H.R. No. 750
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of John
Paul Barnich of Houston, who died on February 2, 2009, at the age of
63; and
WHEREAS, John Barnich was born to Aileen and Bill Barnich,
Jr., of Cheboygan, Michigan, on September 25, 1945, and grew up on
nearby Mullett Lake; he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology
from Michigan State University in 1968; and
WHEREAS, After moving to Houston in 1969, Mr. Barnich taught
for 10 years in the Houston Independent School District; he was a
gifted and energetic teacher, designing a psychology program for
the district and working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
to create a pilot program in police administration, which grew into
the HISD High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barnich was a student council sponsor and a
building steward for the Houston Federation of Teachers; he was
recognized by Waltrip High School in 1973 as an Outstanding Young
Educator, and in 1978, he earned a Teacher of the Year Achievement
Award; and
WHEREAS, In 1977, Mr. Barnich spent six months in India
studying comparative religion as a Fulbright scholar; returning to
Texas, he earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in
1980, and he opened his practice in 1981; he worked for Houston
Volunteer Lawyers and was a founder of the Bar Association for Human
Rights; he also lectured on the law for Thurgood Marshall School of
Law, Texas Southern University, the Texas Human Rights Foundation,
and the Houston Bar Association; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barnich was a pioneering activist on behalf of
the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people; he
took on much pro bono work on behalf of the GLBT community, and one
of his cases was joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and
resulted in people with AIDS being included in the Americans with
Disabilities Act; in another case, he effected an important change
in the way dentists treat people with AIDS; and
WHEREAS, A cofounder of AIDS Foundation Houston, Mr. Barnich
served as chair of the organization's board from 1990 to 1994;
during his tenure, he helped obtain a major community development
grant for AIDS housing, and developed a grant for AIDS education in
the county Juvenile Detention Center; he also served on the board of
the AIDS Equity League from 1988 to 1992 and played an active role
in the Houston GLBT Political Caucus; and
WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Barnich was appointed to be Houston's
first openly gay municipal judge, and he served with distinction in
that post until 2007; he continued to serve as a part-time
adjudication hearing officer until his death; and
WHEREAS, For his efforts in behalf of equality and social
justice, Mr. Barnich was named the Texas Human Rights Foundation
Advocate of the Year in 1992, and two years later, he earned the
Humanitarian Award from the Conference on AIDS in America; he was
also recognized with the Houston Humanitarian Award and the
Humanitarian Award from the GLBT Political Caucus; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barnich possessed a ready wit; when he was asked
how being gay would make him different from other municipal judges,
he quipped that he would upgrade the courtroom sound system to play
show tunes; a sign on his office door read, "Be nice or leave"; and
WHEREAS, An outspoken champion for the causes he believed in,
John Barnich worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others, and
his legacy will long resonate in the community that he loved; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable John
Paul Barnich and extend sincere condolences to the members of his
family: to his brothers, Rick Barnich and Bill Barnich III; to his
sisters, Mary Barnich and Martha Jo Vanderberg; and to his other
relatives and many 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 John
Barnich.
Cohen
Coleman
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 750 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 19, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House