Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HR672 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R21037 BPG-D
2	2	By: DeAyala H.R. No. 672
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7	7	R E S O L U T I O N
8	8	WHEREAS, Family and friends were deeply saddened by the
9	9	deaths of former Texas secretary of state George William Strake Jr.
10	10	and his wife, Annette DeWalch Strake; and
11	11	WHEREAS, Mr. Strake passed away on February 9, 2024, at the
12	12	age of 88; the son of George William Strake Sr. and Susan Kehoe
13	13	Strake, George Strake was born in Houston on June 10, 1935; he was
14	14	an honor roll student at St. Thomas High School and went on to
15	15	become president of his class at the University of Notre Dame; after
16	16	completing his bachelor's degree in economics, he served two years
17	17	as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and earned an MBA from
18	18	Harvard University; he followed in his father's footsteps,
19	19	embarking on a noteworthy career in the oil business, and rose to
20	20	become chair and CEO of Strake Energy, Inc.; and
21	21	WHEREAS, Mr. Strake was preceded in death by his wife on
22	22	November 16, 2023, when she was 86; born in Houston on June 20,
23	23	1937, the former Annette DeWalch was the daughter of Frank Anthony
24	24	DeWalch and Gladys King DeWalch, and she grew up with two brothers,
25	25	Donald and Robert; after graduating from St. Agnes Academy, she
26	26	attended the University of St. Thomas; and
27	27	WHEREAS, George and Annette Strake were joined in matrimony
28	28	on January 10, 1959, in a ceremony conducted at St. Anne Catholic
29	29	Church; through the years, they were blessed with six children,
30	30	George, Stephen, Michele, Melanie, Gregory, and Melissa, as well as
31	31	17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; they also welcomed a
32	32	host of friends into their home, especially at holidays and for
33	33	Mrs. Strake's famous Dancing with the Stars parties; and
34	34	WHEREAS, In 1961, Mr. Strake became involved in state and
35	35	national politics; he was appointed Texas secretary of state in
36	36	1979 and served as chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1983
37	37	to 1988; subsequently, he was named to the Texas Task Force on
38	38	Public Education; he further served his fellow citizens as a member
39	39	of the boards of numerous civic and charitable organizations, among
40	40	them the Rotary Club of Houston, Boy Scouts of America, the Albert &
41	41	Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, the San Jacinto Museum and
42	42	Battlefield, and the "C" Club of Houston, of which he was a founding
43	43	member; and
44	44	WHEREAS, Mr. Strake was the recipient of myriad accolades,
45	45	and he took special pride in his selection as one of Community
46	46	Partners' "Fathers of the Year"; in 1993, he and his wife were
47	47	recognized as "Houstonians of the Year" by The Center for Hearing
48	48	and Speech; and
49	49	WHEREAS, Faithful parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel
50	50	Catholic Church, Mr. and Mrs. Strake supported Catholic education
51	51	through the Strake Foundation, which has provided capital and
52	52	programmatic support for initiatives at Mrs. Strake's alma mater,
53	53	the University of St. Thomas; Mr. Strake served on its board, and he
54	54	received an honorary doctorate; in addition, he was a longtime
55	55	benefactor of the University of Notre Dame, and he worked to advance
56	56	its mission as a Catholic institution and served on the College of
57	57	Arts and Letters Advisory Council; Mrs. Strake served on the boards
58	58	of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women and St. Agnes Academy; in
59	59	addition, she volunteered extensively and benefited her community
60	60	in numerous leadership roles, including as a member of the boards of
61	61	the Houston Aphasia Recovery Center and the Barbara Bush Houston
62	62	Literacy Foundation; the Strakes were loyal supporters of the
63	63	foundation's annual A Celebration of Reading event; proud of her
64	64	Italian heritage, she was also a member of the Donne di Domani club;
65	65	and
66	66	WHEREAS, George and Annette Strake inspired innumerable
67	67	people through their great devotion to each other, as well as
68	68	through their wide-ranging civic contributions, and they are
69	69	remembered with tremendous admiration and affection by all who were
70	70	privileged to know them; now, therefore, be it
71	71	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
72	72	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of George William
73	73	Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake and extend sincere
74	74	condolences to all who mourn their passing; and, be it further
75	75	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
76	76	prepared for their family and that when the Texas House of
77	77	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of George
78	78	William Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake.