HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, Texans, and indeed all Americans, join in mourning
1-2 the untimely passing of Pam Lychner on July 17, 1996, at the age of
1-3 37, for her remarkable courage and spirit touched the lives of all
1-4 who had the privilege of knowing her; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Born Pamela Sue Rogers in Aurora, Illinois, she
1-6 nurtured close relationships with her two sisters, and together
1-7 they marked the many happy triumphs and minor mishaps of a typical
1-8 small-town childhood; her first experience with the darker elements
1-9 of society occurred at the tender age of 16, when she was robbed
1-10 while working as a grocery store checker, but this experience only
1-11 served to strengthen the young woman's empathy and concern for
1-12 those around her; and
1-13 WHEREAS, During the difficult days of the Vietnam War,
1-14 Ms. Lychner expressed this compassion by wearing a POW-MIA bracelet
1-15 in silent tribute to an American serviceman; she never forgot the
1-16 name inscribed on the bracelet, and long after the war had ended,
1-17 she continued to keep the bracelet's documentation, for she was
1-18 determined to keep her promise of honoring the memory of a soldier
1-19 she had never met; and
1-20 WHEREAS, In 1984, while working as a flight attendant for
1-21 Trans World Airlines, she married Joe Lychner, and they were
1-22 blessed with two beautiful daughters, Shannon Evian and Katherine
1-23 Elizabeth; Ms. Lychner was a caring and devoted mother to the
1-24 girls, and in furthering her own education at the local community
2-1 college, she instilled in them a love of learning that immeasurably
2-2 brightened their young lives; and
2-3 WHEREAS, Her idyllic life was marred when, in 1990, she
2-4 became the victim of a violent assault, and once again, she
2-5 struggled to rise above the emotional fallout of crime; as
2-6 Ms. Lychner recovered from her trauma, she became painfully aware
2-7 of flaws in the criminal justice system, and she gathered her
2-8 formidable will to set about righting those wrongs; victimized
2-9 twice in her life by individuals, she refused to be victimized by
2-10 the system that was supposed to protect her, and her unwillingness
2-11 to yield to an indifferent bureaucracy laid the foundation for
2-12 Justice For All, a criminal justice reform organization; and
2-13 WHEREAS, Under Ms. Lychner's committed leadership, Justice
2-14 For All grew to a national organization with more than 3,000
2-15 members, and together they worked successfully to reform the
2-16 appeals process, reduce automatic probation, and eliminate
2-17 mandatory release, thus ensuring that criminals would serve longer
2-18 sentences and face stricter review before returning to society; a
2-19 knowledgeable and compelling spokesperson, Ms. Lychner was
2-20 frequently called on by the national media to articulate the
2-21 perspective of crime victims, and her genuine concern for the
2-22 people she represented enabled her to become an effective advocate
2-23 for meaningful change; and
2-24 WHEREAS, Her determination to restore the integrity of our
2-25 country's criminal justice system struck a chord in the hearts of
2-26 people throughout the nation, people for whom stories of crime and
2-27 violence had become all too familiar, and their admiration of her
3-1 turned to shock and grief when they learned that she and her
3-2 daughters, Shannon and Katy, were among the victims of one of our
3-3 nation's most incomprehensible tragedies; and
3-4 WHEREAS, Pam Lychner was forever guided by the principle that
3-5 one person can have a profound impact on the world around her, and
3-6 her life is a testament to that simple creed; she was taken from
3-7 this world all too soon, but her unique spirit will live on in the
3-8 hearts of all the people whose lives she touched, and the people of
3-9 Texas stand pledged to keeping her memory and her work alive; now,
3-10 therefore, be it
3-11 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-12 hereby honor the life of Pamela Sue Rogers Lychner and extend
3-13 deepest sympathy to the members of her family: to her beloved
3-14 husband, Joe Lychner; to her parents, Wayne and Betty Rogers; to
3-15 her sisters, Lori Musselman and Jan Brenkus; and to all the
3-16 relatives, colleagues, and many friends of this exceptional woman;
3-17 and, be it further
3-18 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-19 prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas
3-20 House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in
3-21 memory of Pam Lychner.
Hamric
Danburg
Hilbert
Jackson
Nixon
Laney Gutierrez Oliveira
Alexander Haggerty Olivo
Allen Hamric Palmer
Alvarado Hartnett Patterson
Averitt Hawley Pickett
Bailey Heflin Pitts
Berlanga Hernandez Place
Bonnen Hightower Price
Bosse Hilbert Puente
Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck
Burnam Hill Ramsay
Carter Hinojosa Rangel
Chavez Hirschi Raymond
Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar
Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas
Clark Holzheauser Rhodes
Coleman Horn Rodriguez
Cook Howard Roman
Corte Hunter Sadler
Counts Hupp Seaman
Crabb Isett Serna
Craddick Jackson Shields
Cuellar Janek Siebert
Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith
Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee
Davila Junell Solis
Davis Kamel Solomons
Delisi Keel Staples
Denny Keffer Stiles
Driver King Swinford
Dukes Krusee Talton
Dunnam Kubiak Telford
Dutton Kuempel Thompson
Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery
Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres
Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman
Elkins Luna Turner of Harris
Farrar McCall Uher
Finnell McClendon Van de Putte
Flores McReynolds Walker
Gallego Madden West
Galloway Marchant Williams
Garcia Maxey Williamson
Giddings Merritt Wilson
Glaze Moffat Wise
Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth
Goolsby Mowery Wolens
Gray Naishtat Woolley
Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough
Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 81 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on February 19, 1997.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 81 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the Senate on February 19, 1997.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _______________________
Date
_______________________
Governor