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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | passing of Joel A. Garza of Weslaco on June 21, 2021, at the age of |
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| 7 | 8 | | 84; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in Weslaco on April 18, 1937, Joe Garza was the |
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| 9 | 10 | | son of Victor and Josefa Martinez Garza, and he grew up with the |
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| 10 | 11 | | companionship of four siblings, Humberto, Maria, Nora, and Victor; |
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| 11 | 12 | | in 1956, he graduated from Weslaco High School, where he played |
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| 12 | 13 | | running back and helped the Panther football team advance to the |
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| 13 | 14 | | state semifinals in 1955; he later attended St. Mary's University |
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| 14 | 15 | | while serving with the Texas National Guard; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Following his honorable discharge in 1962, |
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| 16 | 17 | | Mr. Garza began his career in social work with the Texas Department |
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| 17 | 18 | | of Public Welfare; he served as an administrator for government |
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| 18 | 19 | | assistance programs and retired in 1990 as a program director with |
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| 19 | 20 | | the Texas Department of Human Services; dedicated to his community, |
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| 20 | 21 | | he gave generously of his time and talents to numerous |
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| 21 | 22 | | organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, the Boy Scouts of |
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| 22 | 23 | | America, the American Cancer Society, and Valley Interfaith; in |
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| 23 | 24 | | addition, he was active in city politics and was instrumental in |
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| 24 | 25 | | Weslaco adopting single-member districts; he was also passionate |
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| 25 | 26 | | about agriculture, and he farmed various crops in the United States |
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| 26 | 27 | | and Mexico, growing all of his produce organically; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Garza married the former Maria Evangelina |
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| 28 | 29 | | Hinojosa in September 1961, and the couple shared a rewarding union |
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| 29 | 30 | | that spanned nearly six decades; he was the proud father of 6 |
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| 30 | 31 | | children, Cynthia, Melinda, Jaime, Judith, Angela, and Joel, and |
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| 31 | 32 | | over the years, he was further blessed with 17 grandchildren; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Joe Garza possessed a generosity of spirit that |
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| 33 | 34 | | expressed itself in myriad ways, and he enriched the lives of |
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| 34 | 35 | | countless people with his warmth and kindness; now, therefore, be |
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| 35 | 36 | | it |
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| 36 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 37 | 38 | | Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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| 38 | 39 | | of Joel A. Garza and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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| 39 | 40 | | family: to his wife, Evangelina Garza; to his children, Cynthia |
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| 40 | 41 | | Cardenas and her husband, Gilbert, Melinda Garza and her husband, |
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| 41 | 42 | | Bernie, Jaime Garza and his wife, Terri, Judith Blas and her |
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| 42 | 43 | | husband, Jesse, Angela Cantu and her husband, Robert, and Joel |
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| 43 | 44 | | Garza and his wife, Lindsey; to his brother, Victor Garza and his |
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| 44 | 45 | | wife, Elva; to his brother-in-law, Claudio Perez; to his |
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| 45 | 46 | | grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it |
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| 46 | 47 | | further |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 48 | 49 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 49 | 50 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joe Garza. |
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