H.R. No. 1815
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A life of meaningful service drew to a close with the
death of former state representative Tony James Goolsby of Dallas
on September 4, 2020, at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, Born on November 9, 1933, Tony Goolsby was raised by
Thelma and Herman Ross in Longview, and he grew up with two
siblings, Eddie and Marsha; answering his nation's call to duty, he
served in the U.S. Army, and he went on to earn a bachelor's degree
in education from the University of North Texas, where he was a
member of the Theta Chi fraternity; he worked as a teacher, coach,
principal, and pharmaceutical sales representative until he
started an insurance agency in the 1980s, running it for more than
two decades; he served as president of the Independent Insurance
Agents of Dallas, as head of political actions for the Independent
Insurance Agents of Texas, and as a board member of Pavillion Bank;
and
WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. Goolsby was elected to the Texas House
of Representatives, and he served the citizens of North Dallas and
Richardson for 20 years; a leader in the house, he was a strong
supporter of efforts to protect victims of sexual assault, extend
the reach of Amber Alerts, protect consumers from unwanted
solicitations, make identity theft a state crime, cut taxes on
small businesses, and make higher education more accessible,
including allowing senior citizens to audit college courses at no
cost; known for signing everything in a shade of ink that came to be
known as "Goolsby green," he served as chair of the House
Administration Committee and as vice chair of the Higher Education
Committee; dedicated to making sure the house ran smoothly and that
everyone was treated fairly, he made many friends during his
tenure, and a number of items from his personal collection remain on
view at the Legislative Reference Library; and
WHEREAS, Representative Goolsby's many honors over the
course of his career included recognition and awards from the
Dallas Police Association, North Texas State University, Longview
High School, the Texas Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Realtors
Association, and the Texas Pediatric Society; and
WHEREAS, Following his service in the legislature,
Mr. Goolsby enjoyed a successful career as a lobbyist; he remained
close to his former legislative staffers, often sharing a meal to
offer advice and discuss the latest Capitol news, and he maintained
a warm friendship with former speaker of the house Pete Laney until
the end of his life; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Goolsby was a member of Lovers Lane United
Methodist Church for more than a half century, and he was serving as
an usher one Sunday morning when he met Toppy Tannery, who was late
for church; they were married in 1971 and shared a loving
relationship that spanned nearly five decades; they delighted in
traveling together to national parks, taking riverboat cruises in
Europe, spending Thanksgiving in Hawaii, and visiting their
granddaughters in California; in 2001, they dedicated the Goolsby
Chapel at the University of North Texas, and they also established
the Toppy and Tony Goolsby Family Trust Rangerette Scholarship at
Kilgore College; and
WHEREAS, Witty, warm, and generous, Tony Goolsby was a
devoted family man and a distinguished public servant, and his loss
is keenly felt by the numerous friends he made through the years and
by the countless people in Texas whose lives were made better by his
many achievements; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Tony
James Goolsby and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his
family: to his wife, Toppy Goolsby; to his children, Mellie Mathis
and her husband, Chris Duncan, Cherrie Wysong and her husband, Jay,
and Brooke Welch and her husband, Sean; to his grandchildren,
Delaney and Riley Welch; to his sister, Marsha Ross; and to his
other relatives and many 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 Tony
Goolsby.
Smithee
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1815 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 29, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House