86R8419 JGH-D
By: Clardy H.R. No. 109
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Tyler lost a beloved resident with the
death of Robert Frank Faulkner on August 28, 2018, at the age of 96;
and
WHEREAS, Bob Faulkner was born to Sterry and Inez Faulkner on
January 16, 1922, in Duncan, Oklahoma, and he grew up in Electra,
Texas, where he graduated from high school; he was an Eagle Scout,
and he took part in the very first National Scout Jamboree in 1937;
answering his nation's call to duty, he served in the U.S. Army Air
Corps in the Pacific during World War II; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Faulkner attended the University
of Oklahoma, where he lettered in tennis and earned a bachelor's
degree in mechanical engineering; in 1948, he settled in Tyler, and
he went on to become one of the first air conditioning engineers in
East Texas; in 1975, he earned a U.S. patent for a solar panel; and
WHEREAS, A gifted tennis player, Mr. Faulkner cofounded the
Tyler Tennis and Swim Club, established the Faulkner Tennis Center
at Faulkner Park, and served as a volunteer tennis coach for the
Tyler schools; he also sponsored an awards dinner for local
players, and he was the host of the U.S. Tennis Association's Bob
Faulkner Super Champ Major Zone tennis tournament every summer; a
serious golfer as well, he was a longtime member of the Willow Brook
Country Club and a cofounder of Hollytree Country Club and
Briarwood Country Club, where he was golf champion for three years;
he played Santa Claus each Christmas at several children's homes
for half a century, and he helped establish the Historic Aviation
Memorial Museum at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Faulkner was married to Gloria Beth Weatherall
for nearly seven decades, until her death, and they were the parents
of two daughters, Karen and Buffie; Mr. Faulkner was later blessed
with four grandchildren, Robert, Richard, Courtney, and James, and
five great-grandchildren, Molly, John, Richard, Andrew, and Sarah;
a man of strong religious faith, he attended Marvin United
Methodist Church for 70 years, serving on the board of stewards, as
chair of the property committee, as a Sunday school teacher, and as
scoutmaster of Troop No. 336; and
WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an esteemed leader in his
community, Bob Faulkner lived a rich and purposeful life, and he
leaves behind a record of good works that will long be remembered in
Tyler; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Robert Frank
Faulkner and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family 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 Robert
Frank Faulkner.