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1 State of Arkansas
2 95th General Assembly
3 Fiscal Session, 2026  SMR 3
4
5 By: Senators G. Leding, J. Boyd, J. Bryant, Caldwell, A. Clark, Crowell, B. Davis, Dees, J. Dismang, J.
6 Dotson, J. English, Flippo, S. Flowers, Gilmore, K. Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, B. Johnson, M.
7 Johnson, B. King, F. Love, M. McKee, R. Murdock, J. Payton, C. Penzo, J. Petty, Rice, J. Scott, Simon,
8 Stone, D. Sullivan, C. Tucker, D. Wallace
9
10
11SENATE MEMORIAL RESOLUTION
12IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF SENATOR UVALDE REX LINDSEY
13AND IN RECOGNITION OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE
14OF ARKANSAS AND TO HIS LOCAL COMMUNITY.
15
16
17Subtitle
18IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF SENATOR UVALDE
19REX LINDSEY AND IN RECOGNITION OF HIS
20CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS
21AND TO HIS LOCAL COMMUNITY.
22
23WHEREAS, former Senator Uvalde Rex Lindsey, of Fayetteville, Arkansas,
24 passed away on Saturday, July 19, 2025; and
25
26WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey was born on January 17, 1940, in Harrison,
27 Arkansas, to Uvalde Roy Lindsey and Otie Sue Lindsey; and
28
29WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey graduated from Harrison High School in 1958,
30 where he was student body president and voted as "Most Likely to Succeed";
31 and
32
33WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey attended the University of Arkansas at
34 Fayetteville, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, and from which
35 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; and
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1      WHEREAS, following the unexpected death of his father when Senator
2 Lindsey was only twenty-three (23) years old, Senator Lindsey took over and
3 ran his family's business, Continental Auto Supply, which he then
4 successfully expanded to eighteen (18) stores across three (3) states, before
5 selling the business to O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. in 1982; and
6
7      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey served his nation in the United States Army
8 Reserve from 1962 until 1972, ultimately rising to the rank of First
9 Lieutenant and serving as a company commander; and
10
11      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey's storied history as a public servant began in
12 1972 when he was elected to the Harrison City Council, where Senator Lindsey
13 would serve for a decade, including three (3) terms as budget chairman; and
14
15      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey also served as budget officer for Governor
16 Bill Clinton and worked on the 1984 re-election campaign of United States
17 Senator David Pryor; and
18
19      WHEREAS, in 1985, Senator Lindsey became the Executive Director of the
20 Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, where he helped to secure
21 federal grants for rural transportation, aging services, and economic
22 development; and
23
24      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey played a key role in the designation of U.S.
25 Highway 412, was a founding leader of the Northwest Arkansas Council, where
26 he served until retiring in 2004, and advocated for major projects to benefit
27 the region, including the Northwest Arkansas National Airport, Interstate 49,
28 and the Two-Ton Regional Water District; and
29
30      WHEREAS, in 2008, Senator Lindsey ran for election as representative
31 for District Eighty-Eight (88) of the House of Representatives, where he
32 served until 2013, including in a variety of leadership roles; and
33
34      WHEREAS, in 2013, Senator Lindsey took office as senator for District
35 Four (4) of the Senate, where he served until 2019; and
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1      WHEREAS, during his time in the Senate, Senator Lindsey served in a
2 variety of leadership roles, including as Chair of the Personnel Subcommittee
3 of the Legislative Council, Chair of the Personnel Subcommittee of the Joint
4 Budget Committee, Chair of the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Autism, and
5 Chair of the Legislative Task Force on the Best Practices for Special
6 Education; and
7
8      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey was widely known and respected, especially for
9 his expertise in state budget matters and for his strong advocacy for
10 children with autism and other disabilities; and
11
12      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey was a dedicated member of St. Paul's Episcopal
13 Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and served on the Vestry and as Senior
14 Warden at St. John's Episcopal Church in Harrison, Arkansas; and
15
16      WHEREAS, Senator Lindsey is survived by his wife, Jo Dodson Lindsey, by
17 his children, Roy Beth Lindsey Kelley, Suzette R. Lindsey Noble, Mathew B.
18 Lindsey, Michael G. Lindsey, and John Mark Lindsey, by his step-daughters,
19 Nora Hall and Linda Wallis, and by his twelve (12) grandchildren and six (6)
20 great-grandchildren,
21
22 NOW THEREFORE,
23 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
24 STATE OF ARKANSAS:
25
26      THAT the Senate remember former Senator Uvalde Rex Lindsey and
27 recognize his many contributions to the State of Arkansas and to his local
28 community.
29
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption of this resolution, an appropriate
31 copy be provided to Jo Dodson Lindsey and family by the Secretary of the
32 Senate.
33
34
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