88S40120 BPG-D
By: Lopez of Cameron H.R. No. 12
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of San Benito lost an admired educator
with the passing of Robert Lake Tumberlinson on October 16, 2023, at
the age of 85; and
WHEREAS, The son of Leon and Grace Tumberlinson, Bob
Tumberlinson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 27, 1938,
and grew up on a farm in San Benito; active in FFA, he won the
highest state award, the Lone Star Farmer Degree; upon graduation
from Texas A&I University, he was commissioned as a second
lieutenant in the U.S. Army; he completed active duty in New Orleans
and then served in the reserve for nine years, attaining the rank of
captain and commanding the Harlingen reserve unit; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Tumberlinson began his civilian career with the
United States Department of Agriculture in Alvin; in 1962, he was
hired to teach science at San Benito Junior High School; he went on
to become assistant principal and then served for more than 16 years
as principal of San Benito High; together with students and a fellow
educator, he designed and planted the line of palm trees in front of
the high school; he was business manager for the school district
from 1995 until his retirement in 2002; deeply committed to SBCISD,
he was a member of the school board for nine years and served as
president; his work with students was recognized with Honorary
Chapter Farmer and Honorary State FFA Degrees; and
WHEREAS, For many years, Mr. Tumberlinson was a member of the
Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital Board and Scholarship Board, and he
served the Kiwanis Club as president and as lieutenant governor
Division 11 of the Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis
International; he was active with First Presbyterian Church and
benefited the congregation as a ruling elder and a building and
grounds committee member; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Tumberlinson was the devoted husband of Sandra
Tumberlinson; he took great pride in his two children, Janice and
Robert, from his first marriage to Jahn Locke; an avid outdoorsman,
he excelled at fishing and hunting, and he kept an extensive
vegetable garden, as well as citrus trees that yielded plenty of
fruit to share with friends; on travels out west, he enjoyed looking
for arrow points, studying mountain geology, and digging for
fossils, which he mounted in the walls of his house; and
WHEREAS, Kind, fair, and empathetic, Bob Tumberlinson
dedicated himself to setting young Texans on the path toward a
happy, productive future, and he will forever be remembered with
great affection by all who knew him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of
Bob Tumberlinson and extend sincere condolences to the members of
his family: to his wife, Sandra Tumberlinson; to his children,
Janice Tumberlinson and Robert Tumberlinson Jr. and his wife, Mary;
to his sisters-in-law, Arlene Tumberlinson and Dolores Ramirez; and
to his many 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 Robert Lake
Tumberlinson.