H.R. No. 164
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, An exemplary life devoted to public service drew to
a close with the death of former Nacogdoches County judge Ocie Lee
Westmoreland on August 15, 2020, at the age of 89; and
WHEREAS, Descended from one of the original 300 families who
came to Texas with Stephen F. Austin, Ocie Westmoreland was born in
Nacogdoches on November 14, 1930, to Charlie and Bessie
Westmoreland and grew up with eight siblings, Oliver, Charles,
Robert, Ray, Roy, Jimmy, Bessie, and Ann; he took to the road at the
age of 14 and worked odd jobs, and he later graduated from Massey
Business College and attended Stephen F. Austin State University;
answering his nation's call to duty, he served with the Texas
National Guard; and
WHEREAS, After working for a time as a long-haul trucker,
Mr. Westmoreland embarked on a career in public service, serving as
a firefighter and as a dispatcher for the Department of Public
Safety and the sheriff's department; he went on to contribute to his
community as a justice of the peace for 16 years, and he served
twice as Nacogdoches County judge, from 1979 to 1986 and again from
1991 to 1998; during his tenure, he played a leading role in the
creation of the Nacogdoches County Court at Law as well as in the
planning and development of Lake Naconiche; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Westmoreland was also active as a Shriner and a
Mason, holding the ranks of Master Mason and Royal Arch Mason for
more than half a century, and he was a longtime member of Landmark
Baptist Church; an avid sportsman when he was younger, he fished
every river in East Texas, and throughout his life, he loved to play
forty-two and dominoes; in retirement, he enjoyed setting the world
to rights with his friends at the Country Kitchen Café; and
WHEREAS, Above all, Mr. Westmoreland delighted in the time he
spent at Hickory Hill Farm with his loved ones; he married Joyce
Marie Barnes in 1960, creating a blended family with their sons,
Terry, Richard, Randal, and David, and later adding a daughter of
their own, Angela; with the passing years, he was further blessed
with 15 grandchildren, Joe, Brent, Mitchell, Tyler, Logan, Grant,
Forrest, Jamie, Madeline, Kesli, Kelli, Lauren, Kallie, Kori, and
the late Katy Westmoreland, and 11 great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an admired civic leader,
Ocie Westmoreland lived a rich and purposeful life dedicated to
making his community a better place, and he leaves behind a legacy
that will continue to inspire all those who knew and loved him; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Ocie Lee
Westmoreland and extend heartfelt sympathy to his relatives 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 Ocie Lee
Westmoreland.
Clardy
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 164 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 10, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House