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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the untimely loss of |
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| 6 | 7 | | Christopher Nicol McGowen, who died on March 2, 2017, at the age of |
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| 7 | 8 | | 47; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Chris McGowen was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, on |
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| 9 | 10 | | April 2, 1969, to Olene and John McGowen; he was interested in |
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| 10 | 11 | | politics from an early age and served in student government and |
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| 11 | 12 | | other groups while attending S. R. Butler High School in |
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| 12 | 13 | | Huntsville, Alabama, and while earning his bachelor's degree in |
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| 13 | 14 | | communications at Auburn University; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 1992, Mr. McGowen moved to Washington, D.C., |
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| 15 | 16 | | where he worked for the Booknotes program on C-SPAN and then served |
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| 16 | 17 | | as a congressional staffer, including a stint as deputy press |
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| 17 | 18 | | secretary to former U.S. representative J. C. Watts of Oklahoma; |
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| 18 | 19 | | in 1996, he joined his father in a business venture affiliated with |
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| 19 | 20 | | the Atlanta Olympics, and he later worked in communications in |
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| 20 | 21 | | Atlanta for Cohn & Wolfe, Turner, and the Georgia Chamber of |
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| 21 | 22 | | Commerce, among others; in 2004, he returned to Washington, D.C., |
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| 22 | 23 | | where he worked in government affairs for Novo Nordisk, Omada |
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| 23 | 24 | | Health, and the Insulet Corporation; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Mr. McGowen made friends readily and maintained |
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| 25 | 26 | | many friendships throughout his life; he also pursued innumerable |
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| 26 | 27 | | interests, including stylish clothing, military history, college |
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| 27 | 28 | | football, fishing, and grilling; a man of strong religious faith, |
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| 28 | 29 | | he was a valued member of Center Grove United Methodist Church in |
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| 29 | 30 | | Huntsville; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. McGowen enjoyed the love |
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| 31 | 32 | | and support of his wife, Kristi Barksdale; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, Although his days were far too few, Chris McGowen |
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| 33 | 34 | | embraced life to the fullest, and he will forever remain a vibrant |
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| 34 | 35 | | presence for those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 36 | 37 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Christopher Nicol |
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| 37 | 38 | | McGowen and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: |
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| 38 | 39 | | to his wife, Kristi; to his mother, Olene McGowen; to his brother, |
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| 39 | 40 | | Carl McGowen; to his parents-in-law, Bob and Carol Barksdale; to |
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| 40 | 41 | | his sister-in-law, Erin Terry, and her husband, Dedric; and to his |
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| 41 | 42 | | other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 44 | 45 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Chris |
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| 45 | 46 | | McGowen. |
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