TITLE: In memory of Francis Xavier Flatley of Irving.

SUMMARY: In memory of Francis Xavier Flatley of Irving.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the death of Francis Xavier Flatley of Irving on January 3, 2013, at the age of 84; and WHEREAS, Frank Flatley was born in Boston in 1928 to Irish immigrants Margaret Kelly and Patrick James Flatley; the oldest of 13 children, he had many happy memories of gathering with his younger siblings to hear his father play Irish tunes; he graduated from St. Mary's Catholic School in Brookline, Massachusetts, and was subsequently accepted to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York; and WHEREAS, After graduating, Mr. Flatley proudly served his country as a naval officer aboard the USS Kula Gulf;at the end of the Korean War, he began working aboard Texaco oil tankers and was later employed with Caltex for nearly four decades; he relocated to the Dallas area when Caltex moved its headquarters to Irving and remained there for the rest of his life; in his later years, he worked as a reservations agent for American Airlines, where he was warmly regarded by his coworkers for his sense of humor and cheerful personality; and WHEREAS, Mr. Flatley enjoyed a rewarding marriage of more than three decades with his first wife, Elda Bello, who passed away in 1982; fortunate enough to find love again, he met Paula Fuller Bowman on a blind date to a Dallas Cowboys game; they married in 1988, and after Mr. Flatley's retirement, the two traveled and enjoyed an active social life; they took great pride in their blended family, and Mr. Flatley was affectionately known as "Pop" to their many grandchildren; and WHEREAS, A devout Catholic, Mr. Flatley attended Mass regularly and served as a reader and a Eucharistic minister at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Bedford, at the University of Dallas, and at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Irving; he was also a member of the Serra Foundation, which promotes vocations in the Catholic priesthood; in addition, this dynamic Texan served as president of the Irving Symphony Orchestra Association and was an active member of the Rotary Club of Irving; he and his wife also supported local theater and orchestra productions, as well as TexasFest, a fund-raiser for the Irving Healthcare Foundation; for his dedicated volunteerism, Mr. Flatley received the Irving High Spirited Citizen Award; and WHEREAS, With his kind and caring ways, Frank Flatley immeasurably enriched the lives of countless people, and they will forever hold him close in their hearts; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Francis Xavier Flatley and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Paula Flatley; to his children, Gary Flatley, David Flatley and his wife, Nan, Elizabeth Pia Richard and her husband, Jeffrey, and Brian Flatley; to his stepchildren, Bret Bowman and his wife, Deirdre, and Catherine Bowman Bundick and her husband, Joel; to his grandchildren, Christopher, Kaitlyn, Meaghan, Kevin, Michaela, Monica, and Mathew Flatley, Melissa Malmberg, Andrew Costello, Elizabeth Bowman, Brittany, Blaise, and Gabrielle Richard, Christine Dixon, and Garrett and Grayson Bundick; to his brothers, James Flatley and his wife, Mary, Thomas Flatley and his wife, Dorothy, William Flatley and his wife, Louise, Paul Flatley and his wife, Joan, the Reverend Brian Flatley, and Kevin Flatley and his wife, Cheri; to his sisters, Ellen Corey, Monica McIntyre and her husband, Dr. James McIntyre, Sister Mary Flatley, Catherine Peters, and Virginia Butler; to his brother-in-law, Dr. Frank Pomer; 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 Francis Xavier Flatley. Harper-Brown Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 196 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on February 18, 2013. Chief Clerk of the House