| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The State of Texas lost an admired advocate for |
|
|
people with disabilities with the passing of Ruth Lorena Mason of |
|
|
Houston on January 23, 2020, at the age of 53; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born in the Bayou City on January 31, 1966, the |
|
|
former Ruth DeJohn was known to family and close friends as "Lore"; |
|
|
she dedicated herself to improving the lives of children and adults |
|
|
with disabilities, working tirelessly for better access to |
|
|
education, health care, and employment support; during her career, |
|
|
she was employed by Disability Rights Texas, and she went on to |
|
|
share her expertise through leadership roles with numerous other |
|
|
agencies and organizations, including the Texas Council for |
|
|
Developmental Disabilities, Texas Parent to Parent, the Arc of |
|
|
Texas, the Down Syndrome Association of Houston, and the Harris |
|
|
Center; among other contributions, she frequently provided |
|
|
valuable testimony at legislative hearings on disability issues; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Ms. Mason's work was informed by her own battle with |
|
|
ALS; with the assistance of ocular technology, she was able to |
|
|
communicate clearly using just her eyes, and she amazed her doctors |
|
|
and other medical staff with her comprehensive knowledge of the |
|
|
disease; she continued to champion the interests of people with |
|
|
disabilities as her illness progressed; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A woman of strong faith, Ms. Mason served on the |
|
|
worship ministry team at her church, and she was a member of the |
|
|
choir and band; she was also a leader of the children's choir, a |
|
|
teacher in Mom's Day Out, and a regular participant in women's Bible |
|
|
studies; moreover, she was instrumental in ministering to children |
|
|
with disabilities and their families; in all her endeavors, she was |
|
|
supported by the love and encouragement of her husband of 29 years, |
|
|
Michael Mason, and her sons, William and Samuel; she is also |
|
|
survived by her mother, Mary Ruth Cooper, and her siblings, Dave |
|
|
DeJohn and Alice Janz; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Ruth Mason made a lasting, positive difference in |
|
|
the lives of innumerable people through her unceasing endeavors in |
|
|
behalf of people with disabilities, and although she is deeply |
|
|
missed by those she left behind, they will forever treasure their |
|
|
memories of her compassion, courage, and determination; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Ruth Lorena Mason and |
|
|
extend sincere condolences to all who mourn her passing; and, be it |
|
|
further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ruth Mason. |