TITLE: In memory of George William Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake of Houston.

SUMMARY: In memory of George William Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake of Houston.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Family and friends were deeply saddened by the deaths of former Texas secretary of state George William Strake Jr. and his wife, Annette DeWalch Strake; and WHEREAS, Mr. Strake passed away on February 9, 2024, at the age of 88; the son of George William Strake Sr. and Susan Kehoe Strake, George Strake was born in Houston on June 10, 1935; he was an honor roll student at St. Thomas High School and went on to become president of his class at the University of Notre Dame; after completing his bachelor's degree in economics, he served two years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and earned an MBA from Harvard University; he followed in his father's footsteps, embarking on a noteworthy career in the oil business, and rose to become chair and CEO of Strake Energy, Inc.; and WHEREAS, Mr. Strake was preceded in death by his wife on November 16, 2023, when she was 86; born in Houston on June 20, 1937, the former Annette DeWalch was the daughter of Frank Anthony DeWalch and Gladys King DeWalch, and she grew up with two brothers, Donald and Robert; after graduating from St. Agnes Academy, she attended the University of St. Thomas; and WHEREAS, George and Annette Strake were joined in matrimony on January 10, 1959, in a ceremony conducted at St. Anne Catholic Church; through the years, they were blessed with six children, George, Stephen, Michele, Melanie, Gregory, and Melissa, as well as 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; they also welcomed a host of friends into their home, especially at holidays and for Mrs. Strake's famous Dancing with the Stars parties; and WHEREAS, In 1961, Mr. Strake became involved in state and national politics; he was appointed Texas secretary of state in 1979 and served as chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1983 to 1988; subsequently, he was named to the Texas Task Force on Public Education; he further served his fellow citizens as a member of the boards of numerous civic and charitable organizations, among them the Rotary Club of Houston, Boy Scouts of America, the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, the San Jacinto Museum and Battlefield, and the "C" Club of Houston, of which he was a founding member; and WHEREAS, Mr. Strake was the recipient of myriad accolades, and he took special pride in his selection as one of Community Partners' "Fathers of the Year"; in 1993, he and his wife were recognized as "Houstonians of the Year" by The Center for Hearing and Speech; and WHEREAS, Faithful parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Mr. and Mrs. Strake supported Catholic education through the Strake Foundation, which has provided capital and programmatic support for initiatives at Mrs. Strake's alma mater, the University of St. Thomas; Mr. Strake served on its board, and he received an honorary doctorate; in addition, he was a longtime benefactor of the University of Notre Dame, and he worked to advance its mission as a Catholic institution and served on the College of Arts and Letters Advisory Council; Mrs. Strake served on the boards of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women and St. Agnes Academy; in addition, she volunteered extensively and benefited her community in numerous leadership roles, including as a member of the boards of the Houston Aphasia Recovery Center and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation; the Strakes were loyal supporters of the foundation's annual A Celebration of Reading event; proud of her Italian heritage, she was also a member of the Donne di Domani club; and WHEREAS, George and Annette Strake inspired innumerable people through their great devotion to each other, as well as through their wide-ranging civic contributions, and they are remembered with tremendous admiration and affection by all who were privileged to know them; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of George William Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake and extend sincere condolences to all who mourn their passing; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for their family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of George William Strake Jr. and Annette DeWalch Strake. DeAyala Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 672 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on June 1, 2025. Chief Clerk of the House