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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family, friends, and residents of Rusk and Smith |
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Counties whose lives he touched were deeply saddened by the passing |
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of Richard Wayne Kennedy on May 13, 2015, at the age of 55; and |
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WHEREAS, Richard Kennedy was born in Houston on May 19, 1959, |
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to Shirley and Richard Kennedy; a member of the Bellaire High School |
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Class of 1977, he earned a bachelor's degree from Baylor University |
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in 1981 and went on to graduate from the South Texas College of Law |
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in 1991; and |
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WHEREAS, After being admitted to the bar, Mr. Kennedy began a |
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rewarding career as a prosecutor, during which he proudly |
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championed the rights of children, victims, and the people of Texas |
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in cases ranging from burglary to capital murder; beginning his |
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career in Tyler under criminal district attorney Jack Skeen, who |
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subsequently became a district judge, Mr. Kennedy went on to become |
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the only first assistant district attorney in the history of Rusk |
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County when he was appointed to that office in 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, On July 25, 1998, Mr. Kennedy was joined in |
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matrimony to the former Christi Johnson, who serves as judge of the |
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114th Judicial District Court in Smith County; through the years, |
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their fulfilling union was made even richer with the addition of a |
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son, Kevin; and |
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WHEREAS, Though his time on this earth was far too brief, |
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Richard Kennedy devoted himself to making a real difference in his |
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community, and his efforts toward securing justice for area |
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residents will be remembered for many years to come; now, |
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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 Richard Wayne Kennedy |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Christi Kennedy; to his son, Kevin Kennedy; to his parents, |
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Shirley and Richard Kennedy; to his brothers and sisters-in-law, |
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Craig Kennedy and his wife, Kathy, and Tom Kennedy and his wife, |
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Gayle; to his nieces and nephews, Kaitlyn, Andrew, Peter, and Mary |
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Helen Kennedy; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Richard |
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Wayne Kennedy. |