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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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a close with the passing of admired community leader Ruth Laverne |
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Wells Wyrick of Dallas on April 14, 2023, at the age of 88; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Waco on September 29, 1934, the former Ruth |
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Wells graduated from Southwestern Christian College; after moving |
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to Dallas, she met and married a fellow alumnus, Ernest "Deacon" |
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Wyrick, and they were blessed with two children, Narleski and |
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Natesha "Shay"; Mrs. Wyrick joined other parents in establishing |
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Christian Academy of Oak Cliff, where she was a member of the Parent |
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Teacher Organization and the Ladies Auxiliary for Christian |
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Education; an educator herself, she was employed by the Dallas |
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Independent School District until her retirement in 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Wyrick were very involved in Marsalis |
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Avenue Church of Christ and in their denomination's National Youth |
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Conference, and Mrs. Wyrick was instrumental in the establishment |
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of the conference's iconic pageant; moreover, she was a formidable |
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fundraiser for her alma mater, the only HBCU affiliated with the |
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Churches of Christ, and she served as a trustee and member of its |
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executive committee; named Alumnus of the Year three times, she was |
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awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters for her service; and |
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WHEREAS, Highly engaged in civic life as well, Mrs. Wyrick |
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was a Democratic precinct chair for a half century and served as a |
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Dallas County election judge in South Oak Cliff for every |
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municipal, state, and partisan election through 2021; she worked on |
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campaigns for many African American candidates who broke barriers |
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in Dallas County, and her support and endorsement were highly |
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sought; dedicated to getting out the vote, she was so effective that |
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her children's friends would call to assure her that they had, |
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indeed, cast their ballots; she served on the Dallas County |
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Citizens Elections Advisory Committee, the Dallas County Grand |
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Jury, and the City of Dallas Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center |
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Board, which she chaired; in addition, she was a member of numerous |
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other boards, commissions, and organizations, including the Dallas |
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Branch of the NAACP and the Progressive Voters League; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Wyrick and her husband shared a fulfilling |
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relationship of 59 years until his passing in 2020; she took great |
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pride in their two children as well as in their grandsons, Ryan, |
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Richard, Noah, Caleb, and Luke, and great-grandson, Sebastian Dean; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to her family, her faith, and her |
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community, Ruth Wyrick leaves behind a legacy of good works that |
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will long be remembered; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Ruth Laverne Wells |
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Wyrick and extend sincere condolences to all who mourn her passing; |
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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 Ruth |
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Wyrick. |