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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The untimely death of esteemed school administrator |
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Gloria Jean Gorham on April 19, 2009, at the age of 59, has deeply |
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saddened residents of Houston's Fifth Ward and beyond; and |
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WHEREAS, The youngest daughter born to Willis and Lillie |
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Walker, the former Gloria Jean Walker knew as a child growing up in |
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Austin that she wanted to be a teacher; she attended The University |
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of Texas at Austin, where she earned a bachelor's degree in |
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education and anthropology and a master's degree in education, and |
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subsequently began her career with the Houston Independent School |
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District in 1975; through the years, she taught at Hohl, Golfcrest, |
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and West University Elementary Schools and served briefly as an |
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assistant principal at Walnut Bend Elementary; in 1989, she became |
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the principal of Crawford Elementary School in the Fifth Ward; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Gorham soon earned the respect and admiration of |
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the Crawford community with her ever-present smile and dedication |
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to helping students succeed; exemplifying the school's motto, "Only |
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love is spoken here," she regularly hugged students, faculty, and |
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staff alike, and her optimism and guidance were instrumental in |
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Crawford achieving "Recognized" status by the Texas Education |
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Agency from 2006 through 2008; most recently, she was especially |
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proud of a dual-language program that the school had initiated to |
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allow students to learn in English and Spanish; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Gloria Gorham's passing has left a void in |
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the lives of her many friends and loved ones, memories of her joyful |
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nature, leadership, and commitment to education will continue to |
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inspire others for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Gloria Jean Gorham and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her |
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daughter, Lisa R. McBride; to her mother, Lillie Walker King; to her |
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fiancée, Charles Bryant; to her sisters, Grace Howard and her |
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husband, James, Joyce Addison and her husband, Tobe, and Shirley |
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Walker; to her brother, Willie Lee Jones, and his wife, Annie; to |
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her uncles, Fred Jones and his wife, Betty, and Theodore Jones and |
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his wife, Lillie; and to her other relatives and friends; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas House |
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of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Gloria |
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Jean Gorham. |