TITLE: In memory of Leonard H. Von Dohlen III of Goliad.

SUMMARY: In memory of Leonard H. Von Dohlen III of Goliad.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The city of Goliad lost one of its most beloved civic leaders with the death of Leonard H. Von Dohlen III on December 21, 2009, at the age of 75; and WHEREAS, Lenny Von Dohlen was born in Palestine on March 24, 1934, to Leonard and Elizabeth Von Dohlen; he attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he was president of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and after graduating in 1957, he served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of captain in the military police corps; and WHEREAS, Mr. Von Dohlen subsequently began a career in the automotive business; he worked at the Ford dealership in El Campo until 1964, when he founded the Von Dohlen Motor Company in Goliad, which he owned and operated for the next half-century; active in his profession, he was president of the Ford Dealers Advertising Board and served on the Ford Dealer Council, and he was a member of both the Texas and the National Automobile Dealers Associations; he was also a rancher and the longtime owner of La Bahia Downs racetrack; and WHEREAS, In addition to his professional endeavors, Mr. Von Dohlen contributed to his community as president of the Goliad Rotary Club, the Goliad Chamber of Commerce, and the Goliad County Industrial Foundation; moreover, he chaired the Goliad Sales Tax Development Board and the Municipal Development District Board, served as president of the South Texas Race Association and the Racing Board of Texas, and was a member of the Goliad school board and the Texas State Technical Institute and Bee County College advisory boards; he further distinguished himself as chair of the Goliad Savings and Loan; and WHEREAS, Mr. Von Dohlen belonged to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre; he remained passionately loyal to his alma mater and proudly wore burnt orange and white as a member of the Longhorn Foundation's Big Wheels of Texas; and WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Von Dohlen enjoyed the love and support of his wife, the former Gay Aoueille, as well as their four children, Lenny, John, Mary, and Catherine; and WHEREAS, Lenny Von Dohlen lived a full and generous life, giving freely of his time and expertise to benefit his community, and he leaves behind an exceptional record of service that his loved ones can remember with pride; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Leonard H. Von Dohlen III and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Gay Von Dohlen; to his children, Lenny Von Dohlen IV, John David Von Dohlen, Mary Gay Von Dohlen, and Catherine Martin and her husband, David; to his grandchildren, Kristal Von Dohlen, Katy Von Dohlen, Hazel Montgomery, and Evan Martin; to his great-granddaughter, Emry Stakes; to his sister, Jane Horny, and her husband, Ben; to his brother, Tim Von Dohlen, and his wife, Pat; and to his other relatives and many 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 Leonard H. Von Dohlen III. Morrison Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 920 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 7, 2011. Chief Clerk of the House