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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life has drawn to a close with |
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the death of former Tarrant County commissioner Dionne Phillips |
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Bagsby on January 10, 2019, at the age of 82; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Phoenix, Illinois, to Paul and Ann Phillips, |
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Dionne Phillips earned her bachelor's degree from Illinois Wesleyan |
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University, her certification in speech pathology from George |
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Peabody College for Teachers, and her master's degree from Texas |
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Christian University; joined in matrimony to James A. Bagsby, she |
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was the proud mother of two children, Dionne Bagsby Jones and James |
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Tipkins Bagsby, and later in life she was blessed with four |
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grandchildren, Kirbe, Kelli, Josiah, and Elijah, and five |
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step-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, In the 1960s, Ms. Bagsby moved with her husband to |
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Fort Worth, where she was employed as a speech therapist for Fort |
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Worth ISD and helped the district work toward a peaceful |
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integration of Fort Worth schools; she devoted much of her time to |
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community activism, recruiting qualified candidates to run for |
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public office and playing a leading role in the establishment of the |
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Greater Fort Worth Area Negro Business and Professional Women's |
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Club; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1988, Ms. Bagsby ran for office herself and |
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became the first woman and the first African American to win a seat |
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on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court; she served as |
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commissioner for Precinct 1 until 2005, and during her 16-year |
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tenure, she was a champion for improving education and increasing |
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the employment of women and minorities; she also expanded access to |
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health care by working to open community clinics across the county, |
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helped establish an immunization program, and guided grant money to |
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women's shelters in Fort Worth and Arlington; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic woman continued to contribute to her |
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community even in retirement, serving on the boards of United Way, |
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the Jubilee Theatre, Trinity Terrace, and the Fort Worth |
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Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership |
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Development Program, among others; she was a recipient of the |
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Legacy Award from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and a |
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sub-courthouse in southwest Tarrant County was named in her honor; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A woman of profound religious faith, Dionne Bagsby |
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lived by the words of Luke 12:48, "From everyone who has been given |
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much, much will be demanded," and the legacy of her service to her |
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family and her community will forever inspire all those who knew and |
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loved her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dionne Phillips |
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Bagsby and extend heartfelt sympathy to her family and many |
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friends; 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 Dionne |
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Phillips Bagsby. |