H.R. No. 1970
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Over the course of their lives, Lauro and Maria
Celia Lopez shared an enduring love story, and their family is
celebrating the couple's legacy of commitment; and
WHEREAS, A native of Rio Grande City, Lauro L. Lopez was born
on May 20, 1924, to Otila Zarate and Ernesto Lopez; after graduating
from Rio Grande City High School, he enlisted in the United States
Army in 1943; he was deployed to Shrivenham, England, where he was
stationed at the headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and
he went on to serve as a medical clerk-typist at a field hospital in
Europe; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Lopez was honorably discharged in 1946, and
after returning home, he studied geology at The University of Texas
at Austin; for a time, he worked in the garment district in New York
while pursuing a career in photography; in 1948, he moved back to
Rio Grande City, where he sold cars, worked on the Falcon Dam
project, and found employment at LFD Furniture Store; and
WHEREAS, Maria Celia Lopez was born in Rio Grande City on
November 6, 1928, to Mateo and Hortencia Saenz; she graduated from
Rio Grande City High School in 1945, and she subsequently earned her
license to become a hairdresser, her lifelong passion; she went on
to open the Co-ed Beauty Shop, which she ran for 22 years; and
WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez shared a remarkable 67 years of
marriage; their family grew to include five children, Daniel,
Diana, Dalinda, Delia, and David Lauro Lopez, who preceded his
parents in death, as well as a number of grandchildren and
great-grandchildren; partners in life as well as in business, the
couple owned and operated Triple L Furniture & Appliance, which
Mr. Lopez opened in 1970, with Mrs. Lopez serving as the store's
office manager; after 35 years, they closed the store and retired in
2005; and
WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez were actively involved in a
number of organizations; Mr. Lopez served as president of the Rio
Grande City Chamber of Commerce and vice president of the Rio Grande
Valley Partnership, and he helped lead the successful effort to
reincorporate Rio Grande City in 1993; he held other prominent
positions in the community as mayor pro tempore, city alderman, and
chair of the South Texas Economic Development Corporation, and in
1999, he was appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush to the South
Texas Development Council, where he chaired the board of directors;
a charter member of his local Rotary Club, he was a recipient of the
Paul Harris Fellow award in 1997; and
WHEREAS, Both husband and wife were parishioners of
Immaculate Conception Church and active members of the Order of the
Alhambra, El Cid Caravan No. 106, which Mr. Lopez led as grand
commander; Mr. Lopez was a fourth degree Knight of Columbus, while
Mrs. Lopez was involved in her children's education as a PTA member
of the Immaculate Conception School, and she also participated in
the Sewing Club and other organizations; they enjoyed traveling
throughout the United States and the world and socializing with
their many friends; Mr. Lopez passed away on June 25, 2016, at the
age of 92, and Mrs. Lopez passed away on March 19, 2018, at the age
of 89; and
WHEREAS, Through their commitment to their family, their
faith, and their community, Lauro and Maria Celia Lopez touched the
lives of countless people during their time on this earth, and they
will forever be remembered with admiration by all those who held
them dear; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Lauro and Maria
Celia Lopez; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for their family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lauro and
Maria Celia Lopez.
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1970 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 31, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House