H.R. No. 525
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends were deeply saddened by the
passing of Ollie Garza of Fort Worth on December 1, 2022, at the age
of 58; and
WHEREAS, The son of Ollie and Marie Garza, "Babe" Garza was
born in Fort Worth on May 9, 1964, and he grew up with the
companionship of three brothers, Johnny, Rudy, and Anthony; a
natural born athlete, he played numerous sports throughout his
youth until October 19, 1978, when a tragic accident while playing
football for Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School left him paralyzed at
the age of 14; never deterred by his need for a wheelchair, he
graduated from high school in 1982 and went on to earn a bachelor's
degree from The University of Texas at Arlington in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Alongside a successful career in business,
Mr. Garza was an active member of his community; he gave generously
of his time to numerous organizations, including the Gridiron
Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Foundation, Hispanic Organization
Helping Others, and Toastmasters International, and he was also a
member of the Dallas Wheelchair Sidekicks quad-rugby team that won
the national championship in 1989; in addition, he authored the
book Why Not Me? 8 Keys to Turning Tragedy into Triumph as a
testament to his journey of recovery, independence, and success;
and
WHEREAS, Babe Garza earned the admiration of all who knew him
through his strength of character and perseverance in the face of
life's challenges, and he will forever remain a source of
inspiration to those he leaves behind; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Ollie Garza and
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
parents, Ollie and Marie Garza; to his daughter, Alexandria
Vasquez; to his stepdaughter, Victoria Rios; to his brothers,
Johnny Garza and his wife, Stephanie, and Rudy Garza and his wife,
Leann; to his nieces, Amanda Perez, Samantha Xayavong and her
husband, Kevin, and Jasmine Garza; to his nephews, Andrew Garza,
Joshua Garza, Rudy Garza II, and Jorge "BJ" Perez; to his
grandniece, Evelyn "Evie" Xayavong; and to his other 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 Babe Garza.
Romero, Jr.
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 525 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 16, 2023.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House