Bill Text: TX SR321 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Pete T. Duarte.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-03-20 - Reported enrolled [SR321 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR321-Enrolled.html
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| In Memory | ||
| of | ||
| Pete T. Duarte | ||
| WHEREAS, The city of El Paso lost an admired civic leader | ||
| and social justice advocate with the passing of Pete T. Duarte on | ||
| February 4, 2023, at the age of 84; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born in Moorpark, California, on June 9, 1938, | ||
| Pete Duarte was the son of Eduardo Simon and Maria Jesus Duarte; | ||
| he labored in the fields alongside his parents and became the | ||
| first college graduate in his family, earning degrees from | ||
| California State College and The University of Texas at El Paso | ||
| and completing the Harvard University Hispanic Health Leadership | ||
| Program; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. Duarte served with the Peace Corps in the | ||
| Dominican Republic and then became a health care organizer in El | ||
| Paso for the War on Poverty; recognizing the importance of a | ||
| holistic approach, he united other leaders in founding what | ||
| became the Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe clinic and served for 12 | ||
| years as its executive director; in the early 1990s, he became | ||
| CEO of Thomason General Hospital, later University Medical | ||
| Center of El Paso, which was twice named among America's Top 100 | ||
| Hospitals during his tenure as "chief servant," his preferred | ||
| title; he also led Project Upward Bound at UTEP, where he helped | ||
| establish Chicano Studies; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the years, Mr. Duarte garnered numerous | ||
| accolades, and the Pete Duarte Head Start center was named in his | ||
| honor; he returned the prestigious Golden Nugget alumni award to | ||
| UTEP in 2011 in solidarity with students protesting the | ||
| cancellation of the holiday honoring Cesar Chavez, a personal | ||
| hero and role model; the university quickly restored the | ||
| observance; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to his family, Mr. Duarte was a | ||
| loving husband to Joy, and thereafter Irma, and proud father of | ||
| four children, Eduardo, Pedro, Marean, and Lilia; as the adoring | ||
| "Lito" of 13 grandchildren, he shared countless besos and ice | ||
| cream cones; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Pete Duarte made a lasting, positive difference | ||
| in El Paso through his vision and leadership, and those he left | ||
| behind will treasure their memories of his warmth, wit, and | ||
| passion for service; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th | ||
| Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of Pete T. Duarte and | ||
| extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family and 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 Senate adjourns | ||
| this day, it do so in memory of Pete Duarte. | ||
| Blanco | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on March 20, 2023, by a | ||
| rising vote. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
