TITLE: In memory of the Honorable Edmund Kuempel of Seguin.

SUMMARY: In memory of the Honorable Edmund Kuempel of Seguin.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The people of Texas lost an exemplary public servant and a universally beloved member of the house of representatives with the passing of the Honorable Edmund Kuempel of Seguin on November 4, 2010, at the age of 67; and WHEREAS, Representative Kuempel was born in Austin on November 29, 1942, and graduated from Austin High School; after earning a degree in business from Texas Lutheran College in 1964, he went to work for Structural Metals, now CMC Steel Texas, in Seguin, where he spent his entire career; and WHEREAS, In 1982, Edmund Kuempel won the first of 15 consecutive terms in the house of representatives; enormously popular in his district, he frequently ran unopposed in the general election; at the statehouse, he quickly gained the respect of his colleagues, securing an appointment to the Ways and Means Committee during his freshman term and the Appropriations Committee during his second; at the time of his passing, he was the third most senior member of the house, chair of the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee, and a senior member of the Calendars and Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Committees; he had previously chaired the Committees on Retirement and Aging, State Recreational Resources, and House Administration; in the latter capacity, he helped to oversee extensive restoration of the Capitol and the construction of the underground Capitol Extension; and WHEREAS, A tireless champion of his constituents' interests, Representative Kuempel also supported the development of the state's parks and recreation areas, played a vital role in shaping and passing environmental regulations, and was similarly instrumental in crafting and shepherding legislation relating to state, teacher, municipal, and county retirement funds; and WHEREAS, Throughout his 28 years in the house of representatives, Edmund Kuempel consistently reflected the greatest honor on that chamber; selfless, hardworking, and scrupulously honest, he also had a boundless capacity for friendship, one that was never constrained by differences of opinion or of party affiliation; Edmund Kuempel simply loved people, and he treated every single individual he encountered with unfailing graciousness and good cheer; his warm smile and jovial nature were legendary, as were his infinite kindness and generosity; those qualities engendered tremendous respect and affection and enabled him to build the kind of bridges between political camps that foster good governance; and WHEREAS, Among the host of accolades bestowed on Representative Kuempel were the John Traeger Award from the Texas Municipal Retirement System, Man of the Year Award from the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association, Career Achievement Award and Legislative Leadership Award from the Texas Chamber of Commerce, and Leader of Excellence Award from the Free Market Committee; Texas Lutheran University conferred on him its Distinguished Service Award and inducted him into its Athletics Leadership Wall of Honor Class of 2009; and WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan remained deeply engaged in the life of his district, where his myriad activities included speaking at community functions and wielding the auctioneer's gavel at fund-raising events for worthy causes; together with his wife, Roberta "Birdie" Blumberg Kuempel, he was an active and valued member of Faith Lutheran Church; and WHEREAS, Representative Edmund Kuempel was the genuine article, a gentleman and statesman in every sense of those words, and his colleagues in the house of representatives will forever remember his joyous spirit and his unwavering devotion to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Edmund Kuempel and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Roberta "Birdie" Kuempel; to his daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Walter Brady; to his son and daughter-in-law, John and Michelle Kuempel; to his grandchildren, Rose Brady and Will and Sam Kuempel; to his father, Henry Kuempel; to his brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Jamie Kuempel; to his aunt, Marilyn Kuempel Smith; and to his many 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of the Honorable Edmund Kuempel. Thompson Geren Aliseda Allen Alonzo Alvarado Anchia Anderson of McLennan Anderson of Dallas Aycock Beck Berman Bohac Bonnen Branch Brown Burkett Burnam Button Cain Callegari Carter Castro Chisum Christian Coleman Cook Craddick Creighton Crownover Darby J. Davis of Harris S. Davis of Harris Davis of Dallas Deshotel Driver Dukes Dutton Eiland Eissler Elkins Farias Farrar Fletcher Flynn Frullo Gallego Garza Giddings Gonzales of Williamson Gonzales of Hidalgo Gonzalez Gooden Guillen Gutierrez Hamilton Hancock Hardcastle Harless Harper-Brown Hartnett Hernandez Luna Hilderbran Hochberg Hopson Howard of Fort Bend Howard of Travis Huberty Hughes Hunter Isaac Jackson Johnson Keffer King of Parker King of Taylor King of Zavala Kleinschmidt Kolkhorst Kuempel Landtroop Larson Laubenberg Lavender Legler Lewis Lozano Lucio III Lyne Madden Mallory Caraway Margo Marquez Martinez Fischer Martinez McClendon Menendez Miles Miller of Comal Miller of Erath Morrison Munoz, Jr. Murphy Naishtat Nash Oliveira Orr Otto Parker Patrick Paxton Pena Perry Phillips Pickett Pitts Price Quintanilla Raymond Reynolds Riddle Ritter Rodriguez Schwertner Scott Sheets Sheffield Shelton Simpson Smith of Tarrant Smith of Harris Smithee Solomons Strama Straus Taylor of Galveston Taylor of Collin Torres Truitt Turner Veasey Villarreal Vo Walle Weber White Woolley Workman Zedler Zerwas Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Allen Gooden Murphy Alonzo Guillen Naishtat Alvarado Gutierrez Nash Anchia Hamilton Oliveira Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto Aycock Harless Parker Beck Harper-Brown Patrick Berman Hartnett Paxton Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena Bonnen Hilderbran Perry Branch Hochberg Phillips Brown Hopson Pickett Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burnam Howard of Travis Price Button Huberty Quintanilla Cain Hughes Raymond Callegari Hunter Reynolds Carter Isaac Riddle Castro Jackson Ritter Chisum Johnson Rodriguez Christian Keffer Schwertner Coleman King of Parker Scott Cook King of Taylor Sheets Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons Deshotel Lavender Strama Driver Legler Taylor of Collin Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dutton Lozano Thompson Eiland Lucio III Torres Eissler Lyne Truitt Elkins Madden Turner Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farrar Margo Villarreal Fletcher Marquez Vo Flynn Martinez Walle Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber Gallego McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 126 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on May 27, 2011. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 126 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the Senate on May 29, 2011. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor