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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life of dedicated civic engagement drew to a close |
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with the passing of admired educator Joyce W. Dorrycott of |
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San Antonio on November 25, 2023, at the age of 93; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Daisy and Edward Whigham, the former |
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Joyce Whigham was born in Mobile, Alabama, on April 13, 1930; she |
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married Jimmy Dorrycott at the age of 17 and lovingly raised five |
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children; in her 40s, she graduated from Southwest Texas State |
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University with highest honors and taught social studies for a |
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semester at Lackland Junior/Senior High School; she served as a |
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legislative aide while completing her master's degree in history |
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and political science; after her first marriage ended, she was |
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fortunate enough to find the love of her life, Donald Francis Green, |
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whom she wed in 1980; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Dorrycott taught political science at her alma |
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mater, and in the 1980s, she was employed for a time by the Bexar |
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County district attorney as director of special projects; she |
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helped establish the family violence unit and advocated |
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successfully for legislation to address child abuse and family |
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violence; appointed to the Children's Trust Fund of Texas Council, |
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she further served on a number of countywide commissions; she was |
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recognized by such organizations as the Council on Child Abuse and |
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Neglect Prevention, the Bexar County Coalition on Domestic |
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Violence, and the Commission on Juvenile Justice, and in 1984, she |
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was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame; she retired |
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from teaching in 1994; and |
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WHEREAS, During the 1980s, Ms. Dorrycott became increasingly |
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involved in politics, serving as a campaign manager or political |
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consultant for a number of winning races; she played a key role in |
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the formation of the Northwest Democrats and served for a decade as |
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its chair, and she trained organizers across the state; the Bexar |
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County Democratic Party presented her with its Lifetime Achievement |
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Award in 2001; in her free time, she enjoyed traveling, and she and |
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her husband performed genealogical research across the country and |
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in Europe; she led the formation of the Whigham Family Association, |
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published its newsletter, and cowrote two books on the Whigham |
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ancestry; Mr. Green passed away in 2008, and she was also preceded |
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in death by her daughter Sylvia; and |
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WHEREAS, Joyce Dorrycott earned the admiration of |
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innumerable people through her tireless civic engagement, and her |
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contributions will remain a source of inspiration to all who were |
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privileged to know her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, 4th |
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Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Joyce W. Dorrycott |
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and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her |
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children, David, Nancy, Timothy, and James; to her stepdaughter, |
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Donna Green; to her eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, |
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and three great-great-grandchildren; and to her many other |
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relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this |
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day, it do so in memory of Joyce Dorrycott. |