H.R. No. 148
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, All who shared in the life of Manuel Valdes
LaFont Jr. were deeply saddened by his untimely death in June 2021,
at the age of 54; and
WHEREAS, Born in Houston on January 27, 1967, Manny LaFont
was the son of Myriam Matilde Manresa de Valdes-LaFont and Manuel
Valdes LaFont, who both emigrated from Cuba; he grew up in the
Robindell neighborhood with two sisters and attended Richmond
Elementary School and Sharpstown Junior and Senior High Schools; a
talented athlete and baseball fanatic, he was a member of Little
League and high school teams and played at Hill College and in a
local Cuban league; after completing his bachelor's degree in
business administration at the University of Houston, he embarked
on a career in the road safety industry; he eventually moved to the
Miami, Florida, area and led a division of Lindsay Transportation
Solutions; and
WHEREAS, Mr. LaFont and his former wife, Adriana LaFont, were
the proud parents of a daughter, Mia, and a son, Santi; his world
revolved around his children, and almost every day, he rode bikes
with them on the beach, took them to the park, and played baseball
with his son; as coach of his son's baseball team, the Astros, he
was kind and encouraging to all of the players, offering positive
reinforcement for good efforts and personal improvement; when team
members moved on, he stayed in touch with their parents and
continued to follow their progress; he volunteered as a youth
basketball coach as well; and
WHEREAS, A man of strong faith, Mr. LaFont was a parishioner
of St. Patrick Catholic Church, where his children attended school;
his big heart, big personality, and marvelous sense of humor
brought him a host of friendships, and he always stayed especially
close to his Houston schoolmates, including many he had known since
kindergarten; during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a steadfast
source of support and consolation to those in his circle, talking
for hours on the phone about their challenges; he never hesitated to
express his love to those he held dear; and
WHEREAS, Manny LaFont possessed a generosity of spirit that
revealed itself in myriad ways, and although his loss is difficult
to bear, memories of joyous times spent in his company will forever
illuminate the lives of those he left behind; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of
Manuel Valdes "Manny" LaFont Jr. and extend sincere condolences to
all who mourn his passing; 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 Manuel
Valdes "Manny" LaFont.
Wu
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 148 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on October 18, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House