H.R. No. 1668

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The passing of community leader Dr. Maconda Brown
	O'Connor of Houston on May 19, 2012, brought a profound loss to her
	family, her wide circle of friends, and countless Texans whose
	lives she touched; and
	WHEREAS, A native of the Bayou City, the former Maconda Brown
	was born on May 4, 1930, to George and Alice Brown; she attended
	Pine Manor College, and after raising her four children, she
	returned to school at the age of 51; and
	WHEREAS, Dr. O'Connor graduated from the University of St.
	Thomas and went on to earn a master's degree from Smith College,
	where she continued her studies and completed her doctorate in
	1998, at the age of 68; determined to make a positive difference,
	she pursued a career in social work; and
	WHEREAS, Dr. O'Connor believed that all children deserve
	second chances, and, in an effort to reach those most in need, she
	set up office in a broom closet in one of Houston's toughest
	juvenile facilities; a licensed advanced clinical practitioner,
	she also maintained a small private practice to offer therapeutic
	services to underprivileged families; and
	WHEREAS, Outside of her profession, Dr. O'Connor helped
	countless area young people as cofounder of Children at Risk, the
	Houston A+ Challenge, and the Greater Houston Collaborative for
	Children, which provided early education to nearly 84,000
	participants; she further gave back through her contributions to
	Harris County Protective Services, El Hogar de Ninos, the Child
	Abuse Prevention Network, the Mental Health Association of Houston
	and Harris County, and the Harris County Juvenile Probation
	Department; and
	WHEREAS, Dr. O'Connor demonstrated a commitment to the
	greater community as well, sharing her time as a member of the
	boards of the Discovery Green Conservancy, the Brookings
	Institution, the American Leadership Forum, Baylor College of
	Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, The Rice Center for Education,
	the University of Houston-Downtown, and the Houston Area Women's
	Center; in her work as both president and chair of one of Houston's
	most active charities, the Brown Foundation, her dedication to
	helping people in need was legendary; she also supported the
	Democratic Party and Emily's List; and
	WHEREAS, This loving matriarch shared the richness of her
	life with a family that included four children, George, Thomas,
	Nancy, and John, nine grandchildren, Ryan, Kelly, Maconda, Nancy,
	Andrew, Ralph, Rebecca, Ian, and Charlie, and a
	great-granddaughter, Louisa O'Connor; and
	WHEREAS, Unparalleled in her advocacy and activism, Maconda
	O'Connor inspired hope while showing many young Texans the path to a
	brighter future, and her legacy will continue to resonate in the
	lives of those she touched for years to come; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Maconda Brown
	O'Connor and extend deepest sympathy to the members of her family:
	to her children, George O'Connor, Thomas O'Connor, Nancy
	Abendshein, and John O'Connor, and their spouses, Lynn O'Connor,
	Barbie O'Connor, Mark Abendshein, and Sarah O'Connor; to her nine
	grandchildren, Ryan O'Connor and his wife, Amy, Kelly O'Connor,
	Maconda Abinader and her husband, Sacha, Nancy O'Connor, Andrew
	Abendshein, Ralph Abendshein, Rebecca O'Connor, Ian O'Connor, and
	Charlie O'Connor; to her great-granddaughters, Louisa and Georgia
	O'Connor; to her siblings, Nancy Brown Negley, Louisa S. Sarofim,
	and Mike Stude; and to her other relatives and many friends; and, be
	it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. Maconda
	Brown O'Connor.
	Farrar
	S. Davis of Harris
	Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira
	Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr
	Alonzo Gooden Otto
	Alvarado Guerra Paddie
	Anchia Guillen Parker
	Anderson Gutierrez Patrick
	Ashby Harless Perez
	Aycock Harper-Brown Perry
	Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips
	Bohac Herrero Pickett
	Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts
	Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price
	Branch Huberty Raney
	Burkett Hughes Ratliff
	Burnam Hunter Raymond
	Button Isaac Reynolds
	Callegari Johnson Riddle
	Canales Kacal Ritter
	Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar
	Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis
	Clardy King of Parker Rose
	Coleman King of Taylor Sanford
	Collier King of Zavala Schaefer
	Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets
	Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell
	Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell
	Creighton Krause Simmons
	Crownover Kuempel Simpson
	Dale Larson Smith
	Darby Laubenberg Smithee
	Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer
	J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson
	S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland
	Deshotel Longoria Strama
	Dukes Lozano Taylor
	Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria
	Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris
	Elkins Martinez Toth
	Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin
	Farias McClendon Turner of Harris
	Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant
	Farrar Miles Villalba
	Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal
	Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo
	Frank Moody Walle
	Frullo Morrison White
	Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman
	Giddings Murphy Wu
	Goldman Naishtat Zedler
	Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1668 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on May 1, 2013.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House