82S10497 MMS-D
By: Guillen H.R. No. 47
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and a host of friends will forever carry with
them the memory of the love and affection they shared with Nidia Ann
Leal, who lost her life on Memorial Day 1999 at the age of 40; and
WHEREAS, Nidia was born in Wichita Falls to Lucia and Alfredo
Garcia of Rio Grande City on November 30, 1958; she and her older
brother, Noel, were raised with great love and devotion by their
parents until Mr. and Mrs. Garcia's early passing; the children
were then cared for by their aunt and uncle, Faustina and Reynaldo
Molina, who instilled in them the power of faith, the importance of
honesty, the value of work, and the significance of an education;
and
WHEREAS, Nidia attended Rio Grande City High School, where
she participated in the local 4-H Club and graduated in three years'
time as valedictorian of the Class of 1976; she then enrolled at
Texas A&M University and completed her studies there in two and a
half years, earning her bachelor's degree, with a major in English
and a minor in Spanish, in December 1978; and
WHEREAS, Nidia's rapid progress through college was all the
more striking because during that same time she married and started
a family; wed to Mario Guillen, she gave birth to her first child,
Ryan, in 1977, and to her daughter, Kimberly, a few years later; and
WHEREAS, Nidia subsequently earned a master's degree in
education from The University of Texas--Pan American; over the
course of two decades, she enjoyed a respected career as a teacher,
counselor, assistant principal, and director of adult education for
the Region One Education Service Center; and
WHEREAS, Her own modest upbringing, coupled with lessons she
absorbed as a child, engendered in Nidia a deep sense of empathy,
and she contributed to a number of charities, among them St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital, The University of Texas M. D.
Anderson Cancer Center, and the Salvation Army; and
WHEREAS, Nidia and her second husband, Patricio, shared a
rewarding union; in her free time, she enjoyed camping and hiking
with her family, walking her dogs, dancing, and singing country
music; she also regularly attended her husband's soccer games and
readily helped her children with their 4-H projects; for many
years, she was a staunch booster of the FFA and 4-H programs; and
WHEREAS, This beloved woman wore a beautiful smile and made
friends everywhere she went; a trusted mentor to countless youth
and adults in her community, she especially sought to be a strong
role model for her two children, and she committed herself
wholeheartedly to supporting their academic and personal success;
in her speech to the top graduates of the Rio Grande City High
School Class of 1999, just before her death, she expressed her pride
in her children's achievements; both her son and her daughter
followed in her footsteps and graduated from Texas A&M; Kimberly
Guillen now owns a business in the Rio Grande Valley and Ryan
Guillen represents the people of District 31 in the Texas House of
Representatives; and
WHEREAS, Nidia Ann Leal brought to her many endeavors an
inexhaustible dedication and generosity of spirit, and though her
journey on this earth ended far too soon, her life continues to
enrich all who knew and cherished her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby join the family of Nidia
Ann Leal in honoring her exemplary and inspirational life; 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 Nidia Ann
Leal.