Bill Text: TX HR82 | 2023 | 88th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of James Reed Lovell of Amarillo.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-11-02 - Reported enrolled [HR82 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR82-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 82 | ||
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| WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the | ||
| passing of admired attorney and civic leader James Reed Lovell of | ||
| Amarillo on July 4, 2023, at the age of 96; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The oldest son of Benjamin Reed Lovell and Reta | ||
| Eudora Poovey Lovell, Jim Lovell was delivered at home in Ashtola on | ||
| April 8, 1927, with the help of his grandmother, Johnnie Mae | ||
| Blackburn Poovey, the local midwife; he grew up with the loving | ||
| guidance of his parents and both his maternal and paternal | ||
| grandparents; along with his brother, Joe Thomas, he worked and | ||
| played at the Lovells' combination service station, grist mill, | ||
| country store, and post office; he graduated as president of | ||
| Clarendon High School's Class of 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy | ||
| at the end of World War II; following basic training in San Diego, | ||
| he served on shore patrol in the Philippines; his duties included | ||
| guarding men under court-martial, and his observations of military | ||
| lawyers inspired his career choice following his honorable | ||
| discharge in 1946; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The G.I. Bill enabled Mr. Lovell to become a | ||
| first-generation college student; he attended Clarendon Junior | ||
| College and Southern Methodist University, where he earned both his | ||
| bachelor's degree in business administration and his law degree; | ||
| after establishing a solo law practice in Dumas, he formed a | ||
| partnership with Hugh T. Lyle in 1953; although Mr. Lyle died in | ||
| 1976, Mr. Lovell continued to call the firm Lovell & Lyle in honor | ||
| of his partner until 2016, when he moved to Amarillo to be closer to | ||
| family and medical care; he became of counsel to the firm of his | ||
| sons before fading eyesight obliged him to conclude his remarkable | ||
| 69-year career; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Devoted to his profession, Mr. Lovell was a mentor | ||
| to many and held membership with numerous local, state, and | ||
| national associations; he was a director of the State Bar of Texas | ||
| for many years and served as chair of the State Bar of Texas | ||
| Insurance Trust; among other accolades, he received the 1979 | ||
| President's Award and special recognition for his leadership in the | ||
| founding and continued operation of the Texas Lawyers' Insurance | ||
| Exchange; in order to launch the TLIE, he signed a personal bank | ||
| loan for $165,000, and he served as president and chair of the board | ||
| for three decades; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Lovell was also an investor and developer of | ||
| farm and ranch land in the 1970s; initially enjoying considerable | ||
| success, he showed great tenacity, courage, and diligence as he | ||
| weathered the crushing interest rates and deflation of agricultural | ||
| land values in the 1980s; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dedicated to Dumas and Moore Counties, Mr. Lovell | ||
| was highly engaged in civic life; for over 25 years, he was Dumas | ||
| city attorney, and he served other North Plains towns in this role | ||
| as well; he was a bank director in Dumas and Sunray, and he | ||
| completed multiple terms as a trustee of the Dumas Independent | ||
| School District; in 1975, he was appointed to the West Texas State | ||
| University Board of Regents, and he held the office of chair in | ||
| 1978; he led the Dumas Chamber of Commerce, the Moore County | ||
| Development Corporation, and similar groups for many years and | ||
| spearheaded efforts to bring American Beef to the Schroeter | ||
| Industrial Park at Cactus; in addition, he was very active in local | ||
| politics; a man of deep faith, he was a valued member of First | ||
| Presbyterian Church of Dumas for seven decades and served as an | ||
| elder; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Lovell married his high school sweetheart, the | ||
| former Louva Hunt, in 1951, and they were blessed with eight | ||
| children, Lynnita, John, Jimmy, Joe, Jeff, Laura, Leslie, and | ||
| Jesse; he instilled in them good manners, a strong work ethic, and a | ||
| sense of responsibility while also encouraging them to find their | ||
| own paths; during summers, the Lovells broadened the horizons of | ||
| their offspring on road trips to 48 states, including Alaska; that | ||
| first marriage ended with three children still at home, and | ||
| Mr. Lovell saw to their upbringing; he sent all of his sons and | ||
| daughters through college; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Fortunate to find love a second time, Mr. Lovell met | ||
| Betty King through a friend and dancing class, and they wed on | ||
| December 28, 1991; the couple traveled extensively and enjoyed | ||
| spending time at the cabin they built on the Cimarron River in Ute | ||
| Park, New Mexico; they shared a fulfilling relationship until her | ||
| passing in 2014; in his later years, Mr. Lovell was surrounded by | ||
| the love of a fine family that grew to include many grandchildren | ||
| and great-grandchildren, as well as three stepdaughters and their | ||
| extended families; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Jim Lovell was an engaged citizen, a devoted family | ||
| man, and an admired member of the legal profession, and his | ||
| wide-ranging contributions will remain a lasting source of | ||
| inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to know him; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of | ||
| James Reed "Jim" Lovell and extend sincere condolences to the | ||
| members of his family: to his children, Nita Dyslin, John H. Lovell, | ||
| Jim Lovell, Joe L. Lovell, Laura Taylor, Leslie Hawkins, and Jesse | ||
| Lovell; to his grandchildren, Johnny Lovell, Whitney Chairez, | ||
| Derrick Dyslin, Chad Dyslin, Esther Beagles, Rachel Lovell, Lindy | ||
| Waldrip, David Lovell, Heath Lovell, Ben Lovell, Bristen Rodriguez, | ||
| Nicole Blessen, Tiffany Vandergriff, Jace Bennett, Jancee Bennett, | ||
| Jayton Bennett, Matthew Hawkins, Andrew Hawkins, Michael Hawkins, | ||
| Mattie Kate Lovell, and Hunter Lovell; to his great-grandchildren, | ||
| Ashton, Brooklyn, Raygan, Jameson, Docia, Adi, Darcy, Brayden, | ||
| Berkeley, Celia, Caleb, Olivia, Samantha, CJ, Emmeline, Eleanor, | ||
| Caylor, Dayton, Finleigh, Reagan, Davey, Brooklyn, Baker, and | ||
| Maeve; to his stepdaughters, Carol Colunga, Linda Wolever, and | ||
| Jenny Zeller; to his step-grandchildren, Adriana Vincent, Ari | ||
| Wolever, Jiles Wolever, Lakin Wolever, Emma Zeller, and Evan | ||
| Zeller; to his step-great-grandchildren, Lily and Taya; to his | ||
| brother, Joe T. Lovell; and to his many other relatives and 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 James Reed | ||
| Lovell. | ||
| Price | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 82 was unanimously adopted by a rising | ||
| vote of the House on November 1, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
