REFERENCE TITLE: Bob McLendon; death resolution

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2022

HCR 2043

Introduced by

Representatives Fernandez B: Bowers

A Concurrent Resolution

                on the death of the honorable bob mclendon

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Arizona Representative Bobbie "Bob" Joe McLendon, a longtime public servant, educator and community leader, passed away in Yuma, Arizona on March 9, 2022 at the age of eighty-five.

Representative McLendon was born in Rodney, Texas on November 24, 1936. He grew up in Douglas, Arizona and earned both a bachelor and master's degree from Arizona State University.

A longtime teacher at Yuma High School from 1961 to 1998, Representative McLendon loved teaching American history and government. He also coached the Yuma Criminals varsity basketball team until the early 1980s, whom Speaker Bowers had the occasional pleasure of playing against, or at least when Speaker Bowers's team would win.

Elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1982, Representative McLendon served nine terms in the House and was chosen by his caucus to serve as House Democratic Leader. During Representative McLendon's tenure in the Legislature, he was instrumental in establishing Northern Arizona University-Yuma, and he was subsequently inducted into the Northern Arizona University Education Hall of Fame. He also helped to secure funding to open the Children's Rehabilitation Services Clinic in Yuma and was a tireless advocate for education funding.

As those who served in the Legislature with Representative McLendon can attest, his commitment to his constituents and his dedication to the duties of his office were unwavering. Representative McLendon's leadership style has been sorely missed. He led with honor and integrity, never letting his passion for political issues adversely affect his relationships with his colleagues or constituents, introducing his often good-tempered remarks with, "Mr. Speaker, point of personal privilege, a sense of Yuma!"

After retirement from the Legislature, Representative McLendon continued to serve the public by serving on the Yuma County Board of Supervisors from 2000 to 2004 and on the Arizona Board of Regents from 2008 to 2012 as its first rural representative.

While the entire State of Arizona benefited from Representative McLendon's service, his passing will be felt most by the Yuma community, to whom he dedicated his life's work. He served on countless civic boards and organizations to improve the lives of the people of Yuma and was named Yuma County Citizen of the Year by the Yuma Sun in 2004.

Despite accomplished careers in education and politics, Representative McLendon's greatest legacy is his family. He will be missed by his beloved wife, Sandra, his daughter, Bobbie Jo Coxon, his brother, Jim McLendon, his sister-in-law, Sharon Alexander, and his three grandsons, Andrew, T.J. and Robert Coxon, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

That the Members of the Legislature sincerely regret the passing of Representative Bob McLendon and extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to his surviving family members.