| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Rio Grande Valley residents lost a dedicated |
|
|
champion with the passing of former state representative Sergio |
|
|
Muñoz Sr. on July 30, 2020, at the age of 68; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The son of Paulino Muñoz Sr. and Celia Cantu Muñoz, |
|
|
Sergio Muñoz was born in Mission on January 20, 1952, and grew up in |
|
|
Los Ebanos with 10 siblings; he worked in the fields at an early |
|
|
age, and as a teenager, he began playing trumpet in such bands as |
|
|
Henry and the Glares and Carlos Guzman y los Jovenes; while touring |
|
|
across the country, he developed his talents as a vocalist, |
|
|
songwriter, and arranger, and he eventually formed his own band, |
|
|
Sergio Muñoz y los Incas; he graduated as valedictorian of La Joya |
|
|
High School and turned down an appointment to West Point in order to |
|
|
continue earning money for his family while completing his |
|
|
bachelor's degree in social work at The University of Texas-Pan |
|
|
American; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Muñoz ran for the school board in La Joya when he |
|
|
was just 18, beginning a life of civic engagement; he served |
|
|
Palmview as city manager and as a municipal judge, and in 1993, he |
|
|
became the first individual to represent the newly created Texas |
|
|
House District 36; over the course of two terms, he served on the |
|
|
transportation, county affairs, and elections committees; he was |
|
|
involved with examining problems with early voting by mail and |
|
|
exercising oversight of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act, as well |
|
|
as other issues; through the years, he encouraged countless people |
|
|
to seek public office and coordinated and advised campaigns at all |
|
|
levels; he was a tireless coalition-builder, always ready to work |
|
|
across the aisle or set aside past differences for the good of the |
|
|
community; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, After leaving office, Mr. Muñoz continued to |
|
|
advance local interests and was very active in the community; he was |
|
|
a source of wise counsel to many in politics, including his son, |
|
|
State Representative Sergio Muñoz Jr., and he served the Hidalgo |
|
|
County Democratic Party as first vice chair and chair for Precinct |
|
|
78; in addition, he sought to expand voter registration, improve |
|
|
public education, and raise teacher salaries; he held leadership |
|
|
roles in the Knights of Columbus and gave generously of his time and |
|
|
expertise to the Private Industry Council, Lions Club, Tripa Club, |
|
|
and La Joya ISD Educational Excellence Foundation, among other |
|
|
organizations; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In private life, Mr. Muñoz operated the Muñoz |
|
|
Insurance Agency and also worked in residential and commercial land |
|
|
development; he later entered the health care industry, owning |
|
|
businesses offering home health care services, and he often |
|
|
provided assistance to people who could not afford appropriate |
|
|
care; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Muñoz was devoted to his wife of 44 years, |
|
|
Connie Bazan Muñoz, and he took great pride in their two children, |
|
|
Marla and Sergio, and eight grandchildren, Gael, Carolina, Sofia, |
|
|
Aleksandro, Arianna, Sergio, Caterina, and Maria Elena; in |
|
|
addition, he was very close to his nephews J. J. and Gerardo and |
|
|
niece Selina; he especially loved traveling with his family to |
|
|
Austin for Longhorn football games; most mornings he could be found |
|
|
surrounded by friends as he made his circuit of local restaurants, |
|
|
coffee cup in hand, and he was happy to lend an ear to anyone who |
|
|
needed to talk; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Although the death of Sergio Muñoz Sr. has brought |
|
|
great sorrow to those he left behind, they will forever treasure |
|
|
their memories of his warmth, kindness, and steadfast commitment to |
|
|
the Rio Grande Valley; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sergio Muñoz Sr. 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 the |
|
|
Honorable Sergio Muñoz Sr. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 374 was unanimously adopted by a |
|
|
rising vote of the House on May 23, 2021. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |
