| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The people of South Texas have lost an esteemed |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | civic leader with the death of former La Joya mayor William Leo on |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | March 17, 2018, at the age of 70; and |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Billy Leo was born in Laredo on May 24, 1947, to |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | Feliz Leo and Leo James Leo, a prominent regional leader who marched |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | with Cesar Chavez and who served as mayor of La Joya; after earning |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | a political science degree at Texas A&I University in Kingsville, |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | Billy Leo enjoyed a successful career in the private sector with a |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | chain of convenience stores known as Leo's Food Mart; while |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | managing the family business, he also forged his own outstanding |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | record of civic engagement and activism; elected to the La Joya |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | school board while still in his 20s, he served from 1974 to 1981 and |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | was board president for two terms; he then served as mayor of La |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | Joya from 1981 to 1986 and as Hidalgo County clerk from 1986 to |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | 1994; elected mayor again in 2003, he continued to serve in that |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | post until 2011; and |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Known as "Mr. Democrat," Mr. Leo held local party |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | meetings at his La Joya store and drew state and national leaders to |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | the area, including Robert Kennedy Jr., Bill Clinton, and his close |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | friend Ann Richards; he was a member of the Democratic National |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | Committee from 1989 to 2000 and served as a delegate to several |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | Democratic National Conventions; in addition, he was active in the |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | Mexican-American Democrats, and he led MAD in the 27th Senatorial |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | District as president; deeply engaged in his community, he was a |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | founder and president of the La Joya Lions Club, a member of the |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | Housing Authority of the County of Hidalgo, and a gubernatorial |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | appointee to the Texas-Mexico Authority and the State Community |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | Development Block Grant program; and |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, A beloved role model and mentor to the next |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | generation of leaders in the Rio Grande Valley, Billy Leo dedicated |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | his life to fighting for his community and his political ideals, and |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all those |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of William Leo and |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | wife, Dr. Filomena Leo; to his children, Noralisa Leo and her |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | husband, Eduardo Herranz, Michael Leo, Lita Leo, Billy Leo Jr. and |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | his wife, Anne, and Letty Leo; to his five grandchildren; to his |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | siblings, James Leo and his wife, Lydia, Henry Leo, Leo J. Leo Jr. |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | and his wife, Martha, and Nellie Leo; and to his other relatives and |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | many friends; and, be it further |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of William |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | Leo. |
|---|