| 1 | 1 | | 85S12450 KSM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Thierry H.R. No. 231 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The family and friends of Kristi Marie |
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| 7 | 7 | | Couvillon-Wise of Austin suffered an immeasurable loss with her |
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| 8 | 8 | | untimely passing on October 1, 2010, at the age of 36; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The daughter of Donna and Paul Kreuzer and Edward |
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| 10 | 10 | | Couvillon, the former Kristi Couvillon was born in Texas City on |
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| 11 | 11 | | September 20, 1974; after graduating from Clements High School, she |
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| 12 | 12 | | earned her bachelor's degree at Trinity University and went on to |
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| 13 | 13 | | receive a master's degree in social work as well as a doctor of |
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| 14 | 14 | | jurisprudence with honors from The University of Texas at Austin; |
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| 15 | 15 | | in 2006, she married John Wise, and the couple became the proud |
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| 16 | 16 | | parents of a beloved baby girl, Vivienne Grace; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, From an early age, Ms. Couvillon-Wise demonstrated |
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| 18 | 18 | | a strong sense of compassion that ultimately led her to devote her |
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| 19 | 19 | | life to helping others, first as a special education teacher and |
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| 20 | 20 | | later as a social worker for people living with HIV/AIDS, mental |
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| 21 | 21 | | illness, and drug addiction, as well as for the homeless; during her |
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| 22 | 22 | | distinguished career as an attorney, she represented indigent |
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| 23 | 23 | | clients on death row through a fellowship with the Texas Defender |
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| 24 | 24 | | Service, and she was also briefly employed in the Travis County |
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| 25 | 25 | | Attorney's Office before opening her own criminal defense practice; |
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| 26 | 26 | | named to the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Board of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Directors, she further contributed to her professional community as |
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| 28 | 28 | | president of Texas Law Fellowships and as manuscript editor for the |
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| 29 | 29 | | Texas Journal of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, In her free time, Ms. Couvillon-Wise enjoyed |
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| 31 | 31 | | traveling, running, listening to music of all genres, and spending |
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| 32 | 32 | | time in nature, and she also found great joy in caring for animals; |
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| 33 | 33 | | and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Ms. Couvillon-Wise took her own life five months |
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| 35 | 35 | | after the birth of her daughter, and the tragic circumstances of her |
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| 36 | 36 | | death have since led to the founding of the Pregnancy and Postpartum |
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| 37 | 37 | | Health Alliance of Texas, which was established in her honor, and |
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| 38 | 38 | | the creation of the 2nd Postpartum Support International Traveling |
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| 39 | 39 | | Memory Quilt; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Kristi Couvillon-Wise made a positive difference in |
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| 41 | 41 | | countless lives, both through the love and kindness she shared with |
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| 42 | 42 | | her family and friends and through the work she did to help those in |
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| 43 | 43 | | need, and she will forever hold a treasured place in the hearts of |
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| 44 | 44 | | all who knew and loved her; now, therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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| 47 | 47 | | of Kristi Couvillon-Wise and extend sincere condolences to her |
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| 48 | 48 | | loved ones; and, be it further |
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| 49 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 50 | 50 | | prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 51 | 51 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Kristi |
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| 52 | 52 | | Couvillon-Wise. |
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