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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The family and friends of Kristi Marie |
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Couvillon-Wise of Austin suffered an immeasurable loss with her |
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untimely passing on October 1, 2010, at the age of 36; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Donna and Paul Kreuzer and Edward |
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Couvillon, the former Kristi Couvillon was born in Texas City on |
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September 20, 1974; after graduating from Clements High School, she |
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earned her bachelor's degree at Trinity University and went on to |
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receive a master's degree in social work as well as a doctor of |
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jurisprudence with honors from The University of Texas at Austin; |
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in 2006, she married John Wise, and the couple became the proud |
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parents of a beloved baby girl, Vivienne Grace; and |
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WHEREAS, From an early age, Ms. Couvillon-Wise demonstrated |
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a strong sense of compassion that ultimately led her to devote her |
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life to helping others, first as a special education teacher and |
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later as a social worker for people living with HIV/AIDS, mental |
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illness, and drug addiction, as well as for the homeless; during her |
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career as an attorney, she was awarded a distinguished George Soros |
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Fellowship, and she represented indigent clients on death row; she |
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was part of a team of attorneys with the Texas Defender Service that |
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successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court for the release |
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of a death row inmate; she was also briefly employed in the Travis |
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County Attorney's Office, and she later opened her own criminal |
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defense practice; named to the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers |
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Association Board of Directors, she further contributed to her |
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professional community as president of Texas Law Fellowships and as |
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manuscript editor for the Texas Journal of Civil Liberties and |
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Civil Rights; and |
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WHEREAS, In her free time, Ms. Couvillon-Wise enjoyed |
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traveling, running, listening to music of all genres, and spending |
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time in nature, and she also found great joy in caring for animals; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Couvillon-Wise greatly suffered with severe |
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postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, and she lost |
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her torturous battle with the condition on October 1, 2010; the |
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tragic circumstances of her death have since led to the founding of |
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the Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas, which was |
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established in her honor, and the creation of the 2nd Postpartum |
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Support International Traveling Memory Quilt; moreover, the Texas |
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Civil Rights Project named the Kristi Couvillon pro bono award in |
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her honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Kristi Couvillon-Wise made a positive difference in |
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countless lives, both through the love and kindness she shared with |
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her family and friends and through the work she did to help those in |
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need, and she will forever hold a treasured place in the hearts of |
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all who knew and loved her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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of Kristi Couvillon-Wise and extend sincere condolences to her |
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loved ones; 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 Kristi |
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Couvillon-Wise. |