| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 231 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Memories of a life well lived remain to comfort the |
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| 6 | 6 | | family and friends of Neal Gay, who passed away on August 11, 2022, |
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| 7 | 7 | | at the age of 96; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Born on June 25, 1926, in Dallas, Neal Gay was the |
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| 9 | 9 | | son of Elsie Mae and Malond Gay; he joined the U.S. Coast Guard when |
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| 10 | 10 | | he was 17, and shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the |
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| 11 | 11 | | U.S. Navy; he served in World War II for about a year until he was |
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| 12 | 12 | | injured while shipboard; after returning home, he entered his first |
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| 13 | 13 | | rodeo in Atoka, Oklahoma, in 1945, and he became an early member of |
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| 14 | 14 | | the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association; he went on to |
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| 15 | 15 | | distinguish himself as a talented steer wrestler and saddle bronc, |
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| 16 | 16 | | bareback, and bull rider; in his early years, he supported his rodeo |
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| 17 | 17 | | endeavors by selling used cars and real estate; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Gay embarked on a long and successful career as |
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| 19 | 19 | | a rodeo producer in May 1958, when he opened the Mesquite |
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| 20 | 20 | | Championship Rodeo; he served as its founder and producer for 51 |
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| 21 | 21 | | years, and he and his family also went on to manage many other North |
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| 22 | 22 | | Texas rodeos throughout the 1970s and 1980s; furthermore, he was |
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| 23 | 23 | | the contract producer of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo for |
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| 24 | 24 | | over four decades; in recognition of his many accomplishments, he |
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| 25 | 25 | | was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame, the Texas Trail of |
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| 26 | 26 | | Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Fame, and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Gay enjoyed the love and |
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| 29 | 29 | | support of his treasured family, including his wife, Kay, his sons, |
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| 30 | 30 | | Pete, Donnie, and Jim, and his granddaughters, Talli, Megan, and |
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| 31 | 31 | | Summer; he was known for his integrity, his keen business sense, and |
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| 32 | 32 | | his strong faith, as well as his love for his ranch and his |
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| 33 | 33 | | livestock; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, A devoted family man and a true Texas cowboy, Neal |
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| 35 | 35 | | Gay leaves behind a legacy that will long resonate in the Lone Star |
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| 36 | 36 | | State and beyond; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 38 | 38 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Neal Gay and extend |
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| 39 | 39 | | deepest condolences to all those who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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| 40 | 40 | | further |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 42 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 43 | 43 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Neal Gay. |
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| 44 | 44 | | Geren |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 47 | 47 | | I certify that H.R. No. 231 was unanimously adopted by a |
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| 48 | 48 | | rising vote of the House on March 8, 2023. |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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