| 2 | 3 | | |
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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a respected attorney and |
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| 6 | 7 | | civic leader with the death of Dee J. Kelly of Fort Worth on October |
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| 7 | 8 | | 2, 2015, at the age of 86; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Dee Kelly was born in Bonham on March 7, 1929; he |
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| 9 | 10 | | earned a degree at Texas Christian University, and while he was |
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| 10 | 11 | | studying law at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., |
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| 11 | 12 | | he worked in the office of Sam Rayburn, the legendary speaker of the |
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| 12 | 13 | | U.S. House of Representatives; Mr. Kelly interrupted his studies to |
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| 13 | 14 | | serve in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1953, rising to the rank of |
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| 14 | 15 | | first lieutenant; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Following his military service, Mr. Kelly resumed |
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| 16 | 17 | | his law studies and his work in Speaker Rayburn's office; he met |
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| 17 | 18 | | Janice LeBlanc, a student at Southern Seminary in Virginia, and the |
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| 18 | 19 | | couple were married in 1954; soon thereafter, he returned with his |
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| 19 | 20 | | bride to Texas, where he began his legal career at the Texas |
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| 20 | 21 | | Railroad Commission; over the next half century, he worked in |
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| 21 | 22 | | private practice, representing various influential clients in oil |
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| 22 | 23 | | and ranching, and as general counsel to companies such as Moncrief |
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| 23 | 24 | | Oil, Justin Industries, and Bass Brothers Enterprises; in 1979, he |
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| 24 | 25 | | was the founder of Kelly Hart & Hallman, the largest law firm in |
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| 25 | 26 | | Fort Worth; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, For many years, Mr. Kelly was best known for his |
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| 27 | 28 | | civic and political engagement, both in Fort Worth and, at the state |
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| 28 | 29 | | level, as a friend and counselor for many politicians; he knew all |
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| 29 | 30 | | three presidents from Texas, Lyndon Johnson, George H. W. Bush, and |
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| 30 | 31 | | George W. Bush, as well as House Speaker Jim Wright and Senators |
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| 31 | 32 | | Lloyd Bentsen, John Tower, and John Cornyn, and he was especially |
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| 32 | 33 | | good friends with Governor John Connally; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Kelly served on the boards of AMR Corporation, |
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| 34 | 35 | | Sabre, Justin Industries, and North Texas Bancshares, and he was |
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| 35 | 36 | | likewise generous with his time as a board member for the Van |
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| 36 | 37 | | Cliburn Foundation, The University of Texas Law School Foundation, |
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| 37 | 38 | | the UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Center, Performing Arts Fort |
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| 38 | 39 | | Worth, and the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show; he |
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| 39 | 40 | | remained loyal to TCU, his Texas alma mater, for his entire life, |
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| 40 | 41 | | serving on the university's board for 32 years; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Among the numerous accolades Mr. Kelly received were |
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| 42 | 43 | | the Outstanding Citizen Award from the City of Fort Worth, the |
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| 43 | 44 | | Horatio Alger Award, the Blackstone Award from the Tarrant County |
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| 44 | 45 | | Bar Association, and the Citizen of the Year Award from the Longhorn |
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| 45 | 46 | | Council of the Boy Scouts of America; in 1999, he appeared on the |
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| 46 | 47 | | Fort Worth Star-Telegram list of the 10 most influential leaders in |
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| 47 | 48 | | Tarrant County in the second half of the 20th century, and both TCU |
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| 48 | 49 | | and George Washington University named buildings in his honor; and |
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| 49 | 50 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Kelly enjoyed the love and |
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| 50 | 51 | | support of a fine family, including his wife, Janice, with whom he |
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| 51 | 52 | | shared 61 years, as well as three children, Cynthia, Dee, and Craig, |
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| 52 | 53 | | and seven grandchildren, Ben, Kelly, Cate, Lynn, Camille, Patrick, |
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| 53 | 54 | | and Ryan; and |
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| 54 | 55 | | WHEREAS, Rising from humble beginnings in Bonham to become a |
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| 55 | 56 | | confidant and advisor to some of the most influential Texans in |
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| 56 | 57 | | recent history, Dee Kelly lived a rich and purposeful life, and he |
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| 57 | 58 | | leaves behind a legacy of achievement that will continue to |
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| 58 | 59 | | resonate for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 59 | 60 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 60 | 61 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dee J. Kelly and |
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| 61 | 62 | | extend sincere sympathy to all those who mourn his passing; and, be |
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| 62 | 63 | | it further |
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| 63 | 64 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 64 | 65 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 65 | 66 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dee Kelly. |
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