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H.R. No. 1677
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, James Parker of Abilene was born in Roby, Texas, in
1930 as the second child of C. A. and Euna Magee Parker, who were
great influences in his life and instilled in him the heartfelt need
to give to others; and
WHEREAS, His mother encouraged him at the age of 11 to go to
work at a Sweetwater, Texas, grocery store owned by Sam Glass, where
he learned how to be a stocker, sacker, and all-around handyman, not
knowing that it would be his life work; and
WHEREAS, He graduated from Sweetwater Newman High School in
1947 and went on to Hardin-Simmons University, where he met the love
of his life, Cynthia Ann Pearson of Lamesa, Texas, in his senior
year, and they were married less than one year later; and
WHEREAS, Their loving children, Jimmy, Terri, Carla, and
Paige, have been a constant source of joy and pride to the Parkers
over the years and have blessed them with grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Parker became a business partner with his
mentor, Sam Glass, and invested in Sunbeam Enterprises and Sam
Glass Enterprises, doing business as Super Duper Food Store, Inc.,
with the first store in Sweetwater; and
WHEREAS, The grocery store chain flourished and included 21
stores across the state at its height, using innovative and
visionary marketing with service as a core value; and
WHEREAS, The thriving partnership ended in 1974 at the death
of Mr. Glass when Mr. Parker became president of the company,
selling it five years later to a German-based company operating as
Furr Foods; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Parker has enjoyed the respect and admiration of
people everywhere, especially in his hometown of Abilene, where he
and his late wife Cynthia quietly benefited untold numbers of those
in need through their generous support as benefactors; and
WHEREAS, This godly man became the largest shareholder in the
parent company of the First National Bank of Abilene and was active
as a civic leader in all aspects of the Abilene community, including
his service to his alma mater Hardin-Simmons University, the
Hendrick Medical Foundation, the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, as
chairman of the Hendrick Medical Center Development Corporation,
and many, many other nonprofit organizations; and
WHEREAS, He and his late wife have been devoted members since
1959 of the First Baptist Church of Abilene, where he has served as
a deacon and in many other capacities, and where she helped
establish the GLO Day Care Center as one of the first in Abilene;
she also served as a board member for Hendrick Hospice Care and the
Paramount Theater and was a volunteer for the Meals on Wheels, Plus
of Abilene; and
WHEREAS, James Parker and his family have reportedly given
the largest gift in the history of Hardin-Simmons University to
establish the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts in honor of
his late wife, who lost her life to cancer; and
WHEREAS, Because of his recent generous gift to the Hendrick
Medical Center of Abilene, the James and Cynthia Parker wing of the
hospital's main entrance was dedicated in special ceremonies on May
28, 2003; and
WHEREAS, This good man combined his Christian faith with the
highest standards of business ethics to become a true servant
leader; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby commend James Parker for his many significant
contributions to his fellow Texans and extend to him sincere best
wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Parker and his children as an expression of high
regard from the Texas House of Representatives.
Hunter
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1677 was adopted by the House on May
30, 2003, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House