| 1 | 1 | | 85R9291 JGH-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Button H.R. No. 300 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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| 7 | 7 | | death of Donald Benjamin Fielding of Dallas, who passed away on |
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| 8 | 8 | | January 20, 2017, at the age of 94; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Donald Fielding was born in Dallas on July 7, 1922, |
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| 10 | 10 | | to Nathan and Bessie Finkelstein; he graduated as valedictorian |
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| 11 | 11 | | from Forest Avenue High School at the age of 15, and that same year |
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| 12 | 12 | | enrolled in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, |
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| 13 | 13 | | in pursuit of a career in the foreign service; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, After graduating from the Wharton School in 1942, |
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| 15 | 15 | | Mr. Fielding attended the University of Havana briefly before his |
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| 16 | 16 | | induction into the U.S. Army; he attended the Infantry Officer |
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| 17 | 17 | | Candidate School and went on to serve as an operations and training |
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| 18 | 18 | | staff officer until his discharge at the rank of second lieutenant |
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| 19 | 19 | | in 1946; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Returning to Dallas, Mr. Fielding joined the family |
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| 21 | 21 | | business, National Shoes, where he worked for 42 years, opening |
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| 22 | 22 | | several additional locations in 1958, 1968, and 1977; he was also |
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| 23 | 23 | | active in Dallas politics from the 1960s until the 1990s, with a |
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| 24 | 24 | | particular interest in education, and he played a leading role in |
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| 25 | 25 | | the establishment of such advocacy organizations as the Citizens' |
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| 26 | 26 | | Committee for Better Schools, Citizens for Representative |
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| 27 | 27 | | Government, and the League for Educational Advancement in Dallas; |
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| 28 | 28 | | he was also active with the Boy Scouts of America, which he served |
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| 29 | 29 | | in several leadership positions, including chair of the High Trail |
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| 30 | 30 | | Scout District; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Fielding married Virginia Lee Tipton in 1950, |
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| 32 | 32 | | and they shared their lives for 63 years, until her death in 2013; |
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| 33 | 33 | | the couple were the proud parents of four children, Ronnie, Linda, |
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| 34 | 34 | | B. Donald, and Paul, and they were blessed with many grandchildren |
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| 35 | 35 | | and great-grandchildren; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an engaged citizen, Donald |
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| 37 | 37 | | Fielding lived a life rich with purpose, and he leaves behind a |
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| 38 | 38 | | record of service that his loved ones can remember with pride; now, |
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| 39 | 39 | | therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 41 | 41 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Donald Benjamin |
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| 42 | 42 | | Fielding and extend sincere condolences to his relatives and |
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| 43 | 43 | | friends; and, be it further |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 45 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 46 | 46 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Donald |
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| 47 | 47 | | Fielding. |
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