H.R. No. 49
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life drew to a close with the
passing of Henry Seu Heaum Gee on November 5, 2022, at the age of 98;
and
WHEREAS, The son of Bock Jew Gee and Suey Kim Mah, Henry Gee
was born in Kaiping County, Guangdong Province, China, on
February 20, 1924, and he grew up with three siblings, John,
George, and Shau; at the age of 16, he immigrated with his father to
the United States; he pursued his education in Houston and San
Francisco, and in 1942, he was recruited by the U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy; he subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and in 1945, he
was transferred to China to serve on the USS Estes; and
WHEREAS, Returning to the United States, Mr. Gee studied
civil engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, and he went
on to become the first Chinese engineer of the Texas Highway
Department; he next worked for Brown & Root, where he distinguished
himself by designing the roads for what would become the Johnson
Space Center campus in Clear Lake City; after retiring from a
25-year career with the firm, he spent several years in sales with
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gee shared a rewarding marriage of nearly seven
decades with his wife, the former Wing Suet Leung, with whom he
helped establish the Institute of Chinese Culture in Houston in
1970; a pillar of his community, he was president of the Chinese
Professional Club and the Association of Chinese Organizations, and
he was actively involved with the Gee Family Association; he also
played an instrumental role in raising funds for the construction
of a new school in the Gee family village in China; over the years,
he was honored by a number of civic organizations and government
agencies, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the
Overseas Committee of the Republic of China; and
WHEREAS, A devoted family man, Mr. Gee took tremendous pride
in his three children, Juanna, Jennifer, and Julia, his four
grandchildren, Leslie, Laura, Lisa, and Christopher, and his
great-grandson, Theodore; his interests included photography and
travel, and he and his wife took numerous trips to the Far East,
Europe, and the Middle East; and
WHEREAS, While the death of Henry Gee brings great sadness to
his loved ones, he leaves behind a legacy that will long be
treasured by all those who held him dear; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Henry Seu Heaum Gee
and extend sincere condolences to his relatives and 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 Henry Gee.
Wu
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 49 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on February 21, 2023.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House