school, |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | launching a career in journalism that would span 65 years; after a |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | stint with the Dallas Times Herald and the Associated Press, he |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | joined the U.S. Army and proudly served his country as an infantry |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | platoon sergeant and air defense command public information |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | supervisor from 1954 to 1958; and |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Following his return to civilian life, Mr. Benham |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | was rehired by the AP in 1959, working in Austin and New York before |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | becoming bureau chief for Chile and Bolivia in 1965; while living in |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | Santiago, he met and married his wife, Verna, with whom he shared |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | more than 48 rewarding years, and they were blessed with a treasured |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | family that included two children, Stephanie and David, and four |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | grandchildren, Dallas, Madeleine, J. B., and Dax; and |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Benham accepted a position with U.S. News & |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | World Report in 1967 and spent the next 13 years covering South |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | America from offices in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires; after |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | returning to Texas, he worked as regional bureau chief for |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | U.S. News in Houston for the following two decades; in 1998, he |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | settled in the Hill Country, where he wrote for the Kerrville Daily |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | Times and volunteered as a publicist for numerous nonprofit groups; |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | and |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, This civic-minded Texan served as president of |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | myriad organizations over the years, including the Symphony of the |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | Hills Association, Friends of the Kerrville Library, and the Hill |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | Country Chapter of the Texas Society, Sons of the American |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | Revolution; he held a variety of other leadership positions with |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | such groups as the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department, the Hill |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | Country Youth Orchestra, and the Kerrville Rotary Club; in |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | recognition of his many contributions to the community, he was |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | presented with a 2016 Life's Treasures award by the Kerrville Daily |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | Times; and |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to his family, his profession, and |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | his community, Joe Benham lived a life filled with meaningful |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | achievements, and he leaves behind a legacy that will long be |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | treasured by all those who held him dear; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Joe Benham and |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | wife, Verna Benham; to his daughter, Stephanie Benham-Dickey, and |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | her husband, David; to his son, David Benham, and his wife, Bennet; |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | to his grandchildren, Dallas and Madeleine Dickey and J. B. and Dax |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | Benham; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|---|
| 53 | 54 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joe Benham. |
|---|