Michael Burgess: “it is my sad duty this morning to report on the passing of one of the most articulate conservative voices in Texas.…”

“it is my sad duty this morning to report on the passing of one of the most articulate conservative voices in Texas. Harold J. ``Tex'' Lezar, Jr., left us earlier this month, a Texas lawyer who had worked for both the Nixon and Reagan administrations and was a fixture in Texas and national politics. Born in Dallas, Tex Lezar grew up in Japan, the son of a ship's captain who did reconnaissance work for General MacArthur. He graduated from Yale and was an assistant to columnist William F. Buckley, Jr., before becoming a speech writer for President Nixon. Tex worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 Presidential campaign before becoming a special counsel to the U.S. Attorney General and later the chief of staff under Attorney General William French Smith. In June of 1984, Tex Lezar married Ms. Mary Spaeth. He leaves three children: Philip, Beau, and Maverick. As a Texas Republican, I can say we were blessed to have had him with us as a guide to encourage and direct our political paths. As a friend of him and his family, I am glad I had the chance to know him; and I honor his life here today.”