| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The Capitol community is mourning the loss of Gordon |
|
|
Robert Johnson, who passed away on March 16, 2025, at the age of 63; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The son of Judith Cissna Scott Johnson and Robert |
|
|
Ellis Johnson, Gordon Johnson was born in Dallas on December 26, |
|
|
1961; his family moved to Austin when he was a child, and he |
|
|
practically grew up at the Capitol, where his father served as House |
|
|
parliamentarian and as executive director of the Texas Legislative |
|
|
Council; after earning a bachelor's degree in engineering from |
|
|
Texas A&M University and a law degree from South Texas College of |
|
|
Law, he practiced briefly in Houston; he spent the rest of his |
|
|
career in the family law firm, Johnson and Johnson, representing |
|
|
clients in both the public and private sectors; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson had a deep understanding of the inner |
|
|
workings of state government, and he was able to resolve even the |
|
|
most complicated or controversial of issues; an advisor to numerous |
|
|
public officials, he served for many years as political director |
|
|
for House speaker Joe Straus, and he was instrumental in securing |
|
|
passage of the Texas Racing Act and other key legislation; |
|
|
good-natured and generous with his time and knowledge, he was a |
|
|
mentor to many; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Above all, Mr. Johnson was devoted to his loved |
|
|
ones; he spent countless happy hours watching his son, Reed, play |
|
|
sports, and they enjoyed many adventures together, from |
|
|
international travel and deep sea fishing to hunting and working on |
|
|
the ranch; eventually, he knew the joy of welcoming a |
|
|
daughter-in-law, Taylor, and granddaughter, Jemma, into his |
|
|
family, and his fulfilling 28-year marriage to Julie Johnson |
|
|
brought him four treasured stepchildren; deeply kind, he cared for |
|
|
a number of foster dogs; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, While the death of Gordon Johnson brings |
|
|
immeasurable sorrow to his family and friends, he leaves behind a |
|
|
legacy that will long be treasured by all those who held him dear; |
|
|
now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Gordon Robert Johnson |
|
|
and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his |
|
|
wife, Julie Hull Johnson; to his son, Reed Johnson, and his wife, |
|
|
Taylor; to his grandchild, Jemma Johnson; to his siblings, Robert |
|
|
Ellis Johnson Jr. and his wife, Teresa, Stanley Scott Johnson, and |
|
|
Karen Johnson Pounds; to his stepchildren, Jennifer Coffee O'Neill, |
|
|
Elizabeth Coffee McQueen, Dr. Katherine Coffee Janus, and Benjamin |
|
|
Coffee; and to his many other relatives and 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 Gordon |
|
|
Johnson. |