TITLE: In memory of U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) and former Killeen mayor Raul Gabriel Villaronga.

SUMMARY: In memory of U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) and former Killeen mayor Raul Gabriel Villaronga.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A life dedicated to the service of his nation and his community has drawn to a close with the death of Raul Gabriel Villaronga, retired U.S. Army Colonel and former mayor of Killeen, on March 20, 2021, at the age of 82; and WHEREAS, Raul Villaronga was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on April 1, 1938, to Raul Gil Villaronga Pasarell and Maria Monserrate Martinez Perez, and he grew up with two sisters, Magdalena and Margarita; upon graduating from Texas A&M University in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, he accepted a commission in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant; and WHEREAS, At the start of his impressive military career, Lieutenant Villaronga served with the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg and with the original 8th Special Forces Group in the Panama Canal Zone, where he was promoted to captain; he went on to serve as a company commander with the 8th Cavalry (Airborne) and as an instructor at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, and he served two tours of duty in Vietnam, including one as executive officer of the 266th Supply and Service Battalion; and WHEREAS, Returning to the United States, Major Villaronga earned a master's degree in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University; he subsequently was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to command the 66th Maintenance Battalion in Germany, and he served as director of the Integrated Logistics System Branch at the New Cumberland Army Depot in Pennsylvania; following his promotion to colonel, he served in several leadership positions at Fort Hood, ending his military career as director of the army's study of Palletized Load Systems; his numerous military honors included the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star with valor device and three oak leaf clusters; and WHEREAS, After retiring from the army, Mr. Villaronga was elected to the Killeen City Council, and in 1992, he was elected mayor, becoming the first native-born Puerto Rican to head a city government in Texas; after three terms as mayor, he continued to serve the city as associate municipal judge until his retirement in 2002; he chaired the Killeen-Fort Hood League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 4535, and he was a founder of the Central Texas Area Veterans Advisory Committee and a member of the board of Killeen Crime Stoppers, among many other affiliations; in addition, he was chair emeritus of the Greater Killeen Area's Promise; and WHEREAS, A true leader both in and out of uniform, Raul Villaronga lived a rich and purposeful life dedicated to serving his fellow citizens, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all those who were privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of retired U.S. Army Colonel Raul Gabriel Villaronga and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Julia; to his sister, Margarita; to his sons, Raul and his wife, Robin, Rafael and his wife, Marie, and Robert; to his grandchildren, Rafael, Christopher, Victoria, and Oleata; and to his other 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 Raul Villaronga. Buckley Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 770 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 30, 2021. Chief Clerk of the House