| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The death of Dr. Charles Eugene Cowles Jr. on |
|
|
December 26, 2020, at the age of 52, leaves his loved ones to |
|
|
reflect on a life of meaningful accomplishments and dedicated |
|
|
service to his profession and his community; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Charles Cowles Jr. was born in Houston to Charles |
|
|
and Carol Cowles on April 19, 1968, and he grew up with two |
|
|
siblings, Jo Ann and Connie; after graduating from Greenwood |
|
|
Village Christian Academy, he earned an associate degree in nursing |
|
|
from the State University of New York and a bachelor's degree in |
|
|
sports medicine from the University of Houston-Clear Lake; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, From 1989 to 1998, Mr. Cowles worked as a |
|
|
firefighter and senior paramedic in Beaumont, and from 1993 to |
|
|
2004, he also taught and served as clinical coordinator of |
|
|
emergency management services courses at San Jacinto College; he |
|
|
completed his medical degree at The University of Texas Medical |
|
|
School at Houston and served his residency in anesthesiology at The |
|
|
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; in 2013, he |
|
|
received a master's degree in business administration from the |
|
|
Physician Executive MBA Program of the University of Tennessee, |
|
|
Knoxville; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Cowles was an associate professor and assistant |
|
|
clinical director at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer |
|
|
Center, where he was also divisional chief safety officer, incident |
|
|
commander, and vice chair of the Acute and Critical Care Committee; |
|
|
as a researcher, he specialized in the prevention of surgical and |
|
|
operating room fires, neuro-anesthesiology, and tactical and |
|
|
disaster medicine; he was a Fellow of the American Society of |
|
|
Anesthesiologists; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In addition, Dr. Cowles served as the public health |
|
|
officer for the City of Pasadena, earning a commendation from the |
|
|
Harris County Precinct 8 Constable's Office; he was a board member |
|
|
of the Pasadena Police Department's Emergency Response and SWAT |
|
|
teams and the Houston Regional Active Attack Coordinated Training |
|
|
Group, and he taught CPR and Stop the Bleed programs in his |
|
|
community and at the Texas Capitol; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Cowles served his profession as assistant |
|
|
treasurer of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, |
|
|
treasurer/secretary of the Harris County Medical Society, chair of |
|
|
the Texas Medical Association Council on Medical Education, |
|
|
alternate delegate to the board of the American Society of |
|
|
Anesthesiologists, and trustee of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood |
|
|
Center and the Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A man of deep religious faith, Dr. Cowles was a |
|
|
deacon at First Baptist Church of Pasadena and a board member of |
|
|
First Baptist Christian Academy and Youth Reach Houston, a |
|
|
faith-based program for young men; he was also a proud conservative |
|
|
Republican, and he often traveled to Austin and Washington, D.C., |
|
|
to advocate on behalf of his patients; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1995, Dr. Cowles met the love of his life, |
|
|
Jennifer Kendrick, who was attending an emergency medical |
|
|
technician course he was teaching; ever the professional, he waited |
|
|
until the final day of the course to ask her on their first date, |
|
|
which was on New Year's Eve 1995, and on May 19, 2000, the couple |
|
|
were married; together they had three sons, Christopher, Caleb, and |
|
|
Jake, whom Dr. Cowles referred to as "his cowboys"; a warm-hearted |
|
|
man with a quick wit and a deep laugh, he was a skilled cook and |
|
|
hunter, and he also took great pleasure in sipping bourbon, rooting |
|
|
for the Houston Astros, wearing wild socks, listening to music, and |
|
|
following the fortunes of the space program; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Charles Cowles was admired and respected for his |
|
|
considerable gifts and achievements, as well as for his devotion to |
|
|
his family, state, and nation, and he will forever remain a source |
|
|
of inspiration for those he leaves behind; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Charles Eugene |
|
|
Cowles Jr. and extend heartfelt sympathy to his relatives and many |
|
|
friends; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of |
|
|
Dr. Charles Cowles Jr. |
| |
|
|
Oliverson |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 115 was unanimously adopted by a |
|
|
rising vote of the House on March 10, 2021. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |