[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 148 (Monday, November 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1902]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING W.W. ``BILL'' ASTON

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 15, 2010

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is with a sad 
heart that I rise to recognize the passing of W.W. ``Bill'' Aston, a 
model citizen--veteran, community advocate, civic leader, volunteer, 
and devoted health care expert from Dallas, Texas, who passed away on 
July 8, 2010, at age 82.
  Mr. Aston lived in multiple locations in Texas from the Rio Grande to 
the Red River, throughout central Texas and in Arkansas and Oklahoma 
before coming to Dallas. He served in the U.S. Navy in the South 
Pacific in 1945-46. After he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, Bill 
went to work for Dallas Power & Light Company, where he worked for 40 
years before retiring in 1986. He worked in overhead construction, 
human resources, advertising, sales, customer relations, and public 
relations at DP&L before becoming president, a position he held until 
retirement.
  Mr. Aston was active in many volunteer activities, locally and 
nationally, with a focus on health care. He served as board chairman of 
the American Heart Association's Dallas Chapter and Texas Affiliate 
before becoming board chair of the national organization. During his 
many years of service to the American Heart Association, he was proud 
of the progress made in reducing mortality rates from cardiovascular 
diseases through educating the public about the risk factors--smoking, 
elevated blood pressure, lack of exercise, cholesterol, salt, stress, 
and obesity.
  He has served the Baylor Health Care System for over 20 years at 
various times as board chair of Baylor University Medical Center, board 
chair of Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, and a board member of the 
Baylor Health Care System. At Baylor, he authored a resolution calling 
for continuous improvement of the delivery system for high quality, 
safe patient care which was adopted by all Baylor Health Care System 
facilities.
  Since the 1940s, he has also served other organizations such as: 
Chairman of City of Dallas Civil Service Commission, DART board member, 
officer or board member of Dallas Zoological Society, Dallas Ballet, 
Dallas Summer Musicals, The Science Place, Camp Fire Girls, Dallas 
Advertising League, Dallas County Community College System, Public 
Relations Society of America, Dallas Assembly, State Fair of Texas, 
United Way and Texas Health Care Trustees.
  Bill graduated with honors from SMU's Cox School of Business with a 
BBA degree and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. He served as president 
of SMU's Alumni Association and as a member of the Executive Board of 
SMU's Lyle School of Engineering. He was a long-time active member of 
Rotary, and served as president of the Dallas Rotary Club and district 
governor of Rotary International. Bill also served for 18 years as a 
volunteer driver on the McKinney Avenue Trolley.
  He received many awards and recognitions: The American Heart 
Association's Dwight D. Eisenhower Award as Volunteer of the Year for 
Texas, Brotherhood Citation Award from the National Conference of 
Christians and Jews, Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU, Founders 
Award from the Texas Health Care Trustees, Trustee of the Year Award 
from the Dallas County Medical Society and Distinguished Health Service 
Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council.
  Most recently, the Board of Trustees of Baylor Health Care System 
established the ``Bill Aston Annual Award for Quality'' which will be 
awarded by the Texas Hospital Association for the first time in 2011.
  Madam Speaker, there simply isn't space in this tribute to fully 
capture Mr. Aston's contributions to our community. He was uniquely 
American--a dreamer, a doer, a giver, a lover of life. In short, he was 
a community treasure.
  I join so many North Texans in mourning W.W. Aston's passing, and in 
extending condolences to his wife of 62 years, Evelyn, and family and 
friends. You are all in our prayers.

                          ____________________