H.R. No. 1235
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of East Texas lost an admired jurist with
the death of the Honorable Bascom William Bentley III on December
11, 2017, at the age of 66; and
WHEREAS, The son of Dr. Bascom Bentley Jr. and Kelly Bentley,
Bascom Bentley was born on March 27, 1951; he grew up with a sister,
Belle, and a brother, Newell; after attending Palestine High
School, he completed his bachelor's degree at The University of
Texas at Austin and went on to graduate from the University of
Houston Law Center in 1976; he married the former Carol Swift, and
they were blessed with four children, Bonnie, Bascom, Hunter, and
Matthew; later in life, he experienced the joy of welcoming into his
family a granddaughter, Scarlett; and
WHEREAS, Judge Bentley was appointed Palestine city attorney
in 1977, and he went on to serve Anderson County as county attorney
and court at law judge; in 1989, he was appointed as the first judge
of the newly created 369th District Court, and he fulfilled the
duties of that position with distinction until his retirement in
2017; serious but unpretentious, he knew when to introduce levity
to the proceedings, and he was a mentor to many; he taught at
Trinity Valley Community College for 37 years and served on the
faculty of the Texas Center for the Judiciary; in addition, he was a
member of the Texas College for New Judges and president of the
Anderson County Bar Association; and
WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his community, Judge Bentley
benefited many charitable organizations and served as president of
the United Way of East/Central Texas, Salvation Army, and Red
Cross; he was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church of
Palestine, where he was chair of the board and taught the Judge EV
Swift Men's Bible Study; among numerous honors, he received the
Citizen of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the
Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce and the Outstanding Local Leader
Award from the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute and
The University of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Bascom Bentley earned the respect and admiration of
innumerable people over the course of his long career in public
service, and those who were privileged to know him will forever
cherish their memories of his warmth, kindness, and wonderful sense
of humor; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Bascom William
Bentley III and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn his
passing; 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 Judge
Bascom William Bentley III.
Harris
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1235 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 26, 2019.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House