85R9291 JGH-D
By: Button H.R. No. 300
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the
death of Donald Benjamin Fielding of Dallas, who passed away on
January 20, 2017, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, Donald Fielding was born in Dallas on July 7, 1922,
to Nathan and Bessie Finkelstein; he graduated as valedictorian
from Forest Avenue High School at the age of 15, and that same year
enrolled in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania,
in pursuit of a career in the foreign service; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from the Wharton School in 1942,
Mr. Fielding attended the University of Havana briefly before his
induction into the U.S. Army; he attended the Infantry Officer
Candidate School and went on to serve as an operations and training
staff officer until his discharge at the rank of second lieutenant
in 1946; and
WHEREAS, Returning to Dallas, Mr. Fielding joined the family
business, National Shoes, where he worked for 42 years, opening
several additional locations in 1958, 1968, and 1977; he was also
active in Dallas politics from the 1960s until the 1990s, with a
particular interest in education, and he played a leading role in
the establishment of such advocacy organizations as the Citizens'
Committee for Better Schools, Citizens for Representative
Government, and the League for Educational Advancement in Dallas;
he was also active with the Boy Scouts of America, which he served
in several leadership positions, including chair of the High Trail
Scout District; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Fielding married Virginia Lee Tipton in 1950,
and they shared their lives for 63 years, until her death in 2013;
the couple were the proud parents of four children, Ronnie, Linda,
B. Donald, and Paul, and they were blessed with many grandchildren
and great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an engaged citizen, Donald
Fielding lived a life rich with purpose, and he leaves behind a
record of service that his loved ones can remember with pride; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Donald Benjamin
Fielding and extend sincere condolences to his 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 Donald
Fielding.