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          R E S O L U T I O N
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               WHEREAS, The death of admired educator Alberto Byington Sr.  | 
      
      
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        on July 21, 2012, at the age of 77, brought a great loss to residents  | 
      
      
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        of South Texas; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, Born in Falfurrias on April 6, 1935, Alberto  | 
      
      
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        Byington was the son of Alfredo Byington Sr. and Annabel Cruz  | 
      
      
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        Byington; he graduated from Falfurrias High School and served his  | 
      
      
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        country in the United States Air Force before going on to complete  | 
      
      
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        his bachelor's and master's degrees at Texas A&I University; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, Mr. Byington's career in education spanned nearly a  | 
      
      
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        half-century; he began teaching in Falfurrias in 1961, and two  | 
      
      
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        years later, he became a principal in Encino; returning to the  | 
      
      
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        Brooks County Independent School District, he served as director of  | 
      
      
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        federal programs and assistant superintendent, and in 1973, he  | 
      
      
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        began a noteworthy 23-year tenure as superintendent; he then served  | 
      
      
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        as interim superintendent in Mathis, San Diego, and Ben Bolt-Palito  | 
      
      
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        Blanco, where a six-month appointment turned into a seven-year  | 
      
      
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        tenure; in addition, he was a Texas Education Agency Monitor for  | 
      
      
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        Driscoll ISD; he was asked to return to Brooks County as  | 
      
      
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        superintendent and served until 2010, when he retired from the  | 
      
      
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        district for a second time; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, Deeply committed to his calling, Mr. Byington was a  | 
      
      
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        kind mentor to countless people, and he served in numerous  | 
      
      
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        leadership roles; he was chair of the University Interscholastic  | 
      
      
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        League Waiver Review Board and a member of the UIL State Executive  | 
      
      
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        Committee and the Region XIV Music Executive Committee, and his  | 
      
      
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        professional affiliations included the Texas State Teachers  | 
      
      
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        Association and Texas Association of School Administrators; named  | 
      
      
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        Educator of the Month by Texas School Business magazine, he also  | 
      
      
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        received the prestigious Golden Molcajete Award from the Mexican  | 
      
      
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        American School Board Members Association and the Tejano Service  | 
      
      
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        Award, which recognized him as the longest-serving Hispanic  | 
      
      
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        superintendent in the state; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, This civic-minded Texan served the wider community  | 
      
      
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        as a member of the Brooks County Chamber of Commerce, the Juvenile  | 
      
      
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        Board, and the board of the Kingsville Area Educators Federal  | 
      
      
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        Credit Union; moreover, he was a valued member of Sacred Heart  | 
      
      
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        Catholic Church, where he served as lector; above all, he was a  | 
      
      
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        devoted family man; he shared a fulfilling relationship with his  | 
      
      
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        wife, Virginia Susana Byington, and he was the proud father of  | 
      
      
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        Alberto, Kristina, and Ricardo; and | 
      
      
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               WHEREAS, Alberto Byington was dedicated to providing the  | 
      
      
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        children of rural South Texas with a strong foundation on which to  | 
      
      
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        build, and his outstanding contributions will remain a source of  | 
      
      
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        inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to know him; now,  | 
      
      
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        therefore, be it | 
      
      
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               RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas  | 
      
      
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        Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Alberto Byington  | 
      
      
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        Sr. and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; and, be it  | 
      
      
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        further | 
      
      
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               RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be  | 
      
      
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        prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of  | 
      
      
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        Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Alberto  | 
      
      
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        Byington Sr. |