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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The death of Austin restaurateur Joe Limon Avila on |
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January 9, 2011, at the age of 81, has brought a great loss to his |
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loved ones and many admirers throughout the community; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Austin on April 14, 1929, Mr. Avila learned |
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the restaurant business early on when he began delivering bread at |
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the age of six for his parents, Sophia and Florentino De La'O; they |
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had started a bakery out of their house during the Great Depression, |
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and Mr. Avila quit school after seventh grade to work full-time in |
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the family business; coming of age during the Korean War, he proudly |
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served his country in the United States Army and earned the Purple |
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Heart and other decorations; and |
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WHEREAS, From childhood, Mr. Avila cherished the dream of |
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owning a restaurant; through hard work and perseverance, he was |
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able to open the Sun Bakery on East Seventh Street with his mother |
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and stepfather in 1964, and by the following year, he had purchased |
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the business from them and named it Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Avila and his wife, the former Pauline Robles, |
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added Mexican food to the cafe's menu, and they worked tirelessly to |
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make Joe's Bakery a success; for years, Mr. Avila began baking in |
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the mornings and then ran the kitchen, spending most of his waking |
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hours at the restaurant; after his retirement, he continued to |
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frequent the popular eatery, greeting customers who ranged from |
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neighborhood regulars to politicians, musicians, and other |
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well-known people; always warm and smiling, Mr. Avila treated |
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everyone who walked through the door like family, and his |
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establishment became a center of social and civic life in the |
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community; his mischievous sense of humor was always on display, |
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and he enjoyed sharing stories about days gone by with diners and |
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employees alike; and |
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WHEREAS, This beloved icon remained humble through the years |
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and demonstrated an enduring commitment to East Austin and its |
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residents; he was a mentor and role model to the young people he |
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employed, and he frequently donated catering services for events at |
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Zavala Elementary School and the Pan American Recreation Center; on |
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Cinco de Mayo in 1993, he was honored by community groups with an |
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Unsung Hero Award; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted family man sustained by a deep faith, Mr. |
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Avila instilled his strong values in his two daughters, Rose Ann and |
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Carolina, and he brought them into the restaurant business along |
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with other relatives; and |
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WHEREAS, Joe Avila blurred the lines between work and |
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pleasure, serving as a goodwill ambassador for his business as well |
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as for the community he was proud to call home; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Joe Limon Avila and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife |
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of 56 years, Pauline Avila; to his daughters, Rose Ann Maciel and |
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her husband, Robert, and Carolina Avila; to his grandchildren, |
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Regina Estrada and her husband, Felipe, and Robert Maciel, Jr.; to |
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his great-grandchildren, Izabella and Evalina Sophia Estrada; to |
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his sisters, Josephine Cavazos and Hilda Lovern; and to a host of |
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other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joe Avila. |