Bill Text: TX HR148 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Manuel Valdes "Manny" LaFont Jr.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-10-19 - Reported enrolled [HR148 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HR148-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 148 | ||
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| WHEREAS, All who shared in the life of Manuel Valdes | ||
| LaFont Jr. were deeply saddened by his untimely death in June 2021, | ||
| at the age of 54; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born in Houston on January 27, 1967, Manny LaFont | ||
| was the son of Myriam Matilde Manresa de Valdes-LaFont and Manuel | ||
| Valdes LaFont, who both emigrated from Cuba; he grew up in the | ||
| Robindell neighborhood with two sisters and attended Richmond | ||
| Elementary School and Sharpstown Junior and Senior High Schools; a | ||
| talented athlete and baseball fanatic, he was a member of Little | ||
| League and high school teams and played at Hill College and in a | ||
| local Cuban league; after completing his bachelor's degree in | ||
| business administration at the University of Houston, he embarked | ||
| on a career in the road safety industry; he eventually moved to the | ||
| Miami, Florida, area and led a division of Lindsay Transportation | ||
| Solutions; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. LaFont and his former wife, Adriana LaFont, were | ||
| the proud parents of a daughter, Mia, and a son, Santi; his world | ||
| revolved around his children, and almost every day, he rode bikes | ||
| with them on the beach, took them to the park, and played baseball | ||
| with his son; as coach of his son's baseball team, the Astros, he | ||
| was kind and encouraging to all of the players, offering positive | ||
| reinforcement for good efforts and personal improvement; when team | ||
| members moved on, he stayed in touch with their parents and | ||
| continued to follow their progress; he volunteered as a youth | ||
| basketball coach as well; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A man of strong faith, Mr. LaFont was a parishioner | ||
| of St. Patrick Catholic Church, where his children attended school; | ||
| his big heart, big personality, and marvelous sense of humor | ||
| brought him a host of friendships, and he always stayed especially | ||
| close to his Houston schoolmates, including many he had known since | ||
| kindergarten; during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a steadfast | ||
| source of support and consolation to those in his circle, talking | ||
| for hours on the phone about their challenges; he never hesitated to | ||
| express his love to those he held dear; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Manny LaFont possessed a generosity of spirit that | ||
| revealed itself in myriad ways, and although his loss is difficult | ||
| to bear, memories of joyous times spent in his company will forever | ||
| illuminate the lives of those he left behind; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas | ||
| Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of | ||
| Manuel Valdes "Manny" LaFont Jr. and extend sincere condolences to | ||
| all who mourn his passing; 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 Manuel | ||
| Valdes "Manny" LaFont. | ||
| Wu | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 148 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on October 18, 2021. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
