| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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| 6 | 7 | | a close with the passing of Arch Hartwell Aplin Jr. on |
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| 7 | 8 | | April 26, 2023, at the age of 97; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Arch Aplin was born in Harrisonburg, Louisiana, on |
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| 9 | 10 | | July 31, 1925, to Arch and Mae Aplin, and he grew up with five |
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| 10 | 11 | | siblings, Marvin, Morris, Jimmy, William, and Onita; answering his |
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| 11 | 12 | | nation's call to duty, he joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 16, and |
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| 12 | 13 | | he served aboard the USS Wichita during World War II, seeing combat |
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| 13 | 14 | | in both the European and Pacific Theaters; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Following the war, Mr. Aplin earned a master's |
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| 15 | 16 | | degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and moved to |
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| 16 | 17 | | Brazoria County, where he embarked on a long and rewarding career as |
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| 17 | 18 | | a teacher and basketball coach at Clute Intermediate School; he |
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| 18 | 19 | | later transitioned into residential construction and real estate |
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| 19 | 20 | | development, and he built many homes in the Lake Jackson community, |
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| 20 | 21 | | including in the Sleepy Hollow and Oyster Bend subdivisions; he was |
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| 21 | 22 | | still planning construction projects in his final days; he was a |
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| 22 | 23 | | longtime member of the First National Bank of Lake Jackson board of |
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| 23 | 24 | | directors; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Aplin benefited from the |
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| 25 | 26 | | love and support of his partner, Mildred Hunt; he was the proud |
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| 26 | 27 | | father of five children, Beaver, Reginald, Wayne, Michele, and |
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| 27 | 28 | | Ollamae, and he experienced the joy of welcoming eight |
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| 28 | 29 | | grandchildren and two great-grandchildren into his family; in |
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| 29 | 30 | | addition to spending time with his loved ones, he enjoyed fishing, |
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| 30 | 31 | | traveling, and watching the sun set at Surfside Beach; and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Although Arch Aplin is deeply missed, memories of |
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| 32 | 33 | | his kindness, his generosity, and his passion for life remain to |
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| 33 | 34 | | comfort and inspire those he leaves behind; now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 35 | 36 | | hereby pay tribute to the life of Arch Hartwell Aplin Jr. and extend |
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| 36 | 37 | | heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to his partner, |
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| 37 | 38 | | Mildred Hunt; to his sons, Arch "Beaver" Aplin III and his wife, |
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| 38 | 39 | | Joanie, and Reginald Joseph Aplin and his wife, Phyllis; to his |
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| 39 | 40 | | grandchildren, Ron Hidalgo, Nicole LeBoeuf, Joshua Dickerson, |
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| 40 | 41 | | Anne-Elizabeth Brown, Katherine Aplin, Arch Hartwell "Hart" |
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| 41 | 42 | | Aplin IV, Beau Aaron Aplin, and Cole Ryan Aplin; to his |
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| 42 | 43 | | great-grandchildren, Kaiden Funderburg and Trystyn Ingram; and to |
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| 43 | 44 | | his other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 46 | 47 | | Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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| 47 | 48 | | Arch Aplin. |
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