1-1 1 1-2 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 160 1-3 In Memory 1-4 of 1-5 June Pickney Ross 1-6 WHEREAS, June Pickney Ross of Galveston, who passed away 1-7 on January 5, 2001, at the age of 79, was beloved by a host of 1-8 friends for her integrity and compassion and for a lifetime 1-9 devoted to community service; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Born August 18, 1921, in Washington, D.C., 1-11 she attended Washington schools and Howard University; during 1-12 World War II she joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Special 1-13 Services, and rose to the rank of sergeant major before being 1-14 honorably discharged; she subsequently worked as a statistician 1-15 with the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C.; and 1-16 WHEREAS, In 1953 June Ross had plans to move to California, 1-17 but en route to the West Coast she stopped off in Houston to visit 1-18 friends and was persuaded to stay; the first job she obtained was 1-19 with radio station KCOH, where she broadcast under the name "Hatti 1-20 Holmes"; and 1-21 WHEREAS, From the mid-1960s until her retirement in 1-22 late 2000, June Ross was deeply involved with Community Action 2-1 agencies, one of the initiatives launched by the War on Poverty; 2-2 Community Action agencies are private nonprofit and public bodies 2-3 charged with designing and administering programs to combat poverty 2-4 within their region; and 2-5 WHEREAS, After serving as an executive assistant with the 2-6 Harris County Community Action Association, she became interim 2-7 executive director of the Galveston County Community Action 2-8 Council in 1973 and the permanent director of the council in 2-9 1976; the Galveston council is responsible for providing services 2-10 not only for Galveston, but also for Brazoria, Fort Bend, and 2-11 Wharton counties; in 1976 June Ross served simultaneously as 2-12 interim executive director of the Dallas County Community Action 2-13 Council; and 2-14 WHEREAS, Over the course of her 27 years with the Galveston 2-15 council, June Ross initiated numerous programs to address the 2-16 needs of area residents; these included senior citizens' centers 2-17 in Hitchcock and La Marque, transportation services for 2-18 Galveston County seniors, telephone reassurance calls to 2-19 seniors, the handicapped, and the sick, and a halfway house for 2-20 substance abusers, as well as Meals-on-Wheels, a Senior Citizen's 2-21 Day, the Children's Olympics, and the Children's Summer Feeding 2-22 Program; and 2-23 WHEREAS, June Ross was frequently asked to speak to civic, 2-24 church, and fraternal groups in Texas and in other states about 2-25 the needs of the underprivileged; locally, a host of organizations 2-26 benefited from her wisdom and experience; she served on the boards 3-1 of United Way and several social service agencies and was treasurer 3-2 of Children and Youth 2001, a coordinated effort to reduce infant 3-3 mortality in the African American and Latino communities of 3-4 Galveston; and 3-5 WHEREAS, In addition to these and other community efforts, 3-6 she chaired the Mayor's Drug Task Force and served as vice chair 3-7 of the Galveston County Health Board; she served as president of 3-8 the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies and as first 3-9 vice president and treasurer of the National Association of 3-10 Community Action Agencies; and 3-11 WHEREAS, In recognition of her enormous contributions, 3-12 June Ross received the Rabbi Henry Cohen Humanitarian Award from 3-13 Temple B'Nai Israel in Galveston and a lifetime achievement award 3-14 from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; and 3-15 WHEREAS, The passionate commitment and immense skills that 3-16 June Ross brought to her work have left a priceless legacy, in the 3-17 vital aid and opportunity provided for countless area residents, 3-18 in the encouragement and training of new community workers, and 3-19 in the inspiration fired in many hearts by her incandescent life; 3-20 now, therefore, be it 3-21 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 3-22 77th Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of 3-23 June Pickney Ross and extend sincere sympathy to her godchildren: 3-24 Gus Thomas, Jennifer Irene Morris, Rachael Pena, Dawn Thomas, and 3-25 Darlene Dezon; to her staff at the Galveston County Community 3-26 Action Council; and to the many other close friends of this 4-1 treasured woman; and, be it further 4-2 RESOLVED, That official copies of this Resolution be 4-3 prepared for the Galveston County Community Action Council and 4-4 for her godchildren as an expression of deepest sympathy from 4-5 the Texas Senate, and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this 4-6 day, it do so in memory of June Pickney Ross. 4-7 Jackson 4-8 ______________________________________ 4-9 President of the Senate 4-10 I hereby certify that the above 4-11 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 4-12 on February 1, 2001, by a rising vote. 4-13 ______________________________________ 4-14 Secretary of the Senate 4-15 ______________________________________ 4-16 Member, Texas Senate