TITLE: In memory of William Douglas Jefferson of San Antonio.

SUMMARY: In memory of William Douglas Jefferson of San Antonio.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to a close with the passing of William Douglas Jefferson of San Antonio on June 26, 2013, at the age of 81; and WHEREAS, Born in Chicago on January 30, 1932, Bill Jefferson was the son of William and Johnnie Mae Jefferson; the hardships of the Great Depression prompted the family to move to Milwaukee during his childhood, and he later attended the University of Wisconsin, where he was a member of the football team; he left college to enlist in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, beginning a military career that ultimately spanned more than two decades; he was promoted to technical sergeant within four years and went on to join the officer ranks; and WHEREAS, Mr. Jefferson met his future wife, Joyce Virginia Olivier, when he was a teenager, and he corresponded with her regularly from postings around the world; in July 1954, he used his leave to fly to Buffalo, New York, to see her, and they married two weeks later; the couple became the proud parents of six children, Roxanne, Darrell, Lamont, Celeste, Wallace, and Leah; and WHEREAS, During his years in uniform, Mr. Jefferson was stationed in England, Japan, and Guam as well as in Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Massachusetts, California, and Washington; while excelling in his military duties, he found time to complete his bachelor's degree at the University of Puget Sound in 1962 and to earn his master's degree in political science from St. Mary's University eight years later; he retired at the rank of major in 1972 and then became a certified life underwriter and chartered financial planner for Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company; he also taught political science as an adjunct professor at St. Philip's College and San Antonio College; and WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan advocated powerfully for the responsibilities of citizenship in a letter published in Time magazine in 1968, and he embraced those obligations wholeheartedly throughout his life; he volunteered with the Salvation Army for decades and served on the board of St. Peter-St. Joseph Children's Home, and he was a longtime member of the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library; a devout Catholic, he was a Eucharistic minister at Freedom Chapel at Lackland Air Force Base for more than 40 years; and WHEREAS, In his free time, Mr. Jefferson enjoyed pursuing genealogical studies; he discovered that one of his ancestors, Shedrick Willis, was enslaved to a state court judge in Waco in the 1800s, and he marveled at the irony that one of his own sons, Wallace B. Jefferson, became chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas; and WHEREAS, Bill Jefferson brought joy to innumerable people through his warm smile and gentle, caring ways; although he will be deeply missed, those who were privileged to know him will continue to find inspiration in their memories of his profound devotion to his family, his faith, and his country; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of William Douglas Jefferson and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Joyce Jefferson; to his children, Roxanne Jones, Darrell Jefferson, Lamont Jefferson, Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, and Leah Chapa; to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; to his sister, Ollie Price; 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 William Douglas Jefferson. Larson Price Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 7 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on July 11, 2013. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 7 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the Senate on July 19, 2013. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor