House Bill 9557

    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HR 9557

        By Representative Clemons






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution honoring H.M. (Mack) Lewis.

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  4         WHEREAS, born in Dothan, Alabama, and moved to

  5  Millville, Florida, when he was two, H.M. (Mack) Lewis lived a

  6  life dedicated to community service, business, and local

  7  economic development until his demise on February 24, 1998, at

  8  81 years of age, and

  9         WHEREAS, as economic pioneers in Bay County, Mack Lewis

10  and his father, with an initial investment of $12,000, founded

11  a small business in 1940, West Florida Gas Company, which,

12  under Mack's guidance, would enjoy substantial growth and

13  success until its sale in 1985 for $40 million, and

14         WHEREAS, as the first chairman of the Panama City

15  Housing Authority, Mack Lewis, with incredible foresight,

16  capitalized on the sale of surplus federal housing units to,

17  in part, create much of what is Panama City's park system,

18  also using the proceeds to purchase the present sites of Gulf

19  Coast Community College and Tommy Oliver Stadium, and

20         WHEREAS, the first chairman of the Port Authority, Mack

21  Lewis negotiated the purchase of the United States Navy's

22  Wainwright Shipyard, which was developed into the Panama City

23  Port, and, while serving until his death as the only chairman

24  of the Panama City Downtown Improvement Board, he helped in

25  transforming the old City Hall into a Visual Arts Center,

26  renovating the Martin Theater into a meeting hall and

27  performing arts center, and reviving McKenzie Park, the

28  centerpiece of downtown Panama City, and

29         WHEREAS, his selfless devotion to his wife of more than

30  50 years, Eleanor Watson Lewis, and his daughter, Nancy Lewis

31  Moore, exemplifies his commitment to family, and his untiring

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HR 9557

    279-157-98






  1  service in and avid support of numerous local organizations

  2  are a testament to his hard work, honesty, and integrity, NOW,

  3  THEREFORE,

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  5  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

  6  Florida:

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  8         That the House of Representatives hereby honors and

  9  commemorates the life and good works of H.M. (Mack) Lewis for

10  his political, economic, and community leadership in Panama

11  City and Bay County.

12         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution

13  be presented to Eleanor Watson Lewis and to Nancy Lewis Moore

14  as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.

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