H.R. No. 1334
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family, friends, and citizens across the Lone Star
State are mourning the loss of entrepreneur and philanthropist
Jeanette Epstein Oshman, who died on March 25, 2009, at the age of
98; and
WHEREAS, The former Jeanette Epstein was born in Poland to
Fanny and Jacob Epstein and emigrated with her family to the United
States in 1921; settling in Houston, she quickly learned English,
one of five languages that she spoke; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, she went to work
for her uncle, Joe Levit, at Grocer Supply, which was where she
first encountered Jake Oshman; immediately smitten, she made a
beeline for Oshman's Sporting Goods to buy a pair of tennis shoes
and win the young man's heart; she and Mr. Oshman were wed in 1936,
and they shared a fulfilling marriage until his death in 1965;
fortunate enough to find love a second time, she remarried in 1971
and enjoyed nearly 25 years with Meyer "Bubba" Efron, until his
death in 1995; and
WHEREAS, At the time of her first husband's death, Mrs.
Oshman took over the management of Oshman's seven stores to ensure
their survival as a family-owned business; delegating day-to-day
operations to her son-in-law, Alvin Lubetkin, she became chair of
the board and took a leading role in expanding the company into a
successful chain of 220 stores; she was equally successful later in
life, when she became involved in real estate investment; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Mrs. Oshman maintained friendships
with many local Oshman's employees, whom she shepherded through the
initial transition with regular visits to the stores; her friendly
yet determined style won their loyalty and later earned her the
nickname "the iron butterfly" from business associates; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Oshman was an extraordinarily generous woman,
supporting various Jewish organizations, helping to put a number of
people through school, and contributing to such worthwhile
institutions as Baylor College of Medicine, Holocaust Museum
Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, Beren Academy, and the Baylor
Department of Molecular and Human Genetics; and
WHEREAS, This multifaceted woman approached all of her
endeavors with the same remarkable spirit, discipline, and strength
that characterized her leadership of her family business, and she
leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire others for many
years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Jeanette Epstein
Oshman and extend sincere condolences to the members of her family:
to her daughters, Judy Margolis and her husband, Kenneth, and
Marilyn Oshman and her partner, Alvin Lubetkin; to her sister, Ruth
Freedman; to her grandchildren, Karen Desenberg, Gary Gerson and
his wife, Cindy, Andrew Lubetkin and his wife, Cindy, and Jay Gerson
and his wife, Celine; to her great-grandchildren, Jake, Max, and
Morgan Gerson, Ryder, Daily, and Hope Desenberg, and Alvin, Ava,
and Marilyn Lubetkin; and to her other relatives and friends; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Jeanette
Oshman.
Woolley
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1334 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 23, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House