88R20369 JRI-D
By: Herrero H.R. No. 2344
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to
a close with the passing of Samuel Loyd Neal Jr. of Corpus Christi
on July 30, 2022, at the age of 85; and
WHEREAS, A native of Paris, Texas, Loyd Neal was born on
June 22, 1937; he married his high school sweetheart, Thetis, in
1959, and the couple shared a rewarding union that spanned 63 years;
he took great pride in his two children, Ann and Samuel, and his
seven grandchildren, Kendall, Leyton, Logan, Krista, Samuel,
Sterling, and Savannah, and two great-grandchildren, Penelope and
Dorothy Neal; a man of faith, he was a congregant of St. John's
United Methodist Church and later First United Methodist Church;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Neal was a member of the Corps of Cadets at Texas
A&M University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1959, and
he later earned a master's degree from Texas A&I University; a
graduate of the U.S. Army War College and the Command and General
Staff College, he served in the army for more than three decades
before retiring at the rank of colonel in 1989; he was eventually
inducted into the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor and named
a distinguished alumnus by Texas A&M; and
WHEREAS, In civilian life, Mr. Neal enjoyed a long and
successful career in insurance in Corpus Christi; he worked for
Aetna before joining W. L. Dinn and Company, where he rose to become
president, and he subsequently became president of Hilb, Rogal &
Hobbs Corpus Christi and executive vice president of HRH Texas; he
retired in 1997; and
WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to his fellow citizens, Mr. Neal
served for four terms as mayor of Corpus Christi and was elected to
three terms as a county judge; along the way, he was appointed by
Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Strategic Military Planning
Commission and by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Military
Preparedness Commission; in addition, he gave generously of his
time and talents to a host of organizations, including the Texas
Municipal League, the Corpus Christi Rotary Club, the South Texas
Military Facilities Task Force, the Corpus Christi Regional
Economic Development Corporation, the United Corpus Christi
Chamber of Commerce, the Art Museum of South Texas, and the
Driscoll's Children's Hospital; and
WHEREAS, A devoted family man, a respected community leader,
and a proud veteran and Aggie, Loyd Neal lived a full and generous
life, and his contributions will long be remembered; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Samuel Loyd
Neal Jr. and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family and many
friends; 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 Loyd Neal.