By Hamric H.C.R. No. 56 75R4393 BNL-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Texans, and indeed all Americans, join in mourning 1-2 the untimely passing of Pam Lychner on July 17, 1996, at the age of 1-3 37, for her remarkable courage and spirit touched the lives of all 1-4 who had the privilege of knowing her; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Born Pamela Sue Rogers in Aurora, Illinois, she 1-6 nurtured close relationships with her two sisters, and together 1-7 they marked the many happy triumphs and minor mishaps of a typical 1-8 small-town childhood; her first experience with the darker elements 1-9 of society occurred at the tender of age of 16, when she was robbed 1-10 while working as a grocery store checker, but this experience only 1-11 served to strengthen the young woman's empathy and concern for 1-12 those around her; and 1-13 WHEREAS, During the difficult days of the Vietnam War, 1-14 Ms. Lychner expressed this compassion by wearing a POW-MIA bracelet 1-15 in silent tribute to an American serviceman; she never forgot the 1-16 name inscribed on the bracelet, and long after the war had ended, 1-17 she continued to keep the bracelet's documentation, for she was 1-18 determined to keep her promise of honoring the memory of a soldier 1-19 she had never met; and 1-20 WHEREAS, In 1984, while working as a flight attendant for 1-21 Trans World Airlines, she married Joe Lychner, and they were 1-22 blessed with two beautiful daughters, Shannon Evian and Katherine 1-23 Elizabeth; Ms. Lychner was a caring and devoted mother to the 1-24 girls, and in furthering her own education at the local community 2-1 college, she instilled in them a love of learning that immeasurably 2-2 brightened their young lives; and 2-3 WHEREAS, Her idyllic life was marred when, in 1990, she 2-4 became the victim of a violent assault, and once again, she 2-5 struggled to rise above the emotional fallout of crime; as 2-6 Ms. Lychner recovered from her trauma, she became painfully aware 2-7 of flaws in the criminal justice system, and she gathered her 2-8 formidable will to set about righting those wrongs; victimized 2-9 twice in her life by individuals, she refused to be victimized by 2-10 the system that was supposed to protect her, and her unwillingness 2-11 to yield to an indifferent bureaucracy laid the foundation for 2-12 Justice For All, a criminal justice reform organization; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Under Ms. Lychner's committed leadership, Justice 2-14 For All grew to a national organization with more than 3,000 2-15 members, and together they worked successfully to reform the 2-16 appeals process, reduce automatic probation, and eliminate 2-17 mandatory release, thus ensuring that criminals would serve longer 2-18 sentences and face stricter review before returning to society; a 2-19 knowledgeable and compelling spokesperson, Ms. Lychner was 2-20 frequently called on by the national media to articulate the 2-21 perspective of crime victims, and her genuine concern for the 2-22 people she represented enabled her to become an effective advocate 2-23 for meaningful change; and 2-24 WHEREAS, Pam Lychner was forever guided by the principle that 2-25 one person can have a profound impact on the world around her, and 2-26 her life is a testament to that simple creed; she was taken from 2-27 this world all too soon, but her unique spirit will live on in the 3-1 hearts of all the people whose lives she touched, and the people of 3-2 Texas stand pledged to keeping her memory and her work alive; now, 3-3 therefore, be it 3-4 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 3-5 hereby honor the life of Pamela Sue Rogers Lychner and extend 3-6 deepest sympathy to the members of her family: to her beloved 3-7 husband, Joe Lychner; to her parents, Wayne and Betty Rogers; to 3-8 her sisters, Lori Musselman and Jan Brenkus; and to all the 3-9 relatives, colleagues, and many friends of this exceptional woman; 3-10 and, be it further 3-11 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-12 prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas 3-13 House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in 3-14 memory of Pam Lychner.