Senate Bill sb2658
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Florida Senate - 2005 (NP) SR 2658
By Senator King
8-1697A-05
1 Senate Resolution No. ____
2 A resolution expressing regret at the death of
3 Senator William G. "Bill" Bankhead.
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5 WHEREAS, the Florida Senate, with deep regret, was
6 informed of the untimely death of former Senator Bill
7 Bankhead, and
8 WHEREAS, Senator Bankhead served with distinction in
9 the Florida Senate from 1988 until 1999, when he was appointed
10 by Governor Jeb Bush to head the Department of Juvenile
11 Justice, and
12 WHEREAS, it is most appropriate that the Florida Senate
13 commemorate the passing of one of its former members who
14 served his district and the State of Florida so admirably,
15 NOW, THEREFORE,
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17 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
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19 That this legislative body does pause in its
20 deliberations to pay its respects to the late Senator William
21 G. "Bill" Bankhead and that the Florida Senate, in session
22 assembled, does record this testimonial of esteem and
23 bereavement:
24 IN MEMORIAM
25 WILLIAM G. "BILL" BANKHEAD
26 Bill Bankhead was born in Americus, Georgia, in 1941,
27 moved with his family to Florida as a child, graduated from
28 Englewood High School in Jacksonville, and earned a Business
29 Administration Degree from the University of Florida in 1963.
30 Following graduation, Bill Bankhead went to work for Stockton,
31 Whatley, Davin & Co., and in 1969 joined the real estate
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Florida Senate - 2005 (NP) SR 2658
8-1697A-05
1 division of what is now CSX Transportation. His involvement in
2 civic organizations, such as the Jaycees, laid the foundation
3 for his political career, and Bill Bankhead was recently
4 honored at the Duval County Republican Party's annual Lincoln
5 Day dinner as only the second recipient of the Don Brewer
6 Excellence Award, which he received for helping to build the
7 local Republican Party. In 1978 Bill Bankhead was first
8 elected to the Florida House of Representatives, replacing
9 Ander Crenshaw as the lone Republican from Jacksonville in the
10 Duval County Legislative Delegation. After serving five
11 successful and productive terms in the House of
12 Representatives, Bill Bankhead was elected to the Florida
13 Senate in 1988, where he quickly gained a reputation for
14 diligence and attention to detail, leading one Senator to
15 quip, "If there was a piece of legislation you didn't
16 understand, you would say 'Let's ask Bankhead, he actually
17 reads all the bills.'" Through dedicated hard work, Senator
18 Bankhead became a leading expert on health and social issues
19 and during his years in the Senate was one of the chief
20 architects in creating the Department of Juvenile Justice.
21 Senator Bankhead's knowledge of the Juvenile Justice system
22 led Governor Bush to appoint him to lead that agency in 1999.
23 Secretary Bankhead spent the remaining years of his life as
24 agency head and brought about numerous accolades for efforts
25 resulting in increased efficiency and lower crime rates while
26 at the same time improving the lives of young people in this
27 state. Senator Bill Bankhead is survived by his wife Diana,
28 his children William G., III and Brooke, and his mother Enid
29 Bankhead.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution,
31 signed by the President of the Senate, with the Seal of the
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Florida Senate - 2005 (NP) SR 2658
8-1697A-05
1 Senate affixed, be transmitted to Mrs. Diana O'Quinn Bankhead,
2 widow of Senator Bill Bankhead, as a tangible token of the
3 sentiments expressed in this resolution and as a lasting
4 symbol of the respect of the members of the Florida Senate.
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