TITLE: In memory of Donald Benjamin Fielding of Dallas.

SUMMARY: In memory of Donald Benjamin Fielding of Dallas.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the death of Donald Benjamin Fielding of Dallas, who passed away on January 20, 2017, at the age of 94; and WHEREAS, Donald Fielding was born in Dallas on July 7, 1922, to Nathan and Bessie Finkelstein; he graduated as valedictorian from Forest Avenue High School at the age of 15, and that same year enrolled in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, in pursuit of a career in the foreign service; and WHEREAS, After graduating from the Wharton School in 1942, Mr. Fielding attended the University of Havana briefly before his induction into the U.S. Army; he attended the Infantry Officer Candidate School and went on to serve as an operations and training staff officer until his discharge at the rank of second lieutenant in 1946; and WHEREAS, Returning to Dallas, Mr. Fielding joined the family business, National Shoes, where he worked for 42 years, opening several additional locations in 1958, 1968, and 1977; he was also active in Dallas politics from the 1960s until the 1990s, with a particular interest in education, and he played a leading role in the establishment of such advocacy organizations as the Citizens' Committee for Better Schools, Citizens for Representative Government, and the League for Educational Advancement in Dallas; he was also active with the Boy Scouts of America, which he served in several leadership positions, including chair of the High Trail Scout District; and WHEREAS, Mr. Fielding married Virginia Lee Tipton in 1950, and they shared their lives for 63 years, until her death in 2013; the couple were the proud parents of four children, Ronnie, Linda, B. Donald, and Paul, and they were blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an engaged citizen, Donald Fielding lived a life rich with purpose, and he leaves behind a record of service that his loved ones can remember with pride; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Donald Benjamin Fielding and extend sincere condolences to his 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 Donald Fielding.