SENATE 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
2-1 girls, and in furthering her own education at the local community
2-2 college, she instilled in them a love of learning that immeasurably
2-3 brightened their young lives; and
2-4 WHEREAS, Her idyllic life was marred when, in 1990, she
2-5 became the victim of a violent assault, and once again, she
2-6 struggled to rise above the emotional fallout of crime; as
2-7 Ms. Lychner recovered from her trauma, she became painfully aware
2-8 of flaws in the criminal justice system, and she gathered her
2-9 formidable will to set about righting those wrongs; victimized
2-10 twice in her life by individuals, she refused to be victimized by
2-11 the system that was supposed to protect her, and her unwillingness
2-12 to yield to an indifferent bureaucracy laid the foundation for
2-13 Justice For All, a criminal justice reform organization; and
2-14 WHEREAS, Under Ms. Lychner's committed leadership, Justice
2-15 For All grew to a national organization with more than 3,000
2-16 members, and together they worked successfully to reform the
2-17 appeals process, reduce automatic probation, and eliminate
2-18 mandatory release, thus ensuring that criminals would serve longer
2-19 sentences and face stricter review before returning to society; a
2-20 knowledgeable and compelling spokesperson, Ms. Lychner was
2-21 frequently called on by the national media to articulate the
2-22 perspective of crime victims, and her genuine concern for the
2-23 people she represented enabled her to become an effective advocate
2-24 for meaningful change; and
2-25 WHEREAS, Her determination to restore the integrity of our
3-1 country's criminal justice system struck a chord in the hearts of
3-2 people throughout the nation, people for whom stories of crime and
3-3 violence had become all too familiar, and their admiration of her
3-4 turned to shock and grief when they learned that she and her
3-5 daughters, Shannon and Katy, were among the victims of one of our
3-6 nation's most incomprehensible tragedies; and
3-7 WHEREAS, Pam Lychner was forever guided by the principle that
3-8 one person can have a profound impact on the world around her, and
3-9 her life is a testament to that simple creed; she was taken from
3-10 this world all too soon, but her unique spirit will live on in the
3-11 hearts of all the people whose lives she touched, and the people of
3-12 Texas stand pledged to keeping her memory and her work alive; now,
3-13 therefore, be it
3-14 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-15 hereby honor the life of Pamela Sue Rogers Lychner and extend
3-16 deepest sympathy to the members of her family: her beloved
3-17 husband, Joe Lychner; her parents, Wayne and Betty Rogers; her
3-18 sisters, Lori Musselman and Jan Brenkus; and all the relatives,
3-19 colleagues, and many friends of this exceptional woman; and, be it
3-20 further
3-21 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-22 prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas
3-23 Senate and House of Representatives adjourn this day, they do so in
3-24 memory of Pam Lychner.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 26 was adopted by the Senate
on February 19, 1997.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 26 was adopted by the House
on April 3, 1997.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor