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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Former state senator and representative Carl Allen |
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| 8 | 9 | | Parker of Port Arthur passed away on March 22, 2024, at the age of |
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| 9 | 10 | | 89, bringing a great loss to his family, his friends, and his |
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| 10 | 11 | | community; and |
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| 11 | 12 | | WHEREAS, A Port Arthur native, Carl Parker was born on |
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| 12 | 13 | | August 6, 1934, to Harvey and Juanita Parker, who encouraged him in |
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| 13 | 14 | | his educational and career ambitions; setting his sights on |
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| 14 | 15 | | becoming an attorney, he attended The University of Texas School of |
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| 15 | 16 | | Law; while in his final year at UT, he met the former Beverly |
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| 16 | 17 | | Stiegler, with whom he exchanged wedding vows in 1960; the couple |
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| 17 | 18 | | shared more than 64 years of marriage, and their cherished family |
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| 18 | 19 | | grew to include three children, Valerie, Chris, and Allen, and four |
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| 19 | 20 | | grandchildren, Andrew, Emma, Peyton, and Tripp; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Parker served as a judge advocate general in the |
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| 21 | 22 | | United States Navy before returning to Port Arthur and joining the |
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| 22 | 23 | | law firm of Long and Parker; at that practice, which later became |
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| 23 | 24 | | The Parker Law Firm, his specialties included criminal defense, |
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| 24 | 25 | | family law, personal injury, and business transactions, and he |
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| 25 | 26 | | enjoyed having the opportunity to use his legal expertise for the |
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| 26 | 27 | | benefit of his friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens in his |
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| 27 | 28 | | hometown; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, In 1962, Mr. Parker was elected to the first of |
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| 29 | 30 | | eight terms in the Texas House of Representatives, and he again |
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| 30 | 31 | | returned to the statehouse when he won his first bid to the Texas |
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| 31 | 32 | | Senate in 1976; he was a champion for working people as well as a |
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| 32 | 33 | | staunch proponent of public safety, education, and environmental |
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| 33 | 34 | | protection; among a multitude of assignments, he served as chair of |
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| 34 | 35 | | the House committees on judicial districts and penitentiaries, and |
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| 35 | 36 | | he led the Senate committee on education as chair for five |
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| 36 | 37 | | consecutive legislative sessions; when debating fellow |
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| 37 | 38 | | legislators, he was always quick with a retort, but he was known to |
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| 38 | 39 | | cast aside his differences and join former rivals in enacting |
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| 39 | 40 | | measures that he considered worthy; his skill in building consensus |
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| 40 | 41 | | made him a highly effective lawmaker, and during the 1991 |
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| 41 | 42 | | legislative session, he secured the passage of a number of bills, |
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| 42 | 43 | | including legislation that provided school funding and that created |
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| 43 | 44 | | a new environmental superagency; and |
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| 44 | 45 | | WHEREAS, Senator Parker concluded his exceptional 32-year |
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| 45 | 46 | | tenure as a state legislator after his sixth term in the Senate in |
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| 46 | 47 | | 1995, but he continued to volunteer his time with government |
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| 47 | 48 | | committees and groups that supported education and economic |
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| 48 | 49 | | development; he enjoyed spending his leisure time reading, |
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| 49 | 50 | | woodworking, and contributing op-eds to local newspapers, and he |
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| 50 | 51 | | authored an autobiography to share his experiences and insights |
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| 51 | 52 | | with family and friends; and |
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| 52 | 53 | | WHEREAS, Carl Parker dedicated his long legislative career to |
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| 53 | 54 | | advocating for his constituents and advancing the common good for |
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| 54 | 55 | | the State of Texas, and he leaves behind a legacy of public service |
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| 55 | 56 | | that will continue to inspire all those who had the good fortune to |
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| 56 | 57 | | know him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 57 | 58 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 58 | 59 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Carl |
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| 59 | 60 | | Allen Parker and extend deepest sympathy to all those who mourn his |
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| 60 | 61 | | passing; and, be it further |
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| 61 | 62 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 62 | 63 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 63 | 64 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Carl |
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| 64 | 65 | | Parker. |
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