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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The untimely passing of Rebecca Wells of Linden on |
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July 25, 2025, at the age of 49, has brought profound sorrow to her |
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family, friends, and colleagues; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on February 16, 1976, in Williamsport, |
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Pennsylvania, the former Rebecca Ramirez was the daughter of |
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Richard and Jacqueline Ramirez; while she was a student at Texas A&M |
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University, she worked for the Texas Department of Transportation; |
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she graduated from A&M with a civil engineering degree in 1998 and |
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obtained licensure as a professional engineer; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2001, Mrs. Wells embarked on a rewarding |
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full-time career with TxDOT; early in her tenure, she began |
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focusing on system safety, and in 2005, she became involved with |
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projects that researched such issues as curve-related crashes and |
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vehicle detectors for high-speed intersections; she was named |
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director of transportation operations for the Atlanta District in |
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2018, and four years later, she was promoted to district engineer; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Demonstrating a deep commitment to highway safety, |
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Mrs. Wells piloted several improvements in the Atlanta District |
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that today are recognized as statewide standards; among them are |
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the use of prefabricated rumble strips for seal coat pavements and |
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the widening of pavement striping to help reduce crashes; |
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Mrs. Wells also installed the state's first intersection conflict |
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monitoring system, oversaw the rewriting of the TxDOT speed design |
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manual, and lent her expertise to three National Cooperative |
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Highway Research Program panels; additionally, she belonged to the |
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TxDOT Council on System Safety, and she worked to reduce roadway |
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fatalities as a member of a Texas Transportation Commission safety |
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task force composed of representatives from TxDOT and the state's |
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metropolitan planning organizations; over the course of a career |
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spanning nearly a quarter century, she earned a reputation for her |
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visionary leadership, her intelligence, and her ability to bring |
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people together; and |
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WHEREAS, In all her endeavors, Mrs. Wells was blessed with |
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the love and support of her husband, Kyle Wells, with whom she |
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shared a fulfilling marriage of nearly three decades; she took |
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great pride in their two children, Kayden and Kendall, and she |
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embraced time spent with her family, finding joy in relaxing at |
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their beach house, paddleboarding on the lake, and sharing laughter |
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around the dinner table; her radiant smile could light up a room, |
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and she adored her dogs, Koda and Maggie Mae; a woman of faith, she |
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was an active member of First Baptist Church, where she mentored |
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youth; and |
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WHEREAS, Admired for her strength, generosity, and vibrant |
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spirit, Rebecca Wells lived a caring and purposeful life, and her |
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devotion to her family and to the communities she served in her |
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professional career left a lasting impression on all who were |
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privileged to know her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature, 1st |
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Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Rebecca Wells |
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and extend heartfelt condolences to the members of her family: to |
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her husband, Kyle Wells; to her daughters, Kayden Kendrick and her |
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husband, Kyle, and Kendall Wells; to her parents, Richard |
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Ramirez Sr. and Jacqueline Ramirez; to her mother-in-law, Linda |
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Wells; to her siblings, Richard Ramirez Jr. and Kristy Ramirez; to |
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her brother-in-law, Kerry Wells, and his wife, Erin; to her nieces |
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and nephews, Asher, Alayna, and Breckin Wells, Hunter Ramirez and |
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his wife, Molly, and Haven and Lucas Ramirez; and to her many other |
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relatives and 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 Senate adjourns this |
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day, it do so in memory of Rebecca Wells. |