H.R. No. 1029
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life drew to a close with the
death of educator, musician, and community activist Mariana Ornelas
of San Antonio on March 6, 2017, at the age of 67; and
WHEREAS, Mariana Ornelas was born to Thalia Girdis Sculos in
Framingham, Massachusetts, on September 18, 1949; after earning a
bachelor's degree in Spanish and French from Marietta College in
1971, she studied Latin American literature at the Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City and fell in love with
Latin culture; for five years, she lived in Paraguay, where she
learned to play the harp; and
WHEREAS, Returning to the United States, Ms. Ornelas studied
public policy and citizen participation at Tufts University; it was
there that she met Willie Velasquez, the founder of the Southwest
Voter Registration Education Project, and after earning her
master's degree in 1982, she moved to San Antonio to work for the
organization; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Ornelas lived most of the rest of her life in San
Antonio, and as a professor of humanities and sociology at Palo Alto
College from 1997 until 2016, she taught the school's first Mexican
American women's studies courses and introduced her students to
civic and political leaders and musicians; and
WHEREAS, Active in the community, Ms. Ornelas served on the
boards of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center and other
organizations; she was a cofounder and president of the Dellview
Area Neighborhood Association, and later in life, she returned to
the study of the harp, often sharing her music with appreciative
audiences at churches and in nursing homes; and
WHEREAS, A gifted scholar and musician and a passionate
advocate for social justice, Mariana Ornelas devoted her life to
furthering the ideals she held dear, and she leaves behind a record
of compassion and civic engagement that will continue to inspire
all who knew her; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Mariana Ornelas and
extend heartfelt sympathy to her uncle, Constantine Rockas, to her
aunt, Dorothea Fotis, and to her other relatives and many 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 Mariana
Ornelas.
Bernal
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1029 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 30, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House