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        |  | R E S O L U T I O N | 
      
        |  | WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life drew to a close with the | 
      
        |  | passing of Carlton Earl Land of Houston on April 20, 2015, at the | 
      
        |  | age of 72; and | 
      
        |  | WHEREAS, The son of Peary and George Ann Land, Carlton Land | 
      
        |  | was born on February 1, 1943, in Jacksonville and raised in Houston; | 
      
        |  | he graduated with honors from Jack Yates Senior High School in 1961 | 
      
        |  | and went on to enlist in the United States Air Force in September of | 
      
        |  | the following year; he served his country with distinction for | 
      
        |  | three decades before retiring with the rank of chief master | 
      
        |  | sergeant in 1992; during his decorated military career, he was | 
      
        |  | awarded the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak | 
      
        |  | leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak | 
      
        |  | leaf clusters; and | 
      
        |  | WHEREAS, On his return to civilian life, Mr. Land joined the | 
      
        |  | Houston Independent School District, where he initiated the Air | 
      
        |  | Force Junior ROTC program at Westbury High School; he was assigned | 
      
        |  | to serve as the lead student advocate in the School Administration | 
      
        |  | Division in 1994, and around that time, he was instrumental in | 
      
        |  | founding a program focused on helping African American and Hispanic | 
      
        |  | male students acquire important social and life skills; | 
      
        |  | additionally, he conducted workshops to address bullying, | 
      
        |  | violence, hazing, gang involvement, and other issues, and he | 
      
        |  | further gave back to area children through his support of the | 
      
        |  | Children's Defense Fund and his work as a popular "Read-Aloud" | 
      
        |  | guest at HYPE Freedom School; and | 
      
        |  | WHEREAS, A devout Christian from a young age, Mr. Land became | 
      
        |  | a member of Promised Land Christian Worship Center Church in 2004 | 
      
        |  | and generously volunteered his time as director of the men's | 
      
        |  | ministry; he earned a bachelor's degree from the College of | 
      
        |  | Biblical Studies in 2005 and was an accomplished writer and | 
      
        |  | sought-after speaker on religious, military, educational, and | 
      
        |  | civic affairs; moreover, he was a prominent member of the Most | 
      
        |  | Worshipful Saint John Grand Lodge and Hadassah Grand Chapter and | 
      
        |  | had served as potentate of Arabia Shrine Temple No. 1; more | 
      
        |  | recently, he had been inducted into the Ancient and Primitive Rite | 
      
        |  | of Memphis-Misraïm, where he had the distinction of receiving his | 
      
        |  | 95th degree as Grand Conservator General; and | 
      
        |  | WHEREAS, This esteemed gentleman married Betty Jean Riley on | 
      
        |  | October 22, 1966, and shared a rewarding relationship with her | 
      
        |  | until her passing; he was the father of three children, Janice, | 
      
        |  | Gregory, and Carlton, and was further blessed with the | 
      
        |  | companionship of a large extended family and many longtime friends; | 
      
        |  | and | 
      
        |  | WHEREAS, Carlton Land inspired countless people with his | 
      
        |  | earnest faith, his desire to make a difference, and his steadfast | 
      
        |  | service to his country and community, and he leaves behind a legacy | 
      
        |  | that will long be treasured by all those who held him dear; now, | 
      
        |  | therefore, be it | 
      
        |  | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas | 
      
        |  | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Carlton Earl Land and | 
      
        |  | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his | 
      
        |  | children, Janice Barney and Gregory Riley; to his sister and | 
      
        |  | brother, Carolyn and Louis DeVaughn; to his sisters-in-law, Shirley | 
      
        |  | Land, Iola Fogle, and Diane Riley; to his brother-in-law, Luther | 
      
        |  | Burrell; to his special friend, Gail Revis; and to his 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 Carlton | 
      
        |  | Land. | 
      
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        |  | Dutton | 
      
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              | Anderson of Dallas | Hernandez | Phillips |  | 
      
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              | Anderson of McLennan | Herrero | Pickett |  | 
      
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              | Bonnen of Brazoria | Johnson | Rodriguez of Bexar |  | 
      
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              | Bonnen of Galveston | Kacal | Rodriguez of Travis |  | 
      
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              | Burkett | Keffer | Romero, Jr. |  | 
      
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              | Burrows | King of Hemphill | Sanford |  | 
      
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              | Button | King of Parker | Schaefer |  | 
      
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              | Canales | King of Taylor | Schofield |  | 
      
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              | Capriglione | King of Uvalde | Schubert |  | 
      
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              | Craddick | Landgraf | Simpson |  | 
      
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              | Cyrier | Laubenberg | Smithee |  | 
      
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              | Davis of Dallas | Lozano | Stephenson |  | 
      
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              | Davis of Harris | Lucio III | Stickland |  | 
      
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              | Deshotel | Márquez | Thompson of Brazoria |  | 
      
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              | Dukes | Martinez | Thompson of Harris |  | 
      
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              | Dutton | Martinez Fischer | Tinderholt |  | 
      
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              | Elkins | McClendon | Turner of Collin |  | 
      
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              | Faircloth | Metcalf | Turner of Harris |  | 
      
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              | Fallon | Meyer | Turner of Tarrant |  | 
      
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              | Farney | Miller of Comal | Villalba |  | 
      
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              | Farrar | Miller of Fort Bend | Vo |  | 
      
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              | Flynn | Morrison | White of Bell |  | 
      
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              | Frank | Muñoz, Jr. | White of Tyler |  | 
      
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        |  | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | Speaker of the House | 
      
        |  | 
      
        |  | I certify that H.R. No. 2286 was unanimously adopted by a rising | 
      
        |  | vote of the House on April 27, 2015. | 
      
        |  |  | 
      
        |  | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | Chief Clerk of the House | 
      
        |  |