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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 172
BY REPRESENTATIVE BURRELL AND SENATORS ADLEY, BUFFINGTON,
GALLOT, PEACOCK, AND TARVER
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To express heartfelt measures of condolences upon the death of Caddo Parish Commissioner
Joyce Bowman.
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and great sadness that the Legislature of Louisiana
has learned of the death of Caddo Parish Commissioner Joyce Bowman, on Sunday, May 26,
2013, in Shreveport, Louisiana, and it is fitting to recognize and record for posterity the
unique and wonderful legacy of public service and civic engagement that Commissioner
Bowman leaves behind; and
WHEREAS, few individuals have had such a profound impact on their community
and it is appropriate to extend to her family and constituents the sincerest and most profound
condolences upon the loss of this extraordinary and courageous woman; and
WHEREAS, Joyce Marie McLemore was born on January 12, 1953, to the union of
the late Huey Bryant and Willie McLemore in Houston, Texas; and
WHEREAS, Joyce was lovingly raised by her maternal grandmother, Frankie L.
Chism, and her paternal grandmother, Gertrude Bryant, in the Hollywood and Hollywood
Heights communities in Shreveport, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Joyce accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age and stood
strongly and steadfastly in her faith for the remainder of her life, particularly after her
diagnosis of cancer; and
WHEREAS, a noted track star and champion swimmer, she graduated in 1970 from
Bethune High School; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman worked as a licensed practical nurse at Doctor's Hospital
and later as a nursing administrator at Highland Hospital for twenty-three years; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 172
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WHEREAS, with much thought and prayer, Mrs. Bowman offered herself as a
dedicated and deliberate public servant to the Caddo Parish community in 1999 when she
ran for the District 5 seat on the Caddo Parish Commission; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman was elected and reelected and served on the Caddo
Parish Commission until 2006, when she stepped down to run for a seat on the Shreveport
City Council in District G; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman proudly and effectively served on the Shreveport City
Council until 2010, when she again stepped down and later returned to the Caddo Parish
Commission, representing District 5 from 2011 until her death; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman's ambitions were to represent the citizens of House
District 2 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, currently held by her friend State
Representative Roy Burrell, and if her health would have allowed it, she would have run for
the seat in 2015; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman is preceded in death by her father, Huey Bryant, and one
sister, Frankie McLemore Hunter; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman leaves to cherish her precious memory her mother, Willie
McLemore; her husband of thirty-eight years, Jerry Dan Bowman, Sr.; two sons, Jerry Dan
Bowman, Jr., and wife Ursula and Jerald DeShun Bowman; two grandchildren, Rodrick
Stevenson and Jeryn Bowman; special friends Kenneth Davidson and Faye Norfleet; two
aunts, Blanche Harrison and Lois Hughes; and a host of admiring family, friends, and loved
ones; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman wished to be remembered as "a woman who loved God
first, then as a mother who loved her children more than they would ever know, and then as
a public servant who really was in it for the citizens, who spoke out in spite of threats or
other tactics"; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Bowman was a trailblazer, a fighter, and a champion for her
community, and she made history as the first black woman to serve as president of both the
Caddo Parish Commission and the Shreveport City Council; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Bowman was widely respected and admired for her
fierce advocacy on behalf of her constituents, unwavering dedication to effective and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 172
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efficient government, and competent and compassionate leadership, and she was recognized
countless times by many civic and local organizations; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Bowman was a woman whose generosity, smile, and
loving heart have left an indelible mark on the many people whose lives she touched; and
WHEREAS, throughout her battle with cancer, Commissioner Bowman lived every
day by the words of 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith"; and
WHEREAS, the death of Commissioner Bowman has left a tremendous void in her
community and has created a genuine sense of sorrow in all who knew her, and she leaves
behind a rich legacy of tenacity, courage, determination, and integrity and will forever be
remembered for the contributions she made to Caddo Parish.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Caddo Parish Commissioner
Joyce Bowman, does hereby recognize her achievements and singular contributions to the
city of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, does hereby record for posterity her remarkable gifts
and profound talent, her outstanding abilities, and her generosity and kindness, does hereby
extend enduring appreciation for the pride and honor that this extraordinary woman will
forever bring to her family and friends, her community, and the state of Louisiana, and does
hereby express the deep regret of the entire state upon the loss of this phenomenal woman.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the family of Joyce Bowman.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE