Bill Text: TX HR485 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Joseph W. Samuels of Houston.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-14 - Reported enrolled [HR485 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR485-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 485 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Joseph W. Samuels, owner and publisher of the Jewish | ||
| Herald-Voice and a beloved figure in the Jewish community of | ||
| Houston, passed away on January 19, 2011, at the age of 95; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The eldest of three children, Joe Samuels was born | ||
| in Dallas on December 10, 1915, to Tillie Marion Wiener and Morris | ||
| Joseph Samuels; he lost his father when he was 13 years old and | ||
| spent the next five years with his siblings in the Jewish Children's | ||
| Home in New Orleans; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Settling in Houston at the age of 18, Mr. Samuels | ||
| worked at the post office, sold Remington typewriters, and produced | ||
| dramas for a local radio station, and he was later able to further | ||
| his education by taking classes at Rice University and the | ||
| University of Houston; he met the love of his life, Jeanne, at a | ||
| city bus stop, and the two were married in 1943; after enlisting in | ||
| the U.S. Army Air Corps, he served in Africa and Europe during World | ||
| War II, and then remained in the reserve until he retired with the | ||
| rank of lieutenant colonel; and | ||
| WHEREAS, On returning to Houston after the war, Mr. Samuels | ||
| opened a record and radio shop with his brother, and the two took | ||
| turns managing the business while completing their degrees; he and | ||
| his wife also began their family, and their son, Marc, was born in | ||
| 1948, followed by two daughters, Maurene and Vicki; he helped found | ||
| the B'nai B'rith Downtown Lodge and published its newsletter, and he | ||
| later opened an insurance agency and a real estate office; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Samuels purchased the Jewish | ||
| Herald-Voice in 1973 and began a remarkable tenure as owners and | ||
| publishers that lasted for nearly four decades; under the direction | ||
| of the couple, the newspaper, which has been in print for more than | ||
| a century and is one of the oldest Jewish papers in the country, has | ||
| consistently championed the underdog and worked to fight injustice; | ||
| in addition, by overseeing the Jewish Herald-Voice, Mr. Samuels was | ||
| able to realize a dream held by his father, who had run a printing | ||
| business but had not lived long enough to begin a Jewish newspaper | ||
| of his own; and | ||
| WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan was a friend to synagogues and | ||
| organizations such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, | ||
| Jewish Family Service of Houston, Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care | ||
| Services, and Holocaust Museum Houston; he was also a strong | ||
| supporter of the nation of Israel, visiting there more than a dozen | ||
| times, and receiving the Defender of Jerusalem Award along with his | ||
| wife in 2002; moreover, he gave financial backing to the Jewish | ||
| Children's Regional Service and hosted reunions for others who had | ||
| lived in the New Orleans children's home where he spent part of his | ||
| youth; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Through industry and tireless advocacy, Joe Samuels | ||
| became a legendary figure in his community, and his efforts did much | ||
| to promote unity, shared values, and mutual assistance among the | ||
| Jewish citizens of Houston and the State of Texas; now, therefore, | ||
| be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Joseph W. Samuels | ||
| and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his | ||
| wife of 67 years, Jeanne Samuels; to his children, Marc Samuels and | ||
| his wife, Maylee, Maurene Bencal and her husband, Michael, and | ||
| Vicki Samuels Levy and her husband, Lawrence; to his grandchildren, | ||
| Wendy Waterman, Amy Duke and her husband, Jesse DeMartino, Michael | ||
| Duke and his wife, Naomi, Matthew Samuels and his wife, Kristy, | ||
| Daniel Waterman, David Duke and his wife, Lan, Benjamin Samuels, | ||
| Caroline Samuels, Sam Levy, Rebekah Levy, and Kimberly Bencal; to | ||
| his great-grandchildren, Alyssa Campbell, Isabel Duke, Cameron | ||
| Samuels, Joseph Duke, and Dylan Samuels; to his brother, Alvin "A. | ||
| Pat" Samuels; 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 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joe | ||
| Samuels. | ||
| S. Davis of Harris | ||
| Miles | ||
| Hochberg | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 485 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on March 3, 2011. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
