88S40334 BPG-D
By: Middleton S.R. No. 44
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Galveston lost a titan of business and
philanthropy with the death of Robert Lee Moody Sr. on November 7,
2023, at the age of 88; and
WHEREAS, Born on Galveston Island on July 28, 1935, Bobby
Moody was the son of Shearn Moody Sr. and Frances Moody Newman; his
father died the following year, and he and his brother, Shearn, were
educated at boarding school; Bobby Moody graduated as the top cadet
at Valley Forge Military Academy and served his country in the
U.S. Army; mentored by his grandfather, W. L. Moody, the founder of
American National Insurance Company, he possessed similar business
acumen and established National Western Life Insurance Company in
1956; he eventually rose to become chair and president/CEO of ANICO
and built it into one of the country's premier insurance firms; in
addition, he created an affiliated company that developed the South
Shore Harbour subdivision, hotel, and conference center in League
City; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Moody also held other key roles in the family
business empire, including chair of Moody National Bank; while
earning esteem as one of the city's most prominent citizens, he was
known for treating everyone around him with respect and empathy; he
encouraged the professional development of his employees, and many
stayed on for decades; and
WHEREAS, Devoted to his hometown, Mr. Moody guided the
charitable Moody Foundation and found numerous ways to make a
positive impact; he established the Moody Neurorehabilitation
Institute to help brain trauma patients, and in 1992, he
spearheaded construction of Moody Gardens; one of the Southwest's
premier educational and leisure facilities, Moody Gardens draws
some two million visitors annually, spurring the local economy
while providing horticultural therapy, education, and employment
for individuals with disabilities; he further benefited the
disability community by creating the Moody Endowment; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Moody maintained a healthy balance between his
myriad ventures and his home life; he and his wife of 53 years, Ann
McLeod Moody, raised a blended family of eight children, and they
broadened their horizons with extensive travel; on Saturday
mornings, he was coach, pitcher, and umpire for baseball games with
all the neighborhood children; he was preceded in death by an infant
son and by his wife; and
WHEREAS, An ardent champion of Galveston, Bobby Moody worked
tirelessly to provide opportunities for its citizens, through both
his professional and philanthropic endeavors, and his
contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, 4th
Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Robert Lee
Moody Sr. and extend sincere condolences to the members of his
family: to his children, Robert L. Moody Jr. and his wife, Ingrid,
Russell S. Moody, Ross R. Moody, Frances Anne "Francie"
Moody-Dahlberg and her husband, Kevin, Edwin Vince "Vic" Matthews
and his wife, Cindi, Lea McLeod Matthews and her wife, Jennifer,
Allan Watkins Matthews and his wife, Lori, and Dorothea "Dotsy"
Matthews Balentine and her husband, David; to his grandchildren,
Elizabeth Lee "Elle" Moody and her husband, James Gray, Frances
Moody Buzbee and her husband, Tony, Robert L. Moody III, Jackson
Davis "Jack" Moody, Maggie Grace Moody, Russell Shearn "Rusty"
Moody II, William Charles McLeod "Will" Matthews and his wife,
Emma, Katherine Leanne "Kit" Matthews, Tiffany Nicole Bastow,
Kimberly McLeod Almon and her husband, Jackson, Marissa Ann
Matthews, Lauren Anne Balentine, Alexis Gabrielle Moody-Dahlberg,
and Ashton Lee Moody-Dahlberg; to his great-grandchildren, Ella Ann
Grant, Jackson "Pierce" Almon II, Brooks Woodson Almon, and Ann
McLeod "Annie" Almon; 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 Senate adjourns this
day, it do so in memory of Robert Lee Moody Sr.