78S40365 JNC-D

By:  Lewis                                                      H.C.R. No. 5  



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, Residents of Fort Worth lost a beloved friend, 
neighbor, and community leader with the passing of Viola Pitts on 
April 15, 2004, at the age of 89; and
	WHEREAS, A native of the Lone Star State, she was born 
September 8, 1914, in East Texas, but later found her true home in 
the west Fort Worth neighborhood of Como; during her exceptional 
life, Mrs. Pitts channeled her passion and energy into fortifying 
the area by improving vital services; moreover, she worked 
fervently to encourage her neighbors to vote, to steer children 
away from gangs, and to provide medical care for the poor; and
	WHEREAS, Mrs. Pitts was a valued member of the Child Abuse 
Welfare Board, the Senior Political Action Board, and the Tarrant 
County 2000 Task Force and also served as a representative of the 
Senior Alliance for Como Senior Citizens, chair for the Como 
Neighborhood Advisory Council, and as precinct chair of Lake Como; 
and
	WHEREAS, She treasured her strong Christian faith as a 
longtime congregant of Johnson Chapel African Methodist Episcopal 
Church and lent her time to work as president of a local lay 
organization, as a member of the Missionary Society, and with the 
State of Texas African Methodist Episcopal Church; and
	WHEREAS, Mrs. Pitts was recognized for her outstanding 
efforts in 2000, when the community came together to urge Tarrant 
County officials to rededicate a local medical facility in her 
honor; today, the JPS Health Center - Viola M. Pitts/Como stands as 
a tribute to the tenacity and fortitude of a woman who championed 
the rights of the disenfranchised; and
	WHEREAS, This "unofficial mayor of Como" fearlessly walked 
the halls of power and became the political conscience of an area 
once overlooked, providing a voice for those who were dispossessed 
and long unheard; and
	WHEREAS, Her fiery spirit was fueled by love, charity, and an 
unerring sense of fairness; her bold advocacy was motivated by 
moral obligation, rather than personal gain; though Viola Pitts 
will be deeply missed, her memory will live on in the hearts and 
minds of the countless people whose lives she touched; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas, 
4th Called Session, hereby pay special tribute to the life of Viola 
Pitts and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of her family: to 
her cousins, Dr. Beverly Waddleton-Johnson, her husband, Dr. John 
F. Johnson, and their sons, Travers Jon Johnson and Alston Joseph 
Johnson; the Reverend Dr. Donald Waddleton and his wife, Irma 
Waddleton; Bobby Ray, his wife, Wanda Ray, and their children, the 
Reverend Keith Ray, Deidra, and Debra; to her niece, John Julia 
Hurd; to loved ones, Beverly Williams, Dr. J. Cy Rowell, Ed Adcock, 
and the Honorable Mayor Mike Moncrief and his wife; and to the 
innumerable friends and admirers of this beloved woman; and, be it 
further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas House 
and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Viola Pitts.