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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life distinguished by meaningful service drew to a |
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close when Janet Palmquist Patterson of Dallas passed away on |
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January 27, 2015, at the age of 71; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on May 21, 1943, the former Janet Palmquist |
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attended high school in Sleepy Hollow, New York, before continuing |
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her education at Beloit College, where she lettered in swimming, |
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and earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska in |
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1965; she married her high school sweetheart, Jay Patterson, with |
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whom she went on to enjoy five decades of marriage; she worked as a |
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teacher in Dallas to support him as he studied law, and he |
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ultimately became a state district judge; she subsequently devoted |
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herself full-time to her home and family, which grew to include a |
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daughter, Betsy, and a son, Jamie; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Patterson later worked as a political |
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consultant, and she was a driving force in a multitude of Republican |
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organizations; a longtime member of the Texas Federation of |
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Republican Women, she held numerous leadership positions within the |
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organization, and during her term as president, she came up with the |
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idea of wearing red jackets when members visited the State Capitol |
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for their legislative day; other groups that benefited from her |
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involvement were the Lake Highlands and the Town East Republican |
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Women's Clubs and the Dallas County Council of Republican Women, |
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and she served as a regional chair and delegate to the Dallas County |
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Republican Party; and |
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WHEREAS, Jan Patterson's public-spiritedness also led her to |
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volunteer her time with the City of Dallas Plan Commission, the City |
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of Dallas Health and Human Services Commission, and the Lake |
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Highlands Women's League; her leadership was acknowledged at the |
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state level with back-to-back appointments by Governors Bill |
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Clements and George W. Bush to the Texas Board on Aging, which she |
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also served as chair; additionally, she accepted gubernatorial |
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appointments to serve as a Texas delegate to the White House |
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Conference on Families in 1980 and the White House Conference on |
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Aging in 1995; and |
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WHEREAS, Even as she battled illness near the end of her life, |
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Mrs. Patterson never lost her passion for helping others; she |
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belonged to the Order of the Daughters of the King at St. John's |
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Episcopal Church, through which she comforted and ministered to |
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other congregants and neighbors in Lake Highlands; known for her |
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warm heart, abiding faith, and ever-present smile, she freely |
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expressed affection for her family and friends that was returned |
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fully in kind, and she particularly cherished her role as "nanny" to |
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her precious grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the passing of Jan Patterson brings great |
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sorrow, her graceful and generous spirit will remain a lasting |
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source of inspiration to all those who were fortunate enough to know |
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her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Janet Palmquist |
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Patterson and extend sincere condolences to the members of her |
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family: to her husband, Jay Patterson; to her children, Betsy |
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Gustafson and her husband, Tory, and Jamie Patterson and his wife, |
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Julie; to her grandchildren, Cole and Claire Gustafson and McCoy |
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and Mitchell Patterson; to her siblings, Bill Patterson and his |
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wife, Chris, Dave Patterson and his wife, Cynthia, Scott Patterson, |
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Susan Bussey and her husband, Tom, Martha Hardebeck and her |
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husband, Tom, Megan Standing, Jim Cookman and his wife, Adlita, |
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Elizabeth Pletcher and her husband, Steven, and Millie Frick and |
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her husband, Bill; and to the other relatives and many friends who |
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mourn the loss of this esteemed woman; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Jan |
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Patterson. |