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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever carry with them the |
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| 8 | 9 | | memory of Jose Maria Longoria Sr., a prominent Starr County |
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| 9 | 10 | | educator and public servant, who passed away on May 2, 1980, at the |
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| 10 | 11 | | age of 73; and |
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| 11 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Born on June 20, 1906, and raised in La Grulla, Jose |
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| 12 | 13 | | Longoria was the son of Tristan and Guadalupe C. Longoria, who |
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| 13 | 14 | | instilled in him the importance of education from an early age; he |
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| 14 | 15 | | went on to be named the salutatorian at San Diego High School in |
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| 15 | 16 | | 1925, and he subsequently graduated with honors from Texas A&I |
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| 16 | 17 | | University in 1933; he and both of his siblings, Guadalupe and |
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| 17 | 18 | | Roberto, attended college at a time when few minorities were |
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| 18 | 19 | | enrolled; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, During World War II, Mr. Longoria enlisted in the |
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| 20 | 21 | | U.S. armed forces and became an army instructor in 1944; he had |
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| 21 | 22 | | previously taught Spanish at Texas A&I University, and upon |
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| 22 | 23 | | returning from military service, he resumed his career as an |
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| 23 | 24 | | educator in the San Isidro and Brownsville school districts; after |
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| 24 | 25 | | working as an editor for the Starr County Democrat for two years, he |
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| 25 | 26 | | took over as owner and manager of Valley Distributing Company, |
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| 26 | 27 | | operating the business from 1938 to 1974; along the way, he obtained |
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| 27 | 28 | | his law degree from La Salle Extension University; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, A fiscal conservative, Mr. Longoria served as a |
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| 29 | 30 | | county commissioner from 1949 to 1972; he also filled in as an |
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| 30 | 31 | | interim county judge and volunteered as a trustee for the La Grulla |
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| 31 | 32 | | and Rio Grande City school districts; although the 1950s were an |
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| 32 | 33 | | economically challenging decade for Starr County, Mr. Longoria's |
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| 33 | 34 | | efforts helped to fund two new elementary schools; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Longoria was a charter member of LULAC as well |
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| 35 | 36 | | as a member of the International Platform Association and the |
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| 36 | 37 | | National Historical Society; he was the recipient of the Alpha Chi |
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| 37 | 38 | | Award Plaque, and he was posthumously honored with a Presidential |
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| 38 | 39 | | Memorial Certificate for his military service; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Longoria was blessed with |
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| 40 | 41 | | the love and support of his wife, Maria Saenz, and their six |
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| 41 | 42 | | children, Jose, Thelma, Isaac, Arturo, Romeo, and Roberto; in his |
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| 42 | 43 | | leisure hours, he found enjoyment in his favorite pastime, playing |
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| 43 | 44 | | the violin; and |
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| 44 | 45 | | WHEREAS, The life of Jose Longoria was an inspiring example |
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| 45 | 46 | | of the good that one person can accomplish, and he will forever hold |
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| 46 | 47 | | a special place in the hearts of those he left behind; now, |
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| 47 | 48 | | therefore, be it |
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| 48 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 49 | 50 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and legacy of Jose Maria |
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| 50 | 51 | | Longoria Sr. and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, |
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| 51 | 52 | | be it further |
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| 52 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 53 | 54 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 54 | 55 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Jose Maria |
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| 55 | 56 | | Longoria Sr. |
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