82R6905 JEN-D
By: McClendon H.R. No. 348
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A life of service and meaningful accomplishments
drew to a close with the passing of Audrae Helen Adams of San
Antonio on November 23, 2009, at the age of 102; and
WHEREAS, The daughter of Federico and Alberta
Hudson-Tavares, the former Audrae Hudson-Tavares was born on
December 21, 1906, in Denver, Colorado; her family lived in Mexico
during the revolutionary years, and she spent her early childhood
in Guanajuato and Mexico City, where her father had business
interests; he later sent her to boarding school in Jamaica, his home
country, and she went on to graduate from Howard University and to
earn a master's degree in French from Columbia University; having
read of rare opportunities for educated African American women at
St. Philip's College, a new institution in San Antonio, she
successfully applied for a position teaching Spanish, English, and
religion and acting as secretary to the school's founder; and
WHEREAS, She joined the San Antonio Independent School
District in 1935 and married Bernard Adams, Jr., that same year;
balancing home life and her vocation, Mrs. Adams cared for her
husband and their two daughters, Sylvia and Hudson, while mentoring
countless students and imparting both knowledge of the Spanish
language and a true appreciation for Latin American culture; she
was a valued member of the faculty at Phillis Wheatley High School
for 25 years and taught at Douglass Junior High School and Louis W.
Fox Technical High School as well; in addition, she spent several
summers teaching at Prairie View A&M University and Wiley College;
and
WHEREAS, This dedicated educator's professional affiliations
included the Texas State Teachers Association, the American
Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, and the Retired
Teachers Association; over the course of her career, she received
numerous accolades, among them the Model Community Language Arts
Award; and
WHEREAS, After retiring in 1972, Mrs. Adams devoted herself
to her church and her community; an elder in Holy Redeemer Catholic
Church, she served as a lector and was a member of the Ladies
Sodality and the Christian Service Committee; she gave generously
of her time and talent as a volunteer for the Christian Assistance
Ministry and served as a lay minister at area nursing homes; her
selfless efforts were honored with the Archbishop Francis J. Furey
Award; moreover, she was a charter member of the San Antonio chapter
of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Adams enjoyed more than eight decades of
fellowship as a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and
enthusiastically supported the benevolent programs of its Alpha Tau
Omega chapter; in 2002, she achieved diamond status in Alpha Kappa
Alpha, in recognition of her 75 years of service; she was also a
member of the Alpha Wives, a charitable auxiliary to her husband's
fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha; and
WHEREAS, A remarkable role model, Audrae Adams met life's
challenges with grace and good humor, and she left a lasting imprint
on the world through her love of learning and her compassion for
others; although she is deeply missed, those who were privileged to
know her will forever remember her with the deepest admiration and
affection; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Audrae Helen Adams
and extend sincere condolences to her loved ones: to her daughters,
Sylvia Wade and Hudson Tavares; to her grandchildren, Dr. Monica
Howard and Albert Wade; to her great-grandchildren, Erin Martin,
Dominique Howard, Michael Benson and his wife, Christina, and
Abidjan Bright; to her nieces, Josefina Echanove and Stephanie
Cadet; to her great-nieces, Peggy Echanove and Marisol Echanove,
and her great-nephew, Alonso Echanove and his wife, Marisela; to
her close friends, Esperanza Garcia, Consuelo Cantu, Loraina
O'Neill, and Dolores and Jesse Galdeano; and to her many other
friends and relatives; 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 Audrae
Adams.