TITLE: In memory of Pete A. Gallego, Jr., of Alpine.

SUMMARY: In memory of Pete A. Gallego, Jr., of Alpine.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the passing of esteemed civic leader Pete Almodova Gallego, Jr., of Alpine on March 4, 2010, at the age of 85; and WHEREAS, Born in Alpine on February 17, 1925, Mr. Gallego was the son of Pete Russell Gallego and Victoria Almodova; he came of age during World War II and served in the United States Army in the Pacific theater, and he earned the Victory and American Theater ribbons, a Good Conduct Medal, and a Bronze Star, among other honors; during his freshman year at Sul Ross State University, he met Elena Pe a, and the couple married the following year; they later became the parents of four treasured children, Imelda, Rebecca, Pete, and Robert; and WHEREAS, The first member of his family to graduate from college, Mr. Gallego earned his bachelor's degree in business administration; he joined the family restaurant business, then known as the Green Cafe, and began serving his community in a variety of leadership roles; helping Latinos gain access to banking services, he shared his accounting skills with a credit union established by a local Catholic priest; he became the first treasurer of Our Lady of Peace Credit Union, which operated for many years from the dining room table in his home and then from his cafe so members could stop by in the evening after their work; he later served as president, chair, and member of the board as the credit union grew to become the Alpine Community Credit Union, an institution with more than $10 million in assets; and WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan became the first Latino trustee of the Alpine Independent School District in 1959 and was elected to four more consecutive three-year terms; he played a key role in the desegregation of area schools and in the construction of a new high school, the addition of a wing to Central Elementary School, the remodeling of the old high school into a united junior high, and the closure of Centennial School; although some customers boycotted his restaurant to protest integration, Mr. Gallego remained steadfast; the school closure and the construction of a new interstate also affected the business, and he moved it across town, becoming the first Latino to own commercial property on Holland Avenue; and WHEREAS, Gallego's Mexican Food Restaurant won a loyal following among college students in its new location, and Mr. Gallego expanded its operations, shipping chiles rellenos, tamales, and masa to stores around the state; through the years, he helped many young people achieve their dreams by giving them jobs and donating money for their college funds; in 2001, four years after his retirement, he was named Paul Forcheimer Business Person of the Year in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the community; he continued to volunteer for worthy causes and enjoyed spending time with his family, maintaining his properties, and riding his mowing tractor; and WHEREAS, A man of great generosity, integrity, and determination, Pete A. Gallego is deeply missed by the host of people whose lives he touched, but his legacy of achievement continues to resonate in the community he loved and served so well; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Pete Almodova Gallego and extend sincere sympathy to his loved ones: to his wife of more than six decades, Elena Pe a Gallego; to his daughters, Imelda Gallego Garcia and her husband, Jose Garcia, R.Ph., and Rebecca P. Gallego, M.D.; to his son, the Honorable Pete P. Gallego, and his wife, Maria Elena Ramon; to his grandchildren, Maria Imelda, Maria Elena, and Briana Garcia, Cristina P. Gallego, and Nicolas Miguel Ramon Gallego; 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Pete A. Gallego, Jr. Coleman Hochberg Castro Martinez Walle Straus Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Aliseda Gooden Murphy Allen Guillen Naishtat Alonzo Gutierrez Nash Alvarado Hamilton Oliveira Anchia Hancock Orr Anderson of Dallas Hardcastle Otto Anderson of McLennan Harless Parker Aycock Harper-Brown Patrick Beck Hartnett Paxton Berman Hernandez Luna Pena Bohac Hilderbran Perry Bonnen Hochberg Phillips Branch Hopson Pickett Brown Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burkett Howard of Travis Price Burnam Huberty Quintanilla Button Hughes Raymond Cain Hunter Reynolds Callegari Isaac Riddle Carter Jackson Ritter Castro Johnson Rodriguez Chisum Keffer Schwertner Christian King of Parker Scott Coleman King of Taylor Sheets Cook King of Zavala Sheffield Craddick Kleinschmidt Shelton Creighton Kolkhorst Simpson Crownover Kuempel Smith of Harris Darby Landtroop Smith of Tarrant Davis of Dallas Larson Smithee J. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons S. Davis of Harris Lavender Strama Deshotel Legler Taylor of Collin Driver Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dukes Lozano Thompson Dutton Lucio III Torres Eiland Lyne Truitt Eissler Madden Turner Elkins Mallory Caraway Veasey Farias Margo Villarreal Farrar Marquez Vo Fletcher Martinez Walle Flynn Martinez Fischer Weber Frullo McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas Gonzales of Williamson Morrison President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 15 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on June 28, 2011. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 15 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the Senate on June 28, 2011. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor